Decades later, I have a new favorite comedic actor, who can be seen playing the role of Michael Scott on NBC's The Office television series. He is, of course, Steve Carrell, the pronunciation of whom's last name is often butchered and debated (thank goodness that I only have to spell it in this review). My fiancee and I have seen just about every episode of The Office and can't wait for the next season to begin. Thus, when I heard that my favorite actor of today was going to bring back one of my favorite shows of the past to the big screen, a wellspring of hope and anticipation erupted inside of my body (luckily, this did not cause any permanent damage to my vital organs).

This time around, Maxwell Smart and his top-secret spy agency known as CONTROL, are on the outs. Funding has dried up and the glory days of old are no more. KAOS, their long-time rival, is operating under the radar and the need for CONTROL is uncertain. At the start of the film, Maxwell Smart is a mere data analyst, providing all sorts of obscure information about suspected KAOS agents. However, once the CONTROL facility is infiltrated and many agents are lost, he finally gets that promotion that he has been lobbying for his whole career. He gets teamed up with Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) whose sensuality is masked by her no-nonsense attitude and go-it-alone determination. Their mission: to uncover the identity of the inside CONTROL agent who compromised the safety of their headquarter base, and to stop KAOS before they assassinate the President of the United States along with millions of other people in Los Angeles. In short...they need to save the world and do it before the closing credits.

Before I rip this movie a new one, let me first offer my gentler side by singing a few of its praises. First of all, I enjoyed the nostalgia of the many types of security doors through which Maxwell Smart had to pass in order to enter and exit CONTROL headquarters, of the phone booth elevator, the famous shoe phone, and of the familiar Get Smart theme music. These were a staple of the television series and helped to bridge the gap of a generation. I also liked the fact that I was seeing a comedy (there seem to be so few of them nowadays compared to years ago...boy do I sound old!). There are several funny moments which had me laughing such as when Terrence Stamp, who portrayed a KAOS leader, sarcastically lamented the expected destruction of Hollywood when he said, "Where would we be without their laser insight and political advice?"