You're right, the plot is definitely less interesting than the characters :)) It's all about the characters.

I come to this film with a bias. I watched the show on TV when it played in I think the 60s (can't remember exactly) And then there were of course the movies, with Don Adams. It was ridiculous, and silly/funny. In a way, Smart was a U.S. version of Inspector Clouseau. The version with Carell, I think, showed respect for the original and yet managed to make the material fresh somehow. But that material can't really be fresh. It's all so silly. If you don't want to have fun, don't watch it.

Great review, @esther-emmanuel. Kind of sent me down memory lane.

(Also, I loved Spy...another fun movie. Melissa McCarthy always hits a home run.)