Rowan Atkinson Live (1992)

You won't be disappointed!

The Worst Film Ever

Good concept, poorly executed.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

I must say that I had essentially expected more from Rowan Atkinson than what was presented to the audience on this 1992 DVD. Why? Well, because it was basically just like watching an extended version of a Mr. Bean sketch. There weren't all that many jokes or monologues, and I didn't really laugh at what was there.Sure, Rowan Atkinson is a funny man, and he has lots of funny titles, characters and TV shows to his name. However, "Rowan Atkinson Live" just really wasn't one of them.I assume that he might have been a big name in the stand-up comedy genre back in the early 90s, but when you watch this DVD now, it is just a flaccid experience.There weren't a cohesive red line throughout the show, which lasted just under an hour. And as such, it was just too random to be overly enjoyable. It seemed like a failed attempt at catching his best moments.I have seen this show only once, and I doubt that I will ever get around to watching it again, because it just didn't really appeal to me. And since it failed to make me laugh, why would I bother to sit through 55 minutes of it more than once?I am rating "Rowan Atkinson Live" a less than mediocre rating, four out of ten stars. Personally, I am much more a fan of his TV series, such as "Black Adder" or "Mr. Bean", of course.

This TV special was released when I was less than six years old, before I had ever seen comedian Rowan Atkinson in anything. It was later in the 90's when I first saw episodes of "Mr. Bean", with Atkinson's famous goofy, dimwitted alter ego. After that, I would later see the comedian in the role of the bitter, mean-spirited, sarcastic "Blackadder", and I think both characters are really funny, as different as they are. I had never heard of "Rowan Atkinson Live" until four years ago, in late 2005. It had not yet been released on DVD at the time, but I rented a VHS copy, and as I expected, it was hilarious! Late last month, I watched it on VHS again, for the first time since 2005, and finally this month on DVD. These second and third viewings didn't change my opinion.Filmed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1991, this TV film shows Rowan Atkinson performing a series of comedy sketches before a live audience at the Boston University Theatre. It begins with "It Started with a Sneeze", which "Mr. Bean" fans are bound to recognize, but then expands into a variety of different sketches, often very different from that first one. There are more Beanesque sketches, such as "Invisible Man", plus a lot of dry humour in such sketches as "Fatal Beatings", "The Good Loser", and "With Friends Like These". The only other actor who ever joins Atkinson on stage for any of these sketches is Angus Deayton, who plays supporting roles in some of them. Whether Atkinson uses dry verbal humour or goofy, mime-like visual humour, none of the sketches fail to make the audience laugh! My least favourite sketch here is probably "Pink Tights and Plenty of Props", which is a little tedious, but even that one is far from laugh-free. I would say most of the special is hilarious (which was just what I thought the first time), mainly thanks to the dry wit, though the sight gags are usually very funny as well. "Elementary Dating," "Guys After the Game," and "Tom, Dick and Harry" are apparently all sketches missing from the original version (I never saw them on VHS), but they are bonus features on the DVD release, which is good, since they definitely deserve to be seen as well! There's not much else to say about "Rowan Atkinson Live", except that if you're a fan of the comedian, and are old enough for some crude humour (especially in "No One Called Jones") and occasional swearing, I don't think calling this a must-see it too extreme! Even if you're one of his fans who don't like "Mr. Bean", then you wouldn't like every sketch here, but would probably still like the majority of them.

Unsurpassed in visual humour. This is Rowan Atkinson at his very best, with the possible exception of the best episodes of Blackadder. Gut-bustingly funny and so much more sophisticated than Mr Bean. If you can get hold of it, buy it and keep it safe. Worth its weight in gold

Absolutely brilliant physical / situational standup comedy. Nobody is spared ridicule from this fine presentation: Satan, The Catholic Church, Head Masters, Actors, Awards ceremonies, subway riders, It's all here. Fans of Mr. Bean will recognize a few sketches as well as revel in the new. This is a must for any fans collection.