Get Smart

Waited til this hit DVD to give it a chance. I dug it. It's a really pleasant classic comedy. "Get Smart" is based on the 1965 Mel Brooks TV show starring Don Adams that parodied secret agents. Its a typical good (CONTROL) vs evil (KAOS) superagent story. Maxwell Smart is the bumbling yet lovable secret agent who, with his partner Agent 99, must stop KAOS from destroying humanity. Hilarious antics ensue along the way. The movie does a great job of paying homage to the original show while being modern enough and individual enough to appeal to today's audiences. The cast is absolutely great; Steve Carrell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne "the rock" Johnson, and Alan Arkin all fulfill their characters perfectly. If you've never seen the show, the film is comparable to any other Mel Brooks comedy (although the film was made without any involvement by Brooks). Its just a simple, enjoyable comedy. Nothing out of the ordinary. I'm a nerd so I give it alot of extra points for all the nuance to plot points from the old show, and even incorporating old cast members into this new version. They even throw in some old gadgets and cars from the original production. Wikipedia's got a nice compilation of all the References made, if you are at all interested. I think in today's Hollywood its really important to respect source material, and this movie does a perfect job of that. The charm and appeal of the original was that they didn't take the story too seriously and you could tell it was something fun to make. That's reflected in the film. It's successful because it doesn't try to be too serious or go too far. It is what it is. Respek.