Customer Reviews

Get Smart - The Complete Series Gift Set

5 star:		(103)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I paid twice as much to Time/Life a year ago for this as BestBuy has it today $109..and I don't feel ripped off at all...its worth every penny.
EACH season has a bonus DVD chock full of amazing stuff from commercials to appearances on other shows (Andy Williams) to numerous EMMY awards wins..and a fabulous ROAST of Don Adams...his Eulogy...goodness they did this thing right..and the packaging..WOW..even more fun and functional. This is the best set of a TV series I own and I own many. If you are only a casual fan I'd consider buying each season as they come out....they are cheap at $16 and do not have the bonus disc..which is essential viewing for true fans! The prints are great..each episode has an intro by beautiful Barbara Feldon (Agent 99) ...this is one of my treasures along with the Twilight Zone complete series. I've dipped into this over and over in the last year and have never once regretted the purchase. For a kid who grew up in that era its great on so many levels. With the economy as it is I felt compelled to review this set from the standpoint of value and I certainly think its a fabulous deal for fans.

Smart. Maxwell Smart. The dumbest spy in the world, who fights on behalf of the forces of goodness and niceness, and succeeded in making democracy vs. communism a lot more entertaining. With the comic trio of Don Adams, Barbara Feldon and Edward Platt, this hilarious spy spoof is still funny today.

Don Adams is Agent 86, Maxwell Smart, a not-so-bright spy with an endless arsenal of strange devices and odd sayings. The bumbling spy at a top-secret government agency called Control, which is responsible for keeping the free world free. Backing him up is his beautiful partner/love interest Agent 99 (Barbara Feldon) and his long-suffering Chief (Eward Platt) who puts up with Smart's constant mistakes.

Together with 99 (whom he marries late in the series), and the Chief (and his faithful dog Fang), Max battles the forces of badness and rottenness -- namely, the anti-Control called KAOS. They battle against their archnemesis Siegfried and a bunch of other KAOS agents, with explosive paintings, lovable robots, explosive pianos, evil hippies, and much more.

"Missed it by that much!" Maxwell Smart's catchphrases and goofy confidence made him the perfect antidote to the suave James Bond. Unlike Bond and similar movie spies, Max succeeds out of luck and bumbling more often than skill... but somehow, he still succeeds.

The comic timing is a little awkward at the very beginning, but rapidly gets its footing. What's really funny is the endless spoofery -- Max is given all sorts of weird gadgets, including the legendary "shoe-phone," and he faces off against all sorts of cartoonish villains. And it has dozens and dozens of movie spoofs -- "The Great Escape," "The Most Dangerous Game," "Maltese Falcon," "King Kong," and even the Bond movie "Goldfinger."

The political clime of the mid 1960s is all over the series, especially in the form of KAOS. But fortunately they don't get preachy -- KAOS is merely a big evil organization, no more. Some references are dated, and this definitely debuted before the era of political correctness (there's a bizarre episode about American Indians threatening the US government, and the Claw is funny if un-PC).

Don Adams MAKES this series, with his quirky facial expressions, nasal voice and odd body language. His Max overestimates his own skill and believes himself to be a sexy, karate-chopping Bondian treasure, though he survives mostly by luck ("Missed it by that much!").

Barbara Feldon is the least quirky of the cast, serving as the "straight woman" for Max, as well as the brains for his adventures. Edward Platt is just wonderful as the long-suffering, stressed-out Chief, who always looks slightly frayed, and Bernie Kopell is hysterical as the stiff-backed, volatile Siegfried.

It should be noted that right now, the entire series is only available directly from Time Life, with a big price tag (I was lucky enough to watch a relative's copy). Wait until Fall 2007, and it will be widely available at a lower price. They're also exquisitely remastered, with all that sixties colour, and they've reinserted little bits that were cut for commercials. It actually improves the flow.

It's been decades since "Get Smart" was first aired, but it is still gutsplittingly funny. You'll roll around on the floor, laughing yourself sick... and... loving it.

Smart. Maxwell Smart. The dumbest spy in the world, who fights on behalf of the forces of goodness and niceness, and succeeded in making democracy vs. communism a lot more entertaining. With the comic trio of Don Adams, Barbara Feldon and Edward Platt, this hilarious spy spoof is still funny today.

Don Adams is Agent 86, Maxwell Smart, a not-so-bright spy with an endless arsenal of strange devices and odd sayings. The bumbling spy at a top-secret government agency called Control, which is responsible for keeping the free world free. Backing him up is his beautiful partner/love interest Agent 99 (Barbara Feldon) and his long-suffering Chief (Eward Platt) who puts up with Smart's constant mistakes.

Together with 99 (whom he marries late in the series), and the Chief (and his faithful dog Fang), Max battles the forces of badness and rottenness -- namely, the anti-Control called KAOS, whose role it is to spread, ahem, chaos and mayhem across the globe when they're not trying to take out Control. They battle against their archnemesis Siegfried and a bunch of other KAOS agents, with explosive paintings, lovable robots, explosive pianos, giant magnets, assorted evil geniuses, femme fatales, evil hippies, doppelgangers (repeatedly!), aging paint, and much more. And despite his klutziness and bizarre problems, Max always somehow saves the day.

"Missed it by that much!" Maxwell Smart's catchphrases and goofy confidence made him the perfect antidote to the suave James Bond. Unlike Bond and similar movie spies, Max succeeds out of luck and bumbling more often than skill... but somehow, he still succeeds.

The comic timing is a little awkward at the very beginning, but rapidly gets its footing as soon as the formula for the series is established. Every episode is packed with humor, ranging from several running jokes ("I ASKED you not to tell me that!") to hilarious little word gags ("Larabee, confiscate that plant!" "I can't do that, Chief. I'm not a priest"). And of course, lots of pratfalls, slamming doors and wacky fights, as well as Max's calm acceptance of the bizarre (holding a meeting of agents hiding in furniture) and the perpetually unlucky Agent 13 hiding in various disgusting, cramped and unpleasant locations.

What's really funny is the endless spoofery of the whole spy genre -- Max is given all sorts of weird gadgets, including the legendary "shoe-phone" (a shoe with a phone in it, as you might have guessed) and he faces off against all sorts of cartoonish villains, ranging from Germanic dictators to socialites to evil maids. And it has dozens and dozens of movie spoofs -- "The Great Escape," "The Most Dangerous Game," "Maltese Falcon," "King Kong," and even the Bond movie "Goldfinger."

The political clime of the mid 1960s is all over the series, especially in the form of KAOS -- they're very totalitarian, very pre-Cold War. But fortunately they don't get preachy -- KAOS is merely a big evil organization whose purpose it is to cause problems for our heroes to solve, even if it involves kidnapping all the Control agents as Max kidnaps all of theirs. Some references are dated, and this definitely debuted before the era of political correctness (there's a bizarre episode about American Indians threatening the US government, and the Claw is funny if un-PC).

As for the lead actor... Don Adams MAKES this series, with his quirky facial expressions, nasal voice and odd body language. His Max overestimates his own skill and believes himself to be a sexy, karate-chopping Bondian treasure, though he survives mostly by luck ("Missed it by that much!") and occasionally 99's more formidable brains. And there's also something endearingly childlike about Max's passion and enthusiasm, despite the fact that he's clearly very grown-up.

Barbara Feldon is the least quirky of the cast, serving as the "straight woman" for Max, as well as the brains for his adventures -- and while her role diminishes a little after they get married and have kids, she's still the stable axis of the series. And she manages to produce a lot of comedy just by playing off Max ("I can't see through the keyhole! There's something blocking it." "The KEY!"). The late Edward Platt is just wonderful as the long-suffering, stressed-out Chief, who always looks slightly frayed, and Bernie Kopell is hysterical as the stiff-backed, volatile Siegfried, who is constantly infuriated by his informal sidekick Shtarker.

It should be noted that all these episodes have been exquisitely remastered down to crisp, bright clarity, with all that sixties colour. And they've reinserted little bits that were cut for commercials in the old reruns. It actually improves the flow.

It's been decades since "Get Smart" was first aired, but it is still gutsplittingly funny. You'll roll around on the floor, laughing yourself sick... and... loving it. Would you believe... giggling and enjoying yourself? How about a snicker and a two-minute diversion?

As a dedicated spy nut, I was ecstatic when I heard that Get Smart was being released on DVD at last. Even with the anticipation, the set still managed to exceed my expectations. The box is set up to look like the elevator Max disappears into during the title credits. In addition to sharp, bright and clean episode quality, each season is loaded with extras, including commentary from both Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, numerous documentaries, a touching clip from Don Adams' memorial service and commentary from Barbara Feldon before EACH EPISODE. The set also includes the black and white pilot episode which I had never seen before. In short, this sucker is loaded. Nick at Nite hasn't shown Get Smart for years now, so those of you going through advanced cases of Max and 99 withdrawl can have your Get Smart cravings satisfied forever with this great set. Here's hoping the set will soon be more widely available so Amazon can offer it at its usual rock-bottom price.

This is the same set that TimeLife is offering, but $10 cheaper. The set has a lot of extras and is in a package that looks like the doors that Max goes through in the opening and end credits. Hilarious show!!

My daughter used to watch "Get Smart" when she was little and would laugh until she cried at Maxwell Smart. I was not a big fan of the series, but I always enjoyed watching her watch it. Her reactions were as funny as she thought the show was. On her Christmas '08 wish list was a "Get Smart" DVD. When she opened one of her gifts from me, the look on her face was well worth the price that I had paid.
She gasped and then exclaimed excitedly, "You bought me the whole series! Oh, Momma! Thank you so much!"
I have since asked her if she has had the time to watch any of her "Get Smart" DVDs. She said that she watches one show every night before she goes to bed so that she can end her day with laughter. My daughter is 40 now and she says that she still thinks that Maxwell is just as funny today as she did when she was little; actually, she thinks he is funnier because she is watching as an adult this time and understands some of the subtle suggestions and remarks that she had missed as a child.
When I first saw the price for this set, I thought it was a lot to pay for Maxwell Smart. But, After seeing her expression when she first opened her gift and then hearing how much she has enjoyed watching the movies again, it would be a bargain at twice the price. It is impossible to afix a price tag to the things we enjoy and love. To me, my daughter's happiness is priceless. One hundred dollars is a very small price to pay to give her unlimited laughter.
If you feel as my daughter does about the "Get Smart" series and think Maxwell Smart is totally funny, you will love this DVD series and be happy with your purchase. My daughter and I highly recommend it.
I wish you lots of laughter.

Get Smart must certainly be ranked as one of the most outstanding comedies of the 1960's. The show was highly successful both in terms of ratings and as a social phenomenon: the series was widely quoted and mimicked, and numerous catchphrases from the series found their way into vernacular use almost immediately upon the show's inception. Don Adams, Barbara Feldon, Edward Platt, and a host of others became famous from the show, and its five-year run (on two networks, no less) was nothing less than an apogee of television for the period.

Get Smart is based on a premise that, today, perhaps holds little meaning. Maxwell Smart, secret agent "86," works for a secret U.S. spy organization called "CONTROL" (the name is not an acronym) whose nemesis, "KAOS" (again, the word is a name, not an acronym) were in constant cold-war-style efforts to subvert one another. Someone once asked Max in an episode how one could tell the "good" spies from the "bad" spies. Max's answer was simple: "The good secret agents work on OUR side; the bad secret agents work on THEIR side." This is the basic premise of the show, a comedy based in part on the James Bond series of movies, by this point in time achieving its first international notoriety, but within the structural format of a situation comedy. This was the Cold War played out in a series of comedy vignettes, with nothing taken too seriously even if it meant the potential end of the free world once each week.

There are a number of factors which made the series so successful. As with most successful TV shows, the writing was uniformly excellent (particularly in seasons 1 - 3), with two-person writing teams used to develop many of the episodes. The show capitalized on both the Cold War fears and interests of the time, but also jumped on the James Bond phenomenon, which was an excellent background for satirical humor. But we can also in hindsight see that it is unlikely the show would have shot to such levels of popularity had it not been for the casting of Adams, Feldon, and Platt. These three made the perfect trio, with Adams yucking it up as the daffy secret agent who always, miraculously, came through in spite of his ineptness, Platt as the Chief who had the perpetual headache due to Max's behavior, and the moderating and professional competence of Feldon. Nearly every episode capitalized on the dynamic created by the contrasts within this ensemble.

Given the unique premise and idiosyncratic setting in which Get Smart became popular, it would seem natural to believe that the show would never be enjoyable to watch outside of the political and social context in which it was created. This feeling could be magnified when we consider that the show contains so much political and social commentary as a background for its episodes. It is an odd irony of the series that for some reason, perhaps due to the extent to which the show pushed its unique character, Get Smart remains extremely entertaining today. It's true that this type of humor is not everyone's cup of tea, but for most, its mix of sophmoric, tag-line humor combined with moments of sophisticated insight make it a unique entry into the comedy world, a classic that retains its humor, warmth, and charm. Some people describe the show as hysterically funny, and indeed, it can be. The humor works so effectively that, even if one has all the lines and scenes memorized, laughs are still evoked. (And Get Smart is one of those shows that defies all convention by becoming even more funny when episodes are repeatedly re-watched.)

Many have been waiting for years for this series to be released on DVD, and as aggravating as the wait was, it was completely worth it. The video and audio transfer from the original film stock is so outstanding that it almost appears as though the series was filmed last year rather than almost half a century ago. The image quality is incredibly crisp and colorful to the point that even those who have watched the show in reruns on television for years will have the unexpected experience of seeing the show in an entirely new light. Add to that the restoration of segments that have been habitually cut out to maximize commercial time, and it becomes a uniquely enjoyable experience to sit down and plow through the entire set once again.

If you have never watched Get Smart, I can tell you that this is one of the truly great comedy shows to have ever been made, and chances are you'll find a lot to enjoy in it. If you are a veteran get Smart watcher, you probably are not even reading this review, because you have already purchased the set the moment it became available. Buy the set, and if a concerned spouse raises a "magenta alert" about the $139 price tag, just say "Sorry about that, Chief!"

Yes, we saw this growing up. When anyone hears the name MAX this is what comes to mind! The show was simply amazing. And so are the DVDs.

There are lots of reviews here so I will keep this short so you read it.

GOOD: The shows are in order. There are narrated episodes that explain why the car in the opening scene went from red to blue. Stories about how Don Adams studied his script are simply amazing. There is more behind the scenes stuff here than you can imagine. All the episodes have the full into and end credits. No shaving. Highest quality too.

BAD: If the price is too high for you, wait five years when the value will be through the roof! Truly this is worth the price. Okay that's not really bad. The only bad I saw was from the original production. Maybe the camera lens had a hair in it,and when you use two cameras to shoot a show, you keep seeing that hair. That's it!

POINTS: As I try to catch every detail now,I see the limitations on reality. I can see Don's stunt double. I see continuity errors. I even saw a huge spelling error in a scene on a government building sign. Was that a joke that the props department did or did no one check them?

Get it. Remember, "He who hesitates...how does that go again 99?"

I grew up watching "Get Smart", and watched an episode marathon on the TV Land network a few years ago, hosted by none other than Mr. Smart himself, Don Adams. Saying I'm a big fan is an understatement--I used to have a replica of the 1970 Opal GT that Max drove in the final season!
So when I first heard the news that the series was finally being released to DVD, I was ecstatic.
All the great catchphrases, all the goofy gadgetry & memorable characters (Max, Agent 99, the Chief, Sigfried, and even Larabee, who amazingly succeeded in being dumber than Max!) are finally here.
But why such a high selling price?? I would love to own this collection, but like most fans, will wait until the price comes down.

I was so excited earlier this year when the First Season of Get Smart was released on DVD at a reasonable price. I was delighted once again to see that the rest of the series was going to be available in a complete.

The packaging was very unique. I was quite surprised that a company would go to the trouble of creating a slip case with fold out sets of doors (imitating the doors Maxwell Smart walks through in the credits). It was a really nice touch. Each season is packaged individually in a foldout case that slides into a clear sleeve that is decorated with Mod circles. The foldout cases contain a booklet with an episode list and pertitent information, the episode DVDs, and a DVD containing bonus material. The bonus material is very interesting in most cases. The first season bonus features alone contained a couple of documentaries, footage of Don Adams pre Get Smart, and an introduction to new NBC shows hosted by Don Adams in character as Maxwell Smart. Lots of fun!