| ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. | |
| OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Parents need to know that there are a few strong words ("ass") and some bathroom jokes in this slapstick comedy. Some spy adventure peril including guns, but no blood or intense violence. Kids not familiar with the long-term French-English political and cultural clashes may be confused by the animosity between the French and English characters.
Rowan Atkinson plays JOHNNY ENGLISH, a low-level bureaucrat in England's spy service who dreams of being a field agent. When all of the agents are wiped out through his ineptitude, he gets his chance. England's crown jewels have been stolen by French zillionaire Pascal Sauvage (John Malkovich), who plans to take over England and turn it into a prison facility. It's up to Johnny English, his sidekick Bough (pronounced "Boff") and woman of mystery (Natalie Imbruglia) to save the day.
Johnny English as mild spy parody has nothing new, but Rowan Atkinson ("Mr. Bean") is a gifted comedian who manages to wring some new laughs with material that has already been fully explored in movies from Our Man Flint and Dean Martin's Matt Helm movies to Spy Hard, and Mike Meyers' Austin Powers series.
The spy parts aren't exciting enough and the funny parts aren't funny enough, but the overall effect is mildly amusing.
Families can talk about how comedy can diffuse violence. How owuld this movie's violence have affected you differently if it wasn't portrayed humorously?
What kind of character is Johnny English? Is he a hero?
| Topics: | adventures |
| Studio: | Universal Pictures |
| Director: | Peter Howitt |
| Cast: | John Malkovich, Natalie Imbruglia, Rowan Atkinson |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Run time: | 88 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | July 18, 2003 |
| DVD release date: | January 13, 2004 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
| MPAA explanation: | comic nudity, some crude humor and language |