Johnny English

What's the Plot?

The British Secret Service. In a world of uncertainty, they can be depended upon to do what needs to be done to save the day. So when a plan to steal the Crown Jewels is discovered, the Secret Service puts their best man on the case... Agent Number One (Greg Wise). However, Agent Number One does not appear to be up to the challenge, and as all the other Agents gather for his funeral, they too are taken out of the running to safeguard the Crown Jewels as someone bombs the funeral! That leaves only one other person to save the day. He knows no fear. He knows no danger... He knows nothing. His name is Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson) and what he lacks in expertise, he makes up in enthusiasm. To help him in his mission, English is equipped with all manner of gadgetry and Interpol Special Agent Lorna Campbell (Natalie Imbruglia) along with his assistant, Bough (Ben Miller), to make sure that he doesn't screw up against the very French and very crafty business magnate, Pascal Sauvage (John Malkovich). It's going to be a full time job for them then!

Johnny Rnglis (Rowan Atkinson) with Lorna Campbell) (Natalie Imbruglia)

The Review

Now, if you can remember some years back, Rowan Atkinson did a series of adverts for Barclays Bank as a not-so-much-super-as-stupid spy. For alot of people out there, thankfully, " Johnny English " is based on that character and not that of " Mr. Bean ". The facial features may be the same, with the occasional rubber-face expressions slipping onto the screen, but this character has at least some sort of backbone and charm, no matter how misplaced, to it. The cocky confidence that English displays throughout the film is strangely charming to the point that no matter how absurd it seems that he could pull a woman like Natalie Imbruglia, you still find yourself rooting for him to score

With the comedy more along the lines of visual slap-stick than general jokes, Johnny English rates as a safer bet than the likes of The Parole Officer to induce laughs and of course, taking the mick out of such a rich source as James Bond doesn't hurt it's chances either! Ask Mike Myers for proof Austin Powers baby!. As is the case with comedy, you may find yourself waiting for the punch line to finally arrive from a joke that was set up ages ago - English parachutes onto the wrong building and tries to free normal hospital patients that he believes are being evilly experimented upon - which could steal some of it's thunder due to predictability, but there are more than enough moments to keep the audience engaged. It boasts an unusual but highly entertaining car chase where a hearse is being chased by the heroes in their Aston Martin which is sitting on the back of a traffic warden's towing truck.

Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson) always prepared

Trying to put the gadget-laden Aston Martin on the road to give chase while still caught up in the towing trucks crane proves very funny with a little dig at speed cameras that most motorists would love to be able to do. Primarily Atkinson's show, Malkovich takes delight in hamming it up as a French villain and Imbruglia, whilst not lighting up the screen, doesn't do her possible career on the silver screen any harm either. Fun and funny, it's worth seeing just to recognise all the London landmarks in all their big screen glory.