A tedium torture test produced with little money and less comic know-how.
Johnny English (2003)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:115
Fresh:38
Rotten:77
Average Rating:4.8/10
Consensus: A tame spy spoof that elicits infrequent chuckles.
Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for comic nudity, some crude humor and language
Runtime: 88 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:Jul 18, 2003 Wide
Box Office: $27,972,410
Synopsis: When the British government fears that a plan is afoot to steal the royal family's beloved crown jewels from their secure home in the Tower of London, secret agent Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson)... When the British government fears that a plan is afoot to steal the royal family's beloved crown jewels from their secure home in the Tower of London, secret agent Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson) is assigned to the case. Unfortunately, English isn't the British Secret Service's first choice for the job; he's just the only secret agent that is still alive. Even though English dreams of being a suave, debonair agent and has only the best intentions, the hapless Brit continually makes matters worse as he tries to save his country from falling into the clutches of French prison mogul Pascal Sauvage, played by John Malkovich. Among other things, English misuses secret agent gadgets, inadvertently leaks his plans to the bad guys, takes the most inopportune route into Sauvage's castle, and generally makes silly mistakes--and somehow gets away with it. Physical comedian Atkinson, best known as Mr. Bean, shines in this film, which was directed by Peter Howitt (SLIDING DOORS). JOHNNY ENGLISH also features British comedian Ben Miller as Bough, English's mild-mannered, but surprisingly effective sidekick from the agency. Australian singer and actress Natalie Imbruglia makes her feature film debut as Special Agent Lorna Campbell. [More]
Starring: Rowan Atkinson, Natalie Imbruglia, Ben Miller, John Malkovich
Starring: Rowan Atkinson, Natalie Imbruglia, Ben Miller, John Malkovich
Director: Peter Howitt
Director: Peter Howitt
Screenwriter: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, William Davies
Producer: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Mark Huffam
Composer: Edward Shearmur
Studio: Universal Pictures
Get This Movie
Reviews for Johnny English
Johnny English is a tamer Austin Powers crossed with Get Smart, with very little in the way of effective humor.
While Atkinson has physical comedy skills and a deadpan delivery equal to Sellers, his screenwriters take the easy, poo-joke route far too often.
The film's irreverence toward venerable British institutions may seem uproarious in Johnny's home country, but Americans will find this just another summertime farce, falling back on stale scatological jokes when it runs out of better ideas.
The good jokes are so infrequent Johnny English could be retitled You Only Laugh Twice.
There is plenty of opportunity for funny lines and great physical gags but the script really lets down the cast.
Penned by the guys who wrote the last two Bond films. That means they're incapable of spoofing themselves, which is a concept far more funny than anything you'll see here.
I'm a Rowan Atkinson fan. Silly yes, but usually a subtle whit tied like a rubber chicken to the site gags. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for "English."
Well, I guess this proves that Americans aren’t the only ones apt to characterize the French as obnoxious, power-hungry fops.
The gags are telegraphed to such a ridiculous degree that you can see some of them coming literally an hour away. Yet when the punchlines arrive, Atkinson sells them with aplomb.
Smug with timely zingers like 'The only thing the French should be allowed to host is an invasion,' the movie's recommended strictly for Bush advisers.
What makes it work is the cast, who are able to wring more than a few laughs out of this tired scenario.
'Aunque puede parecer bastante obvio y bobo para muchos, por lo menos representa un buen rato de entretenimiento puro y sin complicaciones'
It still seems that nothing will ever beat the genius of the Val Kilmer-fronted spoof Top Secret, but after the fiasco of the last Austin Powers movie, this is fun.
It's the same bawdy British humour as the Ali G movie, and there's more inspiration in the gags from Jackass. .
Latest News for Johnny English
May 04, 2007:
The Weekly Ketchup: Dunst Forgives Self For Bad Acting, Downey Reflects On "Iron Man," New "Magneto" Director, And More!
In this week's Ketchup, Kirsten Dunst talks about the woes of blue-screen theatrics, Robert Downey Jr. discusses his "Iron Man" pedigree, and the new... More...
April 18, 2007:
Kate Beckinsale as "Barbarella"?
This word arrives by way of a British gossip column, so you know what to do with it, but here's the dirt: Kate Beckinsale is apparently being considered for the lead role in... More...
April 11, 2006:
Get Ready for the Return of ... "Bean"
You knew it was only a matter of time before Rowan Atkinson came back with another "Mr. Bean" movie. (Anyone out there see Johnny English? Sheesh.) And today Variety... More...
March 13, 2003:
CLick here for Preview. ![]()
More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Around The Network
- Johnny English at Rotten Tomatoes
- Johnny English at IGN
- Johnny English at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox

Hollywood.com ponders whether or not an animated film could win Best Picture.

Richard Corliss previews the season's best offerings and hottest tickets.

The AV Club's Mike D'Angelo airs his beefs with Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men.
Promos

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!



Top Critic



