Review by Andrew L. Urban on
http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/movies/johnny-english-reborn-20110910-1k2lr.html
Rowan Atkinson's face is enough to make us laugh but when he actually says or does just about anything, accidents and hilarity follow. In Johnny English, Atkinson has found the ideal character for his kind of humor, in which the more responsibility his character has, the less likely he is to get it right.
In this new adventure, complete with caricatures of characters, elements and plot points from the James Bond franchise, English is a disgraced agent of MI7 and keeping a low profile in a remote Tibetan Buddhist monastery learning (among other things) how to survive heavy kicks to his genitals by pulling a large stone attached to a string.
English is reluctantly summoned by MI7 (Anderson is the rough equivalent of Judi Dench in recent James Bond films), because a vital informant has said they will speak only to English. The plot centers on a special set of three interlocking stainless-steel keys that open the container holding a powerful mind-control drug, which can be used to make a man (or woman) do the unthinkable - such as assassinate the Chinese Premier.
Dominic West is effective as fellow agent Simon and Rosamund Pike is superb as Kate, the behavior specialist who finds English fascinating - and loveable. Pike plays it absolutely straight, as does West, which is to the film's great advantage.
Some of the film's laughs are laugh-out-loud and others are somewhat muted but we know it's only a matter of time before a punch becomes a punchline. Action and humor are all rolled in together as the thrills of a spy story collide with Atkinson's inspired buffoonery.
Critic's rating: 8/10
