The highly anticipated release of the new big-budget, big-screen version of the 1960’s "Get Smart" TV series will be kind of a let-down for the fans of the original show. The new movie relies on big action stunts rather than on satirical jokes and inspired one-liners that made the original show a hit.

The movie falls into the action-comedy genre and the first similar movie that comes to mind could be 2002’s "I Spy" with Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson.

It was directed by Peter Segal known for his work on the Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, 50 First Dates, Anger Management and The Longest Yard and stars Steve Carell (best known for Evan Almighty and The 40 Year Old Virgin), Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin, Terence Stamp and Terry Crews, to just name a few.

The chases through the busy streets of Los Angeles and Moscow seem rather inappropriate for someone like Maxwell Smart, the main character played by Carell. Also, the jokes aren’t really pulling it off, especially the one with the shoe-phone.

The plot consists in the efforts to stop the evil forces of KAOS from setting off a bomb in Los Angeles at the time of a presidential visit. Given the rather serious circumstances of such a salvation mission and focusing on the special effects and the complexity of the action scenario, the movie pretty much fails to deliver on its main objective, which is to offer close to two hours of comedy or at least a series of good laughs.

It also received several good reviews, many considering Steve Carell’s input as the movie’s main attraction, maybe granting him the rightful critical applause of being a one-man-show.