Johnny English

2003 Comedy

An unhinged parody of James Bond theatrics, Johnny English finds Mr. Bean himself suiting up as the eponymous super spy for a series of wild and silly adventures. A lowly pencil pusher working for the MI7 agency, Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson) is suddenly promoted to super spy after Agent One is assassinated and every other agent is blown up at his funeral. When billionaire entrepreneur Pascal Sauvage (John Malkovich) sponsors the exhibition of the Crown Jewels and the valuable gems disappear on the opening night, and on the watch of English, the newly designated agent must jump into action to uncover the thief and procure the missing valuables. Tracking the thieves' underground escape route with sidekick Bough (Ben Miller), English locks in on Sauvage despite repeated assurances by boss Pegasus (Tim Pigott-Smith) that the respected entrepreneur has nothing to do with the crime. Could the mysterious Lorna (Natalie Imbruglia), who has an odd habit of turning up at the wrong place at the wrong time, hold the key to helping Johnny? A massive hit overseas, Johnny English held its own at the box office in early April 2003, and was slated for wide release in the U.S. If the spoofing in Johnny English strikes especially close to home, that may be because the film was scripted by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, who teamed to pen such Bond adventures as Die Another Day and The World is Not Enough. more..

Director: Peter Howitt

Starring: Rowan Atkinson, Natalie Imbruglia, Ben Miller,John Malkovich, Tim Pigott-Smith

Reviews

  • A comic actor of genius who raises silliness to an art form, the wonderfully expressive Atkinson makes excellent use of those devastating looks in the spy spoof Johnny English, where he turns up as a James Bond type more likely to kill adversaries by accident than on purpose.

    Kenneth Turan - Los Angeles Times

    26 April 2013

  • The movie is, at times, funny enough to make you cry, and, when it's not, it moves nicely as a parody.

    - The Wall Street Journal

    26 April 2013

  • The hilarious Malkovich, coiffed in an artful pageboy and savoring a fruity French accent, would overpower the competition on sheer thespian madness.

    Lisa Schwarzbaum - Entertainment Weekly

    26 April 2013

  • The jokes often are corny or labored, and the story is predictable. However, Atkinson raises the movie to the level of good fun by the force of his outrageous persona and skill at physical comedy.

    Claudia Puig - USA Today

    26 April 2013

  • It's a chaste "Austin Powers," a less ridiculous "Casino Royale," a more subtle "Spy Hard" - in other words, yet another James Bond parody.

    Megan Lehmann - New York Post

    26 April 2013

Awards

  • Best Comedy Film

    British Comedy Awards (2003)

     
  • Best British Film

    Empire Awards, UK (2004)

     
  • Best Actor

    European Film Awards (2003)

     
  • Best Comedy

    Golden Trailer Awards (2004)