Directed by Peter Segal

As a fan of the original Get Smart TV series starring the fabulous Don Adams, I was understandably hesitant – and very, very sceptical – when the Steve Carell film version came out. I was also bothered that show creator and comedic genius Mel Brooks wasn’t involved in the movie adaptation. Before the opening credits, I was already turning to my popcorn for comfort.

To their credit, the new Get Smart team tried to remain as faithful as possible to the original series – for instance, upgrading the traditional opening scene of Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) walking through an endless hallway of high-security doors. Max’s ‘uniform’ suit and trusty shoe phone also appear as museum relics. Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) is appropriately chic and highly competent. The producers even got Bernie Kopell, who played Max’s evil counterpart Siegfried in the original, to make a brief cameo. But something was amiss, and it wasn’t original KAOS villain The Claw (although the name ‘Craw’ can be seen briefly in Max’s notes).

Nonetheless, it’s hard to watch a film based on a cherished childhood memory without making non-stop comparisons. Steve Carell’s trademark brand of awkward pauses and self-deprecating humour – elements that work fantastically well in Little Miss Sunshine and especially The Office – doesn’t lend itself well to an old-school Mel Brooks romp. Don’t get me wrong – there were plenty of laughs in the audience – it just wasn’t the same. The ‘comic relief’ in the form of CONTROL’s nerdy analysts, played by Masi Oka (aka Heroes hero Hiro Nakamura – try saying that three times quickly) and Nate Torrence, was also a little OTT.

Perhaps Get Smart didn’t pop because of its massive ensemble cast, whereas the original did just fine with a smaller assembly of stronger characters. However, the pièce de resistance was the surprise cameo of my all-time favourite voice actor Patrick Warburton at the end of the film, which was rather redeeming after so many big names (Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Bill Murray, James Caan). Overall the new Get Smart was more of a pleasant outing than a joyride, and a little too predictable to emulate the screwball spirit of its small-screen precursor.