Common Sense Media Review
Fine (if pretty dumb) British slapstick for tweens.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Johnny English
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 23 parent reviews
Parents say the movie has many comedic moments, featuring slapstick humor that appeals to both children and adults. However, several reviews caution about its PG rating, citing inappropriate language and sexual innuendo that might not be suitable for younger viewers, making it potentially better suited for older kids or adults.
- humorous content
- inappropriate language
- sexual innuendo
- age suitability
- parental warnings
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 26 kid reviews
What's the Story?
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.
Is It Any Good?
The spy parts aren't exciting enough and the funny parts aren't funny enough, but the overall effect is mildly amusing. Johnny English as mild spy parody has nothing new, though 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 Myers' Austin Powers series.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how comedy can diffuse violence. How would Johnny English's violence have affected you differently if it wasn't portrayed humorously?
What kind of character is Johnny English? Is he a hero?
Movie Details
- In theaters : July 18, 2003
- On DVD or streaming : January 13, 2004
- Cast : John Malkovich , Natalie Imbruglia , Rowan Atkinson
- Director : Peter Howitt
- Studio : Universal Pictures
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Adventures
- Run time : 88 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : comic nudity, some crude humor and language
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate