Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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37 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
if a child could review here, March 13, 2004
Listen all you adult-aged reviewers, let's loosen up here. This movie is not for movie connoiseurs. This movie is for getting laughs. And if you insist on holding a prissy, stuck-up attitude then you just won't have a good time, period.Us pursed-lip adults sometimes have to relax, let our facial muscles go(lower those eyebrows, unfurrow the forehead, unpurse our lips, and unclench our jaws) and let humor, even slapstick humor, get the best of us. Some of us are so full of our previous knowledge of movie-viewing or Mr. Bean and Atkinson material("I saw this and I saw that and this movie just ain't as blablabla" or "Atkinson ain't as good in this as in yadayada..."). Children don't care about the history of movies and Atkinson tv series. Watch kids enjoy this movie. They know how to have a good time in the moment. My kids were in stitches over Atkinson's antics and all his facial expressions. My husband got a good share of laughs, sometimes to the point of tears---and it is good to see my husband laugh even if it is over Johnny English. Myself? I have to admit I laughed too. And how could I not enjoy myself with my kids dancing around during Rowan's little mini music video with his toothbrushes in the shower? We rewinded the movie 3 times just to watch that part over and over again. Little children don't get tired of rewinding their favorite parts, you know. One son said we should keep on replaying it until he memorized the song lines. (I insisted we didn't rewind as far back as the unveiling of the Archbishop, though it was their other favorite part of the movie). Leave the movie critic behind you. Watch the movie for laughs. Have a good time viewing it with kids or adults. Don't resist the humor. Relax, enjoy, and let yourself just laugh for humor's sake.
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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
When Mr. Bean met Mrs. Bond..., April 24, 2003
... the offspring was Johnny English. Rowan Atkinson delivers another incredibly funny performance as the secret agent who can't do anyhting right and still manages everytime to save the day. Script writers were right on target when they decided to create Johnny English resembling Atkinson's most known character: Mr. Bean. It's all there: the funny faces, the stupid situations, the babbling, the confusion. If you are aquainted with Mr. Bean, you've already seen it all, but you're going to laugh again.I said there are stupid situations, but the movie is not stupid at all. Extremely well produced, with the classy kind of humor that doesn't need any swearing. Every scene contains an intelligent joke; in fact, only once I found a joke I didn't like. There are some memorable scenes that made me laugh even on my way back home. Rowan Atkinson is, obviously, perfect for the character, and it was in fact written for him. He does a splendid job, but he will be forever stigmatized as a "Mr. Bean" actor, even if there were times when I could glimpse him as a more serious actor. Natalie Imbruglia surprised me as the mandatory pretty girl in spy movies. She doesn't let the viewer down. John Malkovich once again as the villain, this time as the effeminate frenchman trying to accomplish a strange evil plan on england. In fact, the mere presence of Malkovich in the cast is proof of a good production. Ben Miller did a good job as well as Johnny English's sidekick. "Johnny English" is a perfect movie in the genre it was purposed to be: hard-laughing, above-average-intelligence comedy. 90 minutes of fun. Grade 9.0/10
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22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
It's funny, but not great(Virtually Spoiler Free review), June 20, 2003
This film has already been released here in Colombia, which is weird since usually films arrive here late rather than before they are released in U.S.A. I saw two days ago and well, I have a things to say to the audiences from the states. You could say this film is a mixture between Naked Gun, Bean and Austin Powers. One thing I found negative about it is that it copies jokes from various comedies, I don't want to be a spoiler so I won't say which, but some of the jokes will seem very familiar. But the good thing about it is that is not a waste of a film, and Rowan Atkinson proves that he can also be funny talking. I think he did quite well as the other James Bond spoof. He is not as exagerated as Mike Myers, so this film is different. And he managed to stay away from the Bean persona, something I was afraid of. The plot is as simple as Bond plots are today, only with various comedy twists. Johnny English starts as Monneypenny, he is just a in this particular film, MI7 clerk, until every agent is wiped off(funny situation that will not be revealed here) so he has to take on the biggest mission that was pending, which involves the crown jewels and a french tycoon in the sort of Goldfinger played by John Malkovich, who did his best to perform the character with dignity, and I think he escapes from stinking by the fingernails. The film is carried out just like Bond movies, the agent meets the girl, the villan, something happens, he gets close to something, he fails, he gets close to the girl, the bad guy almost makes it, but fails and gets busted, endind with the agent and the girl. Very straightforward, but every situation is filled not to the brim, which I think was the smart thing to do, with funny situations. And although many of the jokes are rip-offs, Atkinson managed to make them his own. The film is very short, but feels longer, I don't know why. The end is rather stupid, but I admit that it stirrs laughter, not because of the situation but because you can't help but crack up with Atkinson's face. I don't think many people will like, unlike the Bean skits and the film, I think some will find it stupid and unnecessary, but nevertheless, I think is a fun movie, and if somehow people get tired of or don't want to see either Matrix Reloaded, or Hulk, or X2, or T3, or any of the other box-office killers, try to tke about and hour and twenty minutes to see a silly but funny little comedy that spoofs James Bond. I don't think it will be a hit, and if it is, oh the humanity, because it's far from being great, but it's worth the money, specially in summer vacation when there is basically "nothing" to do. See all of the other summer pop corn movies before this one, otherwise you will probably hate it beacuse you could have seen something else. But it won't be a total waste of money, you will laugh because it's not at all a stupid teen flick with disgusting sexual situations and fluids, sounds and smells. It has it it's own very silly and simple way, integrity and dignity, it's hard to find, but it is there. One star for Atkinson's performance, the other for being balance in it's jokes, the other because it doesn't fall apart like many comedies, in stupidity and desperate necesity for a laugh, and the last one because it basically does not totaly stink.
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