Johnny English Reborn

You probably weren’t clamouring for a sequel to the 2003 British spy parody Johnny English, which was far more successful overseas than it was in the United States. Still, here it is, again starring Rowan Atkinson. As the secret agent of the title, Johnny thinks he’s as suave and resourceful as James Bond. Mostly, though, he bumbles his way from one situation to the next with the help of all the obligatory weapons and gadgets.

Johnny is back at the agency, MI7, after a few years away with a bit of a stigma attached to him. Seems he massively messed up an assignment in Mozambique, and his new boss, Pegasus (Gillian Anderson), lets him know she won’t tolerate those kinds of mistakes from him again. For his next job, Johnny must find out who is behind a plot to assassinate the Chinese premier.

And even though he’s been training in the remote mountains of Tibet all this time (in an admittedly amusing montage), Johnny still isn’t quite up for the challenge. Director Oliver Parker’s film relies on a lot of the same tired, repetitive spy spoofs as the Austin Powers movies, much of the same false confidence in the face of absurd danger. That any of this works, ever, is a testament to Atkinson’s skills as a comedian.

You can sense him slumming and straining but he’s so gifted physically, he makes some pretty idiotic material more enjoyable than it should be. Rosamund Pike and Dominic West co-star. PG for mild action violence, rude humour, some language and brief sensuality. 101 minutes.