Johnny English reborn

Johnny English Reborn (PG) 2011-101 minutes

One man. One mission. No chance.

Devotees of our would-be James Bond, Johnny English, (Rowan Atkinson), will embrace this new movie with gusto and relish, believing the sequel to be long overdue. Those less committed will find it amusing, unable to suppress the occasional laugh. But those few among you who hate slapstick, and farce, please be warned; stay firmly away.

As far as the plot is concerned, there is very little on offer. Inexplicably called back for duty (from a martial art school deep in the Himalayas) by Pegasus, (Gillian “The X Files” Anderson) the new head of Toshiba British Intelligence, English is charged with preventing the assassination of the Chinese Premier. Endeavouring to keep our secret agent alive is his partner, Agent Tucker,(Daniel Kaluuya) a charmingly enthusiastic but excruciatingly inexperienced sidekick who has the habit of calling his Mum in the middle of his missions. Johnny's love interest is the beguilingly beautiful Kate (Rosamund Pike), MI7's leading behavioural scientist who finds English "interesting....clinically". Completing the picture is Johnny’s pseudo-friend, Simon (Dominic “the Wire” West) who couldn’t possibly be a double-agent since he was educated at Eton.

English sets out to root out the "vole" deep in MI7. "Don't you mean mole sir”, Tucker inquires with more patience than English deserves. Blundering his way through to some sort of climax, English nonchalantly destroys MI7's entire range of gadgets from grenade-launching umbrellas and fuel-injected wheelchairs to voice-changing sweets and voice-activated Rolls-Royces. Helicopter pursuits and cable-car denouements complete the frantic and calamity-ridden framework.

While Kaluuya seems most promising, both Anderson and Pike seem out of their depth. These are competent actresses with the world at their feet. What on earth are they doing in a film of this sort? But make no mistake. This is a film for Atkinson alone and the plot is a platform to showcase his talents. And whether you like him or not, he has talents to spare from his rubbery face and his flexible body to his straight-faced delivery - the scene with the adjustable office chair is particularly amusing -and his perfect sense of timing. Perhaps best of all is his refusal to learn – his attacks on old ladies, the very essence of farce. Perhaps this goes to explain the enormous popularity of the Johnny English franchise outside the UK. Johnny English. Made in GB.

Amusing in parts but two movies is (more than) enough. 5/10

Richard Smith-Morgan
October 2011