Since it feels rushed and has no real beginning and no end, I’m going to cut right to the chase: “Johnny English Strikes Again” feels like leftovers from the previous films. You can’t convince me that it took 7 years to come up with…this. To be fair, I did laugh a few times, and it’s all because I missed seeing Rowan Atkinson on the big screen. But surely he deserves a funnier script. Or maybe I’m looking too much into it? The first two films weren’t particularly deep, but they were enjoyable (especially the first one, which I’ve seen so many times). This one is more of the same, only less likable. Even the gags feel massively recycled from much funnier Mr. Bean shorts. In terms of plot, English is hired once again to save the country from a cyber-attack. Cue the endless jokes about modern technology and how English is still as old-school as ever. Atkinson is good, as always, but he doesn’t have much to work with. Seeing him back is always a pleasure, but the whole things plays like an outtake. If you’re going to bring back a franchise many thought was dead and buried, at least do it right. Instead, this sequel is completely forgettable.
Categories: 2/4, action, comedy, The Twenty-First Century