Movie Review: Johnny English Reborn

James Bond he is not. Funny he is.

Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson) is the ultimate bumbling idiot secret agent.

We first met him in 2003 when he made his silver screen debut. Somehow, through a lot of luck, good fortune and help he made himself invaluable to the British Secret Service, MI-7.

But all was not to go well for Johnny in the interim and he had a humiliating fall from grace when a high-profile security assignment in Mozambique went spectacularly wrong.

We find him in Johnny English Reborn finding his inner self in a Tibetan monastery.

He is trying to forget the African debacle when the call comes in from his former paymasters that he is required for a new, vital mission.

It appears that there is an assassination attempt planned against the Chinese premier during a crucial meeting he has scheduled with the British Prime Minister.

The man with all the information wants to talk only to Johnny but assassins get to him as he is passing on what he knows to the agent. And so begins an international odyssey to find out who the people behind the plot are before it is too late.

With the help of the latest hi-tech gadgets, Johnny stumbles and bumbles forward with able assistance from his young partner, Agent Tucker (Daniel Kaluuya).

As the pair dig deeper, they realise they are dealing with rogue agents from the CIA, KGB and MI-7. One step in the wrong place and their mission could be over prematurely.

Bond-like, Johnny attracts the attention of beautiful MI-7 behavioural scientist Kate Sumner (Rosamund Pike), who falls for his dubious charms.

The highlights of Johnny English Reborn come when Atkinson is let off his leash and improvises his reactions. His physical comedy is still funny and his facial expressions continue to convey a million words.

Give me Johnny over Bond any day.

Johnny English Reborn

(PG), 115 minutes

Stars: 3.5/5