KIDS THESE DAYS:

Every so often, the column dust bunnies pile up and must be swept away. These dust bunnies are the items that are important but do not require an entire column to discuss.

First on the list is movies. If you want to see a hot new movie and do not want to spend an hour or more in line to help ensure a decent seat, you should buy your tickets at the Regal Cinemas at Triangle Square in Costa Mesa.

The theaters at Triangle Square are often half full because the place is so hard to navigate. But if you’re willing to endure a parking labyrinth, this is your venue. One tip: Drive down, down, down to the bottom level where there used to be a Ralph’s grocery store, then a Whole Foods market. There are usually spaces galore and the elevator takes you right up to the theaters.

The only other theater recommendation I can make has crowds that make Triangle Square look like a full house. Last Friday night at 9:30, the debut night, we saw “Get Smart” in a larger theater with about 20 other people.

I kid you not, this theater was empty. Part of the reason it was empty was because there was major construction all around the theater and it is in a place where the competition for evening entertainment is fierce.

But if you really want to avoid the crowds, see the next blockbuster at the Showcase theaters on the strip in Las Vegas.

My wife and I are both fans of the old “Get Smart” television show, starring the late Don Adams. In the weeks preceding the new movie, we were not impressed by the trailers, but the kids really wanted to see this movie, so we went.

I was prepared for a major disappointment. But instead, I found myself frequently laughing out loud and enjoying every moment of this film.

Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan did not like “Get Smart,” a fact I discovered on our return from Sin City on Sunday. Turan’s comments were so negative it seemed as though we watched different versions of the same film.

My only disappointment was the few times the creators crossed the “PG” rating line into “PG-13” territory.

The rating was not for violence or themes but for sexual references, which were completely unnecessary. In fact, they detracted from the movie.

I wonder when more filmmakers are going to look up the list of the top 10 grossing movies of all time. Except for a short scene in “Titanic,” these 10 movies are almost devoid of sexual references and realistic (as opposed to fantasy) violence.

There is a message there that needs to be received. That is, there is a huge portion of the movie-going public that does not need to have certain elements in a film in order to make it good.

“Get Smart” had that chance, but someone unwisely decided to take what they thought was the safe route to box office success.

Anyone wishing to see how a school should be run should spend some time with Judy Laakso, the principal of Victoria Elementary School.

In an area that some would assume would be underachieving, Laakso has transformed this tight neighborhood school into an exceptional learning center.

Last year, Victoria achieved the coveted Blue Ribbon status, as did Mariners Elementary School in Newport Beach.

At the last school board meeting, Laakso was named the district’s “Administrator of the Year.” This is what Supt. Jeffrey Hubbard had to say about her:

“How do you describe this extraordinarily wonderful star that everyone acknowledges as one of the best, if not the best, principal they have ever met? She is an exceptional collaborator, someone who works at celebrating with her teachers and her students energetically. She serves as an example to all the other principals, and her focus is totally about kids and student achievement. She walks the talk in everything she says and does, and all of her actions are directed toward helping kids, and the results have been amazing. How proud I am to present this award to Judy Laakso.”

STEVE SMITH is a Costa Mesa resident and a freelance writer. Send story ideas to dailypilot@latimes.com.