Customer Reviews

Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

"Is it a mystery?
Is it a mystery?

I'm spinning out of control
Out of control"
(Hoobastank)


Short Attention Span Summary (SASS):

1. Bruce (Masi Oka) and Lloyd (Nate Torrence) are gadget geeks working for the secret spy agency CONTROL
2. They develop an invisibility cloak
3. It gets stolen
4. They have to get it back


This is a simultaneous spin-off to the movie "Get Smart", allegedly taking part during the time frame of the movie. About five other movie characters appear in this very short (71 minutes) parody, some only as brief cameos.

It's not great cinema, but it manages to raise a few chuckles without resorting to potty humor, foul language, tired sight gags or gross-out scenes.

Exactly what you thought it'd be
For something straight to DVD
It has no wisdom to impart
And won't push viewers to "Get Smart"




Amanda Richards, August 2, 2008

I have to admit that this is a first for me.

Typically when you see a movie in the theatre, it's usually about three months after it's finished its run that it finally hits DVD.

It wasn't all that long ago that I saw the remake of Get Smart. In fact, I wrote a review about the movie and how much I enjoyed it.

I also mentioned in that review that there was a direct to DVD spin off coming out soon, one based on two of the minor characters in the movie, Bruce and Lloyd, a couple of techno geeks who worked for Control (portrayed by Heroes Masi Oka, and relative newcomer Nate Torrence).

The fact of the matter is that I enjoyed Get Smart immensely, and I found that these two supporting characters were a quaint and enjoyable touch.

Did they deserve their own movie? Maybe yes, maybe no, it depends on your point of view.

Do I think they deserved their own spin off movie? Well, I bought the DVD, didn't I?

Ok the story is very simple, and as per usual, I won't give away any spoilers that you couldn't see by watching trailers on the net or on other DVD's.

Bruce and Lloyd are working hard at perfecting a `invisible cloak', one that would render the wearer totally invisible.

The trials are working out quite well, but they have a little issue with a very limited battery life.

Now, mind you, the movie parallels Get Smart, so some of the events that take place in the theatrical version are shown or mentioned in this DVD. There is even a brief cameo by Anne Hathaway and Patrick Warburton (although the latter had only a tiny cameo in the Get Smart movie as well).

The movie had only a few really good laughs, but it was entertaining. I found myself heavily reminded of the various `spoof' movies out there like Scary Movie or the Superhero movie.

Even more so because Jayma Mays (Epic Movie) was in it and played a total buffoon... so she fit right in.

Now, the plot was paper thin, and downright silly. It was clearly made for fun, and not as a serious movie. Well, duh, thank you captain obvious. Sorry about that...

The biggest problem I had with the movie was how short it was! Just over an hour, like 70 minutes or so.

If you take the time to watch the bonus material like the Control Confessionals, it adds to the length of the movie and they ARE worth watching. Especially with the Korean guy, and you'll understand what I mean when you see it.

Well, if you see it that is.

Speaking of features, there were a total of three special featurettes in the movie, the above mentioned confessionals, the `real science' behind the movie gadgets, and cue the anti follicular device, as well as some trailers.

The characters, I have to admit, were lovable. Even the bad guy was played up more for laughs than actual menace. Anyone who has ever had trouble talking to girls will not be able to help but sympathize with Lloyd, as he bumbles around in the movie.

Hey, it wasn't a great film, and if I would have paid standard DVD price for the movie, I will be honest and say I would have felt ripped off, but it was a bargain at $15.

I'd be more inclined to call it a rental though.

2.5 out of 5

I watched this flick and I enjoyed it immensely.

First things first: is it funny, and is it interesting? YES and YES.
The humor is the light-hearted, "Scrubs" kind, and fits well in a movie about two lovable lab-dweebs. (Example: Hot girl does something impressive. Socially awkward lab-geek Lloyd is impressed, but the best response he can muster is: Do you like pie?)

There are enough laughs sprinkled throughout, with a little bit of action here and there, so the movie keeps moving at a nice pace. The 71 minutes goes by pretty fast.

Those expecting an Oscar-caliber movie of epic proportion with tremendous societal impact and big-budget cgi have been grossly misinformed. Those expecting a light, slap-sticky romp will not be disappointed.

And as far as the film's main 'object' - an 'invisible cloak' - well, Harry Potter has an invisible cloak, James Bond has an invisible car, the Fantastic Four have an invisible woman. Movies are all about the fantasy of far-fetched concepts that don't exist in the real world.

If you can't or won't buy it, then definitely rent it.

OK, you can't really judge this as if it were a real movie. It is more like a TV show. Masi Oka (from Heroes) is Bruce and Nate Torrence is Lloyd. They work in Control's gadget's lab and are the kind of nerds you expect them to be. Of course the important thing they are working on doesn't really work, they manage to lose it, it gets in the hand of some really bad guys, and they have to get it back at the risk of life and limb under threat of a deadline.

Jayma Mays plays Nina, the good girl nerd who works in the pathology lab with its attendant strains on relationships. Marika Dominczyk plays the bad girl with the heart of gold Isabelle. Larry Miller plays Bruce and Lloyd's boss and does his usual fine job as an oppressive idiot boss. There are also some cute cameos from the real movie.

This movie is just over an hour long and is a decent lightweight silly comedy. Don't take it seriously and don't judge it by exacting standards.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

GET SMART'S BRUCE AND LLOYD OUT OF CONTROL is a spin-off of the GET SMART movie that was originally released on DVD to coincide with the theatrical release of the GET SMART movie. The movie takes place concurrently with the events of the GET SMART movie and there are a few cameos from stars of GET SMART, including Anne Hathaway.

Bruce (Masi Oka) and Lloyd (Nate Torrence) are two guys who work in the Research and Development department of CONTROL. They've been working on a top secret device: an invisibility cloak. During a wild party (in which KAOS attacks CONTROL), their invisibility cloak is stolen by a female spy from Maraguay who intends to sell the cloak to KAOS. With the only non-compromised agents (Smart/86 and 99) already in the field, Bruce and Lloyd have to leave the confines of CONTROL and get the invisibility cloak back before it's sold to KAOS.

It should be noted that Jayma Mays is also featured in the movie as Bruce's love interest. I'm a big fan of hers and seeing her in the movie made it that much more enjoyable for me.

The DVD has a few extras including the "Control Confessionals" featurette which has the characters of the movie talking into a camera, ala reality tv style. There's also a "real science" featurette about the actual science behind some of the movie's gadgets. Lastly, there are some trailers.

GET SMART'S BRUCE AND LLOYD OUT OF CONTROL isn't a gut-busting knee-slapper. However, it does provide some good laughs and is entertaining. It's provides a nice additional sub-story to the main story of the GET SMART movie.

I'd give this one about 2.5 out of 5 - rather than go with a 2, I went with a 3.

I went into this one with pretty low expectations - I thought the Get Smart movie was alright (nothing great, nothing terrible - overall enjoyable), expecting this one to be of a much lower quality. Even with these expectations going into it, I was disappointed - it really felt like a cheap made-for-tv movie written over a weekend and thrown together to tie-in with the Get Smart movie and maybe cash in at the same time. While it wasn't Made-for-TV, it was Direct-to-DVD which isn't too far off.

The biggest problem, besides the lack of an interesting storyline, was that it just wasn't funny. While I wasn't expecting much in terms of a story, I expected some wackiness/stupid jokes to laugh at and a decent way to spend a couple hours without watching anything too serious. Unfortunately the stupid-comedy I was expecting just turned out to be, well, stupid. The same joke is used throughout the movie, and it just wasn't that funny. A lot of the other jokes just fall flat.

Fortunately this was a cheap-buy, as I would have been disappointed if I paid any more for it. One thing I do have to compliment it on was keeping it short - clocking in just over an hour long with the credits, it doesn't drag itself out and it's over before you know it (had they dragged it out to near 2 hours this review would be much lower).

If you're looking for a stupid comedy to laugh at for a couple hours and then forget, this probably isn't it. If you want to be decently entertained for a couple hours and then forget it, this is an option for you. Not the best option, and nothing I'd recommend actually buying, but if you get the chance to see it for free, you could do a lot worse.

I don't mean to sound as if I'm hating on the movie - I really didn't think it was terrible. I was just disappointed as I was expecting it to be more of a "funny" comedy and walked away disappointed. Some may get the humor, but it just fell flat on me and I'm usually one to enjoy these terrible kinds of movies!

Unlike the first reviewer, I was raised on old school Get Smart! and bought
this Dvd of Bruce and Lloyd as an appetizer to the film release of Get Smart!. It was good especially since it came with a money voucher at not cost to me to see the film. It wasn't a movie but you could call it a pilot
for a possible series. An idea that might fly since the two main actors,
Masi Oka and Nate Torrence would be good as a team. If Heroes doesn't pan out for
Masi Oka, he has got another possiblity and I am sure Mr. Torrence wouldn't mind steady work.

This was alright. Definitely not as funny at the movie Get Smart. I was hoping for something bigger and funnier.

Interesting how utilizing more or less the same material produces vastly differing results. 'Get Smart' was a funny, clever, and exciting reboot of the classic tv show. This side project, filmed at the same time, was none of that.

And if that wasn't enough - the funniest bits are the brief outtakes which are interspersed into the end credits. So what does that say about this mini-film?

Mostly pointless save for the following:

- We finally get to see "Hiro" and "Charlie" hook up! Yay! Was so heartbroken when she died in Heroes.

- Terry Crews is a favorite character actor - and watching him doing a silly dance is almost worth the rental price. Almost.

- You can never get tired of Larry Miller's wicked wit, regardless of the production. Gotta love his outtake: "Well, it IS the Navy." (laughing) :-D

For completists and hardcore fans only.

I found it predictable but funny. I have to admit that I had very low expectations, but it was a pleasant surprise. The script is not precisely a Hitchcock novel of complexity and unpredictability, but it's entertaining and fun. Most of the jokes require a certain level of education, and it's definitely a geek oriented movie.