A sinister plot threatens the sovereign integrity of the United Kingdom, and James Bond isn’t available. Instead, Johnny English, the film, sees rubber-faced Rowan Atkinson lining up against the forces of evil in the ultimate 007 spoof. Refreshingly light and cheeky, Johnny English, the film, whips along at a great pace and produces some cleverly crafted laughs.
Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson) is a deskbound mid-level public servant within the British Secret Service. He whiles away his time daydreaming of being a secret agent and admiring the real thing in the form of Agent One. One’s the consummate professional: a Bond clone that keeps trouble from Britain’s door with ease. However, disaster strikes the nation, thanks to Johnny’s bumbling, and it finds itself minus all of its secret agents, including One. Providence then shines on the inept Johnny and he’s promoted and thrust into action as Britain’s premier spy.
Decked out with his sidearm of choice, when he’s more use to holding a brush as he sings Abba songs to himself in the bathroom, and issued with the compulsory Aston Martin, Johnny enjoys swanking about in the pose of the ultimate secret agent. However, his preening is soon interrupted when he’s sent on an actual mission.
The theft of the Crown Jewels unleashes Johnny into the world, where he discovers the plot of super-villain, Pascal Sauvage (John Malkovich). The French business tycoon has a cunning plan to steal the throne of England for himself, and then turn the island nation into a gigantic commercial prison. In true James Bond style, the British establishment refuses to believe that such a respected member of society would have such evil intentions, and dismisses the warning. Accordingly, it’s up to Johnny to break the rules, trip over them, and thwart Sauvage’s ambition.
With the aid of his amusingly unlikely love interest, Lorna Campbell (Natalie Imbruglia), and his loyal sidekick, Bough (Ben Miller), the inexperienced but enthusiastic Johnny finds himself gatecrashing funerals, offending VIPs, and climbing up through medieval toilets before his hilarious showdown with the bizarrely accented Sauvage.
Rowan Atkinson brings the best of Mr Bean and Blackadder to the character of Johnny English, as well as an entertaining dose of Walter Mitty. His physical comedy, sharp wit, and the absurdity of his appearance in Bond attire combine to provide a long stream of laughs. The film appears tailor-made for Atkinson, and he excels in the role of Johnny English. A sequel is almost guaranteed.
Johnny English also benefits from the surprising comic abilities of John Malkovich (Con Air, The Messenger). Not only does Malkovich succeed in sending up stereotype villains, he also takes a poke at his own past. He’s a terrific side act to Atkinson as he cleverly exaggerates his trademark performance as the psychotic genius and throws on an extremely thick French accent.
Rounding out the main cast of Johnny English are Ben Miller and Natalie Imbruglia. Miller, an accomplished comic himself, performs brilliantly beside Atkinson, but Imbruglia leaves a lot to be desired. Instead of bringing a tongue-in-cheek sauciness to her role, the songstress attempts a display of serious acting. Fortunately, her character wasn’t fundamental to the film’s success.
Director Peter Howitt (Sliding Doors) is renowned for his ability to strike a balance between artistic freedom and the directorial control needed to produce a seamless film. In Johnny English, he lets Atkinson, Malkovich, and Miller off the leash, in order to generate the laughs, but ensures that the film provides a fast-paced comic tale rather than simply a series of skits. Howitt has passed another test with flying colours and can now add comedy to his list of directing credits.
Completing the Bond parody is the big-name artist churning out a custom-made theme song. Johnny English opens with the sprightly A Man For All Seasons by Robbie Williams: a song that suits the film’s goofy mood nicely. Tracks by Moloko and Abba, along with numerous instrumentals, ensure that the film has a memorable soundtrack to go along with its many laughs.
Johnny English isn’t just for Bond aficionados and fans of Rowan Atkinson. With humour on many levels, a nifty storyline, and plenty of entertaining action scenes, it’s a film for all the family. Four and a half stars.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.