(450-word review) Rowan Atkinson is, without a doubt, the star here, which is no surprise because that's essentially the whole point of this film: a vehicle for him to show everyone else how comedy's done. He is the GOAT, after all. His acting style and manner of delivery are unmatched. And he gets the job done, but who would expect otherwise?

I first watched this film back in 2019, and while my "review" of it was only one sentence (and not even about the film itself/how I felt about it – "Johnny English is the best spy. You simply can't be better than him." – wow, that tells me much, 2019-me) but true nonetheless, I do have my rating to go off of.

It was one star more than I'm giving it now; based on it, I can ascertain that I liked it plenty in 2019. Maybe I even laughed many times. I don't remember the specifics, though, making it hard to compare my feelings back then to this time. Surface-level, it'd be a fair assumption that my feelings toward it now aren't much different, besides enjoying it slightly less/possibly a tiny less funny than on my initial viewing.

The plot is straightforward – it's as if it's not there, not a focus, which was on the comedy, in the form of revolving around Rowan Atkinson, who's fully capable of carrying and leading; in turn, that's what he does to a T. John Malkovich was an odd element, almost to the point of dragging the film down in a sense, until the end – through Pascal Sauvage's redemption as a character in my eyes when he lost it and "broke character" – his French accent sounded enough like a French accent for us uneducated folks (maybe it's just me) who can't distinguish whether some foreign accents are accurate, but something tells me it was terrible.

The second half was undeniably the best, starting with the highly skilled, highly efficient, immensely successful, no doubt – this is Johnny English we're talking about, don't you know? A hit with the ladies, a stallion in the sack (great song, by the way) – nighttime infiltration operation, with the super-strength muscle relaxant scene(s) as the MVP.

But there were good moments throughout the film: the fake fight, the funeral scene, the two video recordings of English, the hand signs, the tie getting stuck, dropping the glass/breaking the glass in half/falling onto the Foreign Secretary, the dancing, holding Pegasus' hand, the sewage pipe scene, the "unveiling" of the real Archbishop of Canterbury.

Easygoing, harmlessly effective comedy, with a dash of 'obscenity' for a general audience, who'd also, doubtlessly, love it plenty, is this film's strength, effortlessly accomplished by Rowan Atkinson.

**Johnny English is a dumb, fun, feel-good comedy that perfectly celebrates its spy theme while simultaneously having a good laugh.**

Johnny English never fails to make me laugh. I have watched this movie so many times, and every time I laugh like it’s the first time I have seen it. Rowan Atkinson takes his typical goofball character and thrusts him into the serious world of sophistication and espionage, making his ridiculous antics much more hilarious because of the highly dissimilar juxtaposition. Despite bumbling his way through the film, English’s confidence never wanes as he dives into danger again and again, needing the help of his assistant and femme fatale ally to save him from certain doom. Unfortunately, the sequels fail to live up to the excellence of the first installment, never getting the right balance of goofiness and fun. But the original Johnny English film brings it all together, from the stunts to the laughs to the characters. Johnny English might not be a master spy, but he is a master entertainer.

Last seen this several years ago, probably when it was released in 2003, and pretty funny thanks to Rowan Atkinson. Not great but makes for a fun watch on a weekend when it's too hot to do anything outside. **3.5/5**