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Movie: Johnny English
If you liked Mr Bean and Blackadder, you should check out Johnny English. Rowan Atkinson, who played those beloved characters, spoofs James Bond as the incompetent accident-prone MI-7 agent Johnny English. He is so uncool, he makes Austin Powers seem debonair.
Although the film is poorly written and very cliched, Rowan Atkinson is so funny, you just can’t help but laugh. Even when the spoof is stupid, or the joke plain tired, Atkinson simply has to raise his eyebrows or make one of his calf-eyed expressions, and you’ll smirk at least. English is a bumbling British secret service bureaucrat who becomes the nation’s top spy when the rest of the agents are detonated at a top-secret spy convention. Instead of Spy Kids, think Spy Idiot. English is called upon to recover the crown jewels from French villain and super-snob Pascal Sauvage played by John Malkovich. And, of course, get the girl.
Aussie soapstar turned pop star Natalie Imbruglia has that token role. While Atkinson possesses enviable comic timing and a memorable screen presence, the film is mediocre at best. Unfortunately, Johnny English lacks the originality and sharp timing of Austin Powers and none of the genuine glamour of the Bond films. It relies on Atkinson for every moment of fun, and while he delivers his best, the weak script and hackneyed plot can’t save this sinking ship. Britain’s secret service may be desperate enough to call on Johnny English, but most viewers probably won’t be. Unless you’re a die-hard Atkinson fan, you’d be better off watching a Mr Bean or Blackadder rerun.
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