Making others laugh without dialogue is not an easy thing to do. Because it is a thin line between making gross actions or none laughing at all. What’s even more tougher: Making everybody laugh rolling on the floor with subtle expressions and movements. If there is someone whose even slightest facial expressions might cause a ripper of laughter, (ofcourse Im not talking about the ’’Great Dictator’’) I think it is Rowan Atkinson. He hit popularity charts with his hilarious performance in the classic Black Adder series in UK. Then came his best ever performance and indisputably one of the best comedy series Mr. Bean. Which also made producers to cast him in a movie Mr. Bean: The Movie. What a sterling performance it was....
I was impressed by a style of formatting done by Lyla. So, gonna take few things from her format...(Lyla thanks)
The Background
Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson) is an unseasoned but very enthusiastic secret agent of MI7. He was always kept far away from the action for the simple reason that even simple things are made complex by him!!!! He has a dedicated assistant Bough (Ben Miller), who cleans Johnny’s mess every single time. Then there is this secret double agent Lorna Campbell (Natalie Imbruglia), who is behind the conniving Frenchman Pascal Sauvage (John Malkovich).
The Story
Johnny English (JE) is given a simple assignment (as per MI7) to protect the Royal Crown Jewels when they are displayed in a sort of a museum. Unfortunately the jewels disappear and JE is assigned to retrieve them. One thing leads to another, JE stumbles upon a bigger plot by the Frenchman Savage to capture England in a devious manner.
The Plot
Sauvage makes everyone in the line of throne to relinquish their claim to the throne and then even gets the queen to step down... Plants evidence leading himself to be the next to throne. Why? not here check out the movie.... :) Its all upto JE and his female sidekick Lorna Campbell to stop Sauvage from becoming the King and save England from the disaster....
Before I start analyzing the movie, here are some of the "Best" comedy scenes of this movie in their order of appearance.
JE explaining the ball-point pen cum dart gun in Pierce Brosnan style, only to see his boss’s assistant falling down unconscious
Something or other happening to his gun every time he tries to fire it...
Opening the wrong coffin for the Jewel Crown
Playing the wrong cassette (JE’s bathroom ritual) on the National Television..
Displaying the Archbishop’s rear in National Television and then saying ’’Ok, I was wrong about the Bishop’s butt, so what’’
and many more.....
Story (3/5)
Lets face it, this is a purely comedy and Rowan based movie. Rather a large expansion of the Barkley card advertisements centered wholly around Rowan. So don’t expect too great a storyboard for this to stand on.
Plot (4/5)
This is something ingenious. Really I never thought about a better use of England If I capture it, than what Sauvage has for it..... You would have heard about villains blowing countries, nuke the world, steal riches, rob the government but this one...absolute ’’Diamond’’. It also takes a potshot at the England, The Queen and ofcourse the MI6 (Remember the people breaching the Queen’s security ring and also the guy breached Prince William’s security?)
Action (3/5)
Oh what action it is : JE in the Aston Martin DB7 Vantage and Lorna in the Triumph...mmmm...wonderful and funny. The chase for the coffin car with the coffin filled with the Royal Jewels is one of the best action sequence of this movie....
Cast (4/5)
JE - Rowan Atkinson : 300% OK. Had they put Adam Sandler or Jim Carrey the movie would have fell flat
Lorna - Natalie : This one sucks. I don’t know, she doesn’t seem to carry that chemistry with Rowan. Remember the wife in Mr. Bean, you need such actress.
Sauvage - John Malkowich : Splendid. His french-english accent is stupendous.
Bough - Ben Miller : He is not less than Rowan not more than him, just complimenting Rowan’s role all along, every scene... Good selection
Rest just come and go. But they do their part well..</p>
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Comedy (4/5)
But for few scenes the whole movie had unstoppable laughter stapled with it. All you had to do is to see and laugh... Some subtle digs and takes are put very slowly giving time for people to catch where (or who) it is hitting. All other drawbacks could be forgotten by Rowan’s world familiar facial expressions.
Overall (4/5)
Basically Rowan props up the movie. Good main cast, neat story, decent screen play and as ever great performances by Rowan and Malkovich. Good to watch atleast twice.... The climax is worth watching N number of times though.....
Think I should stop now Im still not able to forget the climax and still laughing uncontrollably. Guy from the next cubicle has already stood up and stared at me once. So I have to stop here.</p>