Johnny English Reborn

Rowan Atkinson returns to the big screen, but even his rubber-faced antics can't save this second-rate Bond pastiche from mediocrity. 

The hype...
Once a 30-second TV advert, Johnny English is now a fully fledged cinematic franchise. Atkinson brings his unique brand of physical comedy, as well as his mispronunciation of simple words that always seem to get the laughs. We just wonder if the parody needs another instalment, especially as we know how quickly the quality can decline in the genre... just think of the 'Naked Gun' series.

The story...
Having left MI7 in disgrace, Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson) is now in hiding in Asia. However, the former secret agent is the only man capable of stopping an assassination attempt on the Chinese Premier and so he is called back into action.

New agency director Pamela Thornton (Gillian Anderson) has little time for English, and assigns a young newcomer to assist the hapless hero. As the plot thickens, the KGB, CIA and even MI7 are drawn into a global conspiracy which leads to the upper echelons of government.

Behavioural psychiatrist Kate Sumner (Rosamund Pike) believes that English himself holds the key to the mystery, but with time running out can MI7's last hope delve into his past and save the day?

The breakdown...
There are laughs to be had here, and a couple of set-pieces hark back to the material that once made Atkinson a genuine comedic talent. But the television shows, for which he is best known, relied more on witty scripts rather than big performances from the star and herein lies the problem.

'Johnny English Reborn' has a terrible screenplay that gives the actors no room for manoeuvre. You can sympathise with their constant struggle to manufacture some humour where there is none to be had, but sadly it is a losing battle.

Anderson and Pike in particular are given short shrift, both deserve better than the lazy roles they are handed. Part of the gag with casting Pike would surely have been to capitalise on the fact that she was actually a  'Bond babe' herself, but nothing is made of this. In the end, they could have just hired someone off the street and saved a few quid on the budget.

All the positives in this movie have the air of improvisation from Atkinson, and there is no denying he can still get the laughs when given the chance. Everything else is too constricted by convention, and for a spoof, it's all played far too safe.

Hopefully this will signal the end of the series, and maybe even see the star return to the material that he really should be making. Oh, and that would be 'Blackadder', not more credit card commercials.

The verdict...
Stretching a TV commercial character to one film was already wearing out the concept, but to attempt a sequel takes things beyond breaking point. Atkinson can still do the physical pratfalls, but the script lets him down badly.

Rating: 2/5

'Johnny English Reborn' is due to be released in the UK on 7 October. Certificate: PG.