.jeri.

I didn't grow up watching the adventures of Maxwell Smart in the original tv series, but my favorite local channel these days plays a great run of older shows in the evening, so I've been watching a lot of Maxwell Smart lately. I've gotten a feel for the show well enough to understand its overall style. This movie does not necessarily capture that style, but seems like an appropriately updated take on the series. It's more modern, has more action sequences (which make it a little more Bond-like in nature), and a lot more modern language and innuendo. Steve Carell stars, and although Max is a bumbling idiot a lot of the time, the screenwriters and Carell are able to convey him as a smart and endearing character as well.

The movie has a lot of stars in it. Anne Hathaway provided great chemistry as Agent 99, I loved that Terrence Stamp played the bad guy, Dwayne Johnson was surprisingly funny, Alan Arkin was funny enough, and loved the supporting work of David Koechner, Masi Oka, and Nate Terrence. Particularly funny was a little cameo by Bill Murray.

As a regular action flick, I think the film succeeds because it actually goes to all sorts of locales, has plenty of action sequences and special effects, and follows the basic formula of one of those movies. As a comedy, it succeeds because it doesn't resort to over exaggeration like many spoof movies do (Scary Movie, anyone?). There's certainly plenty of verbal and physical humor, but it doesn't feel outrageous or annoying.

I really liked that this movie didn't insult Max or make him insulting to others. He just dances to the beat of a different drum, and it works. I love the scene where he tries to show up Agent 99 by dancing with an overweight woman. He doesn't insult the woman, and they dance wonderfully. I loved that touch. It was a funny scene, it produced a different outcome than expected, and it showed a part of Max's character that made him admirable to others.

The theater where we saw Get Smart was packed by about half an hour before the movie began, and everyone laughed a lot. It isn't perfectly clean fun, but it is fun. I actually think it has potential to be a series of movies, if general audiences are interested. It isn't going to win any awards, but it is a fun and funny movie. I had a great time watching it.