In the big-screen remake of the TV show "Bewitched," Steve Carell's vapid attempt to channel Paul Lynde was the most disappointing part of a dreary production.

This week, Carell gets a second chance with another long-dead TV franchise, and he doesn't mess it up.

"Get Smart" certainly isn't going to break any new comedic ground, but the film version mixes some sharp action scenes in with the humor, and the filmmakers were smart enough not to get too tied down to the small-screen version created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry.

In "Get Smart," the agents in a super-secret government organization called CONTROL battle the evil minions of KAOS.

Everything revolves around Carell, whose bumbling Maxwell Smart is more human and not as overconfident and overbearing as the character played by the late great Don Adams (who reprised the role in the 1980 film "The Nude Bomb").

This time, Agent 86 even has a bit of a back story: Max is a dull but exceptional analyst who longs to be in the field.

When KAOS uncovers almost all of CONTROL's secret agents, he finally gets his chance, partnered with sexy, sassy and dangerous Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway).

Unlike, say, Steve Martin's Pink Panther (egads, they're making a sequel?!), "Get Smart" does not remain a slave to the original construct and successfully brings its comedy to the modern age.

The movie touches on the famous lines and gadgets -- the cone of silence, the shoe phone (now a museum piece) -- but does not rely on them. "Missed it by that much" doesn't come out tacky, and "Would you believe ..." still has some zing.

Carell's Max certainly bungles plenty, but he has moments of brilliance, too. He also doesn't mind sharing the screen and the laughs with a willing supporting cast. Alan Arkin is a solid choice as the Chief, and Dwayne (no longer the Rock) Johnson is quite good as Agent 23, the Michael Jordan of super agents.

Hathaway shows some good comic timing as Max's reluctant partner and looks slinky in an evening gown. Barbara Feldon would be proud ... or jealous.

As the evil head of KAOS, Terence Stamp seems a bit more villainous than the goofy Bernie Kopell (yes, Doc from "The Love Boat"), who makes a cameo here.

I don't know if a "Get Smart" sequel is on the way -- things are certainly left open for one -- but this particular return to the screen is a surprising success.

Rental Recommendation: OK, so maybe Jason Bourne takes these things a little more seriously than Maxwell Smart ... "The Bourne Ultimatum" is always worth another viewing. Grade: A.

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