English is back
JOHNNY ENGLISH: THROUGH IRONIC TWISTS OF FATE COMES UP TRUMPS
This instalment of the franchise is the funniest and should score at the box office.
Rowan Atkinson, one of Britain’s much-loved comedy figures, has starred in three versions of the Johnny English franchise. This instalment is by far the funniest and most inventive yet and will surely score big at the box office.
Playing an inept British spy who gets everything wrong but, through ironic twists of fate, manages to come up trumps, Atkinson has fashioned an iconic personality with delicious touches of Mr Bean, his popular TV persona.
The story revolves around a severe cyberattack in which all the active undercover agents in Britain are revealed.
The Secret Service is forced to enlist the help of English, whom we discover has retired and is teaching geography at a private school in the country. He has to find the mastermind hacker behind the attack.
With him on this dangerous mission is a trusty sidekick (Ben Miller), who has also come out of retirement to help with the assignment. As a man with few skills and analogue methods, Johnny English must overcome the challenges of modern technology to succeed in his mission.
There is the lovely theme of “old school” versus the new technology running through the cleverly conceived script.
There are many moments of inspired lunacy!
Atkinson’s timing and dialogue delivery are spot-on and he’s at his best when playing the suave, smooth-talking James Bond-like character who is about to impress a beautiful woman when something goes awfully awry.
Director David Kerr orchestrates some terrific scenes played out in the south of France, where Johnny manages to burn down a French restaurant among some of the outrageous shenanigans he gets up to in saving Britain.
Another scene involves some comic antics on the dance floor after having imbibed a high-intensity energy drug, and with people attempting to kill him.
What is clever about the script is that it’s right up to date and there is a marvellous role for Emma Thompson, again superb, as the British Prime Minister at her wits end.
Ben Miller, who is a comedian in his own right, the slim, attractive Olga Kurylenko, as a Russian agent, and Jake Lacy, as an American billionaire computer genius, all contribute immeasurably to the fun and games.