Johnny English (2003)

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

"Johnny English" (essentially "Mr. Bean Becomes a Secret Agent") is everything that you would expect from a Rowan Atkinson spy film. When a bomb blows up all of England's competent MI7 agents, the only agent left alive is Johnny English. Few things go right during his missions throughout the film and when they do, it is usually by accident. Even though Atkinson is best known for his classic Mr. Bean character, I think that his physical comedy is even funnier when paired with his dry delivery of dialogue. Plus, there are several moments when you can't help but picture Zazu from "The Lion King" delivering the lines! From his fight with an imaginary assailant to his slurred dialogue after accidentally drugging himself , Atkinson's comedic genius breathes life into this otherwise run of the mill spy parody. One of the most unexpected pieces of this puzzle is that Natalie Imbruglia is a surprisingly good actress (and gorgeously hot!!). I assumed that her fame began and ended with her one-hit wonder song "Torn" but after seeing her act, I would love to see her in more films. I also have to throw John Malkovich's name out there because he always makes a great villain! I appreciated the use of Handel's "Zadok the Priest" to give the coronation scene a sense of authenticity and Robbie Williams' song "A Man for All Seasons" left me in a great mood during the ending credits. The critics may not have liked "Johnny English" but this goofball spy parody is an enjoyable break from dramatic movies that take themselves too seriously.

After all of the other agents in MI-7 are killed the British government calls upon the services of "Johnny English" (Rowan Atkinson) to investigate a case which their top spy was working on prior to his demise. Assisting him is his loyal backup "Bough" (Ben Miller) who is as adept in the secret agent business as Johnny English is incompetent. In any case, Johnny English's first assignment is to ensure that the newly polished Crown Jewels are kept safe and secure so that the Queen is able to inspect them. When they subsequently stolen Johnny English leaps in to action. Or in his case bumbles into it. Now rather than reveal any more of this movie and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that although it was quite predictable and somewhat uneven it was still rather funny all the same. That said, while Ben Miller and Natalie Imbruglia (as "Lorna Campbell") certainly turned in credible performances, it was Rowan Atkinson who clearly carried this film in spite of the weaknesses mentioned earlier. In any case, I rate this movie as slightly above average.

Johnny English (2003): Dir: Peter Howitt / Cast: Rowan Atkinson, John Malkovich, Natalie Imbruglia, Ben Miller, Oliver Ford Davies: Spoof of a sub genre that has been spoofed many times. The writers didn't hurt themselves on plot ideas so they came up with a concept that is as old as rocks. It regards the stealing of the Queen's crown jewels that agent Johnny English was suppose to protect. He is the only agent available because the others died in an explosion. The rest involves English and his constant miscalculations and mishaps. Conclusion is effective due to timing and directing by Peter Howitt. He previously made Sliding Doors as well as the idiotic Antitrust. Rowan Atkinson has good intentions but he mugs every scene to the point where the jokes misfire. John Malkovich as the French heir is uninteresting, which is unfortunate considering the quality of actor Malkovich is. Natalie Imbruglia as a female agent is useless because her role renders her merely as an attraction. Ben Miller plays English's smart sidekick in what is clearly a reference to the superior Pink Panther films. Oliver Ford Davies plays an Archbishop who manages to fall victim to the prat falls of a bad script as well. The film could have examined the idea of multiple agents but everything including the phony sets is tiring until Atkinson succeeds in burying the idea that was already buried. Score: 4 / 10

Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson) is an incompetent British Intelligence agent. A bomb explodes at the funeral of Agent One killing the whole intelligence force leaving English as the only surviving agent. There is a plot to steal the Crown Jewels. English is to protect the Jewels but he is distracted by Lorna Campbell (Natalie Imbruglia). He and sidekick Angus Bough (Ben Miller) investigate and place the heist at the feet of Frenchman Pascal Edward Sauvage (John Malkovich).I just didn't laugh. Part of it is probably my love of Mr. Bean. It's weird to see Atkinson speaking normally. There are some attempts at fun slapstick action but none of it rates higher than a chuckle. Imbruglia adds no more than a oddly pretty girl. Broad slapstick spoof is something that requires special skills which I'm not sure director Peter Howitt has. Without Atkinson, this would be a complete train wreck.