Johnny English Reborn (2011)

Best movie of this year hands down!

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

Expectations are always low when a British TV comic takes to the big screen but, incredible as it may seem, somebody though a belated sequel to 'Johnny English' a good idea, and with 'Johnny English Strikes Again' hitting cinemas in a couple of months we're now looking at a franchise; heaven help us!English mercifully seems better at his job this time round than I recall from the original, there's the occasional amusing moment, the money's up there on the screen in the outdoor action scenes and a classy supporting cast plays things straight. Rosamund Pike is charming as usual as the heroine; but best of all is villainess Pik-Sen Lim, constantly popping up when least expected like a malevolent female Kato.

Loved all the movies by Rowan Atkinson. I hope he's gonna be back with more.

Overall, there is more suspense and tension created than in the first one; additionally there are also quite a few spoof Bond film scenes. The plot moves away from 'British' things which the first one relied one plot wise. The casting is imaginative with Rosamund Pike and Dominic West; and Mark Ivanir provides a shortish but interesting character. This film has clearly been directed better, and the score for the film is pleasant as well. Tucker is not on the same level as Baugh but it was probably for the better to move the series on. The kitchen scene at the end of the credits is hilarious and 'In the hall of the Mountain King' is now forever associated with this in my mind! A good sequel, but lacking in places.

I would love to say for you to calm down because this movie is 'only a bit of poo' as it would be a cool reference to the first movie. Unfortunately, this movie is actually a rather large amount of poo.That being said, it is not a 100% pure poo. There are some utterly hilarious moments like the vole in MI7 and the Rolls Royce Phantom being truly the Rolls Royce of automobiles. Generally, while not being at his best, Rowan Atkinson is till the highlight of the movie. His lines are funny and he's got a pretty flippin' excellent physical performance shown in the parkour sequence.The main problems arise in the fact that English is far too competent. The first movie was an exercise in dramatic irony. You knew he had parachuted on to the wrong building but he didn't making what he did in there all the more funny. Even though the parkour scene is really funny, It just amazes me that this character is able to execute success in any degree. In the first movie, he starts as the highest ranked agent in MI7 (by default) but constantly fails getting him kicked off the case. He just does everything wrong and the only thing he does do right is falling onto the throne. In Reborn he seems to never technically do anything wrong. He's trying to hide from someone in an apartment, he does it successfully. He tries to fight someone, he does it successfully. He even tries to outrun the police using a wheelchair… successfully. More than this, apart from a few jokes, this supposed comedy movie really isn't that funny at all. The third act is almost all cringe worthily awful as well. In theory this movie isn't too excruciating but there are some scenes (particularly the first one) that are boring and unfunny, Speaking of excruciating scenes, some are just left half baked. Theirs is a sceneof mistaken identity which thankfully shows English's incompetence but just as it's getting good, we are sent away to another exotic location by Deus Ex 'Not Bough'.This movie throws all sort of subtlety and irony out of the window and opts for half finished, unfunny scenes. There are a couple good lines and Rowan Atkinson moment but not nearly enough to redeem this sizeable piece of poo.