Get Smart - 3 smiles

Those who thought the original television series “Get Smart,” starring Don Adams and Barbara Feldon, was just a little too silly can rest more easily. The movie “Get Smart” wisely doesn’t try to duplicate its source material although there’s enough ‘stupid’ stuff if that tickles your funny bone. Unlike the TV Max, the movie Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) is smart. In fact, he’s so smart that Control Chief (Alan Arkin) doesn’t want to promote him from data analyst to field agent. However, when an attack on Control headquarters by Kaos operative Sigfried (Terrence Stamp) eliminates many of Control's agents, Max is promoted. He and Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) are sent after Sigfried with Agent 23 (Dwayne Johnson) providing tactical office support.

Steve Carell is perfect as Maxwell Smart because he doesn’t try to imitate Adams. Instead Carell has created a character that feels like Adams and when you add Adams’ signature lines ("Would you believe…?", "Missed it by THIS much"), there’s a flavor of the original without trying too hard. Hathaway’s Agent 99 has been modernized, and she plays well opposite Carell. Control nerds (Masi Oka and Nate Torrence) provide Max with gadget support (and some pretty funny lines). Cameos include James Caan (the president), Bill Murray (man in a tree), and Bernie Koppell (the original Sigfried as a taxi driver). Plus, one of Sigfried’s men (Dalip Singh) seems to have been modeled after Jaws, a James Bond character. There isn’t much of a plot, but there is a lot of action and half of the fun of this movie is spending some time with familiar characters because you know that Control will best Kaos in the end. “Get Smart” is a blend of humor and slapstick that works. It’s not the best comedy for 2008, but, then, it’s way better than “The Love Guru.” (6/20/08)