I'm on the fence with big-screen remakes of classic TV shows and films. If something is done right the first time, why try to recapture that magic? If they do feel they need to do so, they have to get it right. Don Adams in the original "Get Smart" was perfect in that role. I would never think anyone could duplicate his success. I was right, but Steve Carell is the perfect modern-day choice to play Agent 86, Maxwell Smart, and does a very nice job in this film. The movie is very respectful of the original series with plenty of elements of the classic show sprinkled throughout the script, including almost all of Smart's catchphrases. Anne Hathaway does an admirable job as Agent 99, who thinks Max is a moron when she first meets him, but grows to love him. The plotline is not really important, but it basically follows the format of the series: Max is matched up against an evil plot by the group KAOS and must stop them, bumbling his way through the mission, while still managing to foil the plot. Carell plays it straight and the script does not go too over the top. It has plenty of physical comedy and sight gags and it certainly has its share of laughs. Being a fan of the original, I was very pleased not to find this an insulting cash grab that missed the point of the series. It hits its marks perfectly. I found this to be a pleasant 90 minutes of laughs. It will not go down as one of the great comedies, but it works.Grade: C+
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