One of the first things I do when I board is make sure the seat functions. If there is a problem, I notify the FA or Purser immediately. I did become well versed in how to access and use the manual override switches from a recent flight on a 747. Seat worked fine for most of the flight, until the last few hours where it decided to get into some impossibly odd angle when I pushed the button to bring it back up from a sleeping position.
Not sure how it is on the 333 style seats, but on the 747 if you pull up the seat cushion there is a metal panel you can open to access 4 manual release switches which allow you to move the seat in whatever position you want if the controls are malfunctioning.