Johnny English Reborn: "Set The Sat-Nav For Switzerland. Let's Kick Some Bottom"

Director: Oliver Parker

Writer:    Rowan Atkinson
              Hamish McColl
Starring:  Rowan Atkinson
              Gillian Anderson
              Rosamund Pike
              Dominic West

              Daniel Kaluuya
              Richard Schiff
Rating:   **

Release Date: 07/10/11

So, Johnny English Reborn...Yeah, it really happened.

Johnny (Atkinson) is back, and not nearly as funny as before, not even close. Yes Rowan Atkinson has his moments where you think, "huh, that was kinda funny", but it is mostly stale, cliched and just plain dull jokes that float on by without even a vague chuckle being formed. One big issue is the decision to cut English's old partner, Bough (Ben Miller), who was meant to appear, but his scene (yes, one scene) was cut. The new partner, Agent Tucker (Kaluuya), just doesn't have the same chemistry, and because he is much younger than English, they just doesn't gel together as well as Atkinson and Miller did.

Of course you have attractive women,  and this time around we have Agent Pamela Thornton and Kate Sumner, (Anderson & Pike). Both are strong women, Pamela is the stern boss, and Kate is the gentle love interest, and whilst both are fantastic actresses, they just seem to fizzle out and lack any comedic flare. Also, Pike and Atkinson had little to no chemistry, and in a comedy you need to be able to handle a comedic script, and if you are a love interest you need to have chemistry with your partner. I kind of have to blame poor script writing, as English was not endearing this time around, so you don't really care, and to be fair the actors all do the best they can with what they are given.

Finally the villains, Simon Ambrose and Agent Titus Fisher (West & Schiff), at least I think they were villains. Neither actor was really that convincing, and about 45 minutes in, I got a bit bored and switched off, sorry about that. So, I may be wrong about their roles in the film, and if I am, please let me know because I'm really not sure. There was also an angry Chinese woman with a chainsaw, but I'm not quite sure why and what she was there for.

All in all it was a bit of a disaster, bad writing, poor performances and bland direction. Nothing made me laugh, and nothing had me on the edge of my seat, and in a comedy-action film you kind of need both of these things. I have given it two stars purely because I do like the cast, and Atkinson clearly tried to put his all into this, it just didn't pay off how he would of liked. It arrives in UK cinemas this coming Friday, but I really suggest you stick to the original, because this sequel kind of sucked, sorry Rowan.

Johnny English Reborn - Trailer