Some movies your remember because of where and when you first saw it. That has been my experience with “The Nude Bomb.” When I saw it, I had never even seen the TV series “Get Smart” which this was based upon. I grew up in a period where it just wasn’t being shown in my area.
See, kids, back in the day, you couldn’t see everything at anytime. That’s just how it was.
So my introduction to Maxwell Smart was Don Knotts sitting in an airplane among a number of tough guys with a ringing sound going out. An awkward Agent Smart takes off his shoe and starts speaking into it.
See, kids, back then, mobile phones were science fiction. Only available to super spys and Dick Tracy.
I saw the film in a budget theater locally and actually became interested in the film while waiting for a film playing in the theater next door. See, it had started already and I heard just this ringing very quietly and some snickers from the audience.
I was fascinated. I loved James Bond already by that time. I loved “The Spy Who Loved Me,” which remains my favorite Bond film, so this seemed perfect to me. I loved the Cone of Silence. I loved the corny jokes.
Because I hadn’t seen the original series, I didn’t miss Felton and Platt in their costarring roles. I didn’t realize that a “Nude Bomb” was well outside the usual story telling of the show. (In fact, the writers of the movie that came from the TV show, hated the idea. Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, who co-created the program, were never so much as consulted on the film.)
But here’s the thing: the movie doesn’t live up to my memories of the film. Certainly better than the remake with Steve Carrell and better than the made-for-TV reunion movies, and frankly, better than most of the series, it just isn’t the greatest secret agent comedy of all time.
Austin Powers kind of has that one lined up.
One big plus is a 10 minute sequence showing off the 1980 Universal Studio tour. This was just about time they decided to pivot this into a theme park operation, so it is a great time capsule to see what the tour at that time. And you get to see Jaws…not the one James Bond fights, though.
Not worthy of all the hate and terrible box office upon initial release, it is worth a glance and have a little fun. Just don’t expect the film to be life changing. After all, it was nominated for a Razzie the first year of its existence.
