Get Smart (2008)

Although I can't say that Get Smart left me more fulfilled from a comedic or artistic standpoint, the ophthalmology content definitely taught me something new! In one scene, Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) escapes a locked interrogation room by using his captor's ocular biometrics, holding up the beat-up bad guy's face to the eye scanner and lifting his eyelid.

You've probably seen this kind of scene before- remember Demolition Man (1993) with Wesley Snipes and Sylvester Stallone, or how about Tom Cruise getting an eye transplant in Minority Report (2002) to mask his identity?

What you might not realize, as I didn't, is that ocular biometrics actually does exist in many forms right now. There are two main technologies: iris recognition, which images the detailed surface of the irides of an individual's eyes; and retinal scanning, which utilizes infrared light to map the unique vascular pattern of a person's retina.

Apparently these scanners no longer exist just in science fiction movies. Retinal scanners have been used by the FBI, CIA, and NASA. Iris recognition seems to enjoy more widespread applications, notably in the UK Iris Recognition Immigration System, several US and Canadian airports, and in Pakistan for a refugee repatriation project. An interesting iris registration fact from Wikipedia:

The iris has a fine texture that – like fingerprints – is determined randomly during embryonic gestation. Even genetically identical individuals have completely independent iris textures, whereas DNA (genetic "fingerprinting") is not unique for the about 1.5% of the human population who have a genetically identical monozygotic twin.

Hey, I must have missed the ultra-cool ocular biometrics lecture somewhere along the way! I don't really recommend Get Smart ( C - ) based on the eye-related content alone, but maybe if you were totally into the old TV show, the cameos and references to it might make it a worthwhile pursuit. A plane, train, and SUV make for an impressive stunt-filled finale, too.

Here are some parting images of an iris and a retina. Enjoy!