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Parents' Guide to

Johnny English Strikes Again

By Tara McNamara, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Spy comedy misses the mark; loads of action violence.

Movie PG 2018 88 minutes
Johnny English Strikes Again Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 8 parent reviews

martha12321
martha12321 Adult
December 18, 2020
age 8+

Johnny English Strikes Again ok for your child

this is all comedy while there are some fight scenes it is ok for kids 8 and up there are also a few kiss scenes bit nothing to much for kids.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Parent 12345
Parent 12345 Adult
July 30, 2020
age 12+

12+

It has quite a bit of language lots of violence car chases and a bit of sexual references and there was a scene whith pills

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 8 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In JOHNNY ENGLISH STRIKES AGAIN, after hackers expose the identities of every spy in the U.K., the British Prime Minister (Emma Thompson) calls accidental agent Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson) out of retirement. Along with his sidekick, Bough (Ben Miller), Johnny uses every gadget and trick up his sleeve to try to catch the hackers. But will the gadgets of the past be able to conquer the tech of the future?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (8 ):
Kids say (24 ):

Atkinson's rubber face and slapstick comedy usually hit young audiences squarely in the funny bone, but this spy spoof is more like a kick to the shin. Johnny English Strikes Again relies on what's becoming an all-too-familiar cliché: middle-age characters who can't adapt to the latest advances in technology, leading to an old-school vs. innovation showdown. But kids may not be able to grasp some of the plot points because they aren't familiar enough with either retro issues (like the severity of nukes being launched) or nuances of newer technologies (like computer server locations).

"Bumbling" humor is often a favorite of young audiences because they feel superior to the character, and that works when Johnny is misfiring with devices they know, like iPhones and virtual reality goggles. But he unwittingly creates chaos wherever he goes, and some of the "so wrong" comedy is too wrong, and it ends up feeling distasteful -- like when Johnny unknowingly shoves an 82-year-old woman in a wheelchair into oncoming traffic. Atkinson's hallmark facial and body contortions when he eats something spicy or dances ridiculously no longer feel fresh in today's comedy market, and Johnny English as a whole comes off as dated and humorless as a nuclear missile.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how comedy can affect the impact of media violence. How do you think Johnny English's violence would have affected you if it wasn't portrayed with humor?

  • Do you think any of the movie's spy gadgets and technologies could work in real life? Are there any older tools/technologies that you think work just fine, if not better than what we have now?

  • How do Johnny English and Bough demonstrate teamwork? Does teamwork have to be an equal relationship to succeed?

  • What kind of character is Johnny English? Is he a hero? Is he an underdog?

Movie Details

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