I had high hopes for Johnny English Reborn after watching the first film on Facebook and loving it. Although I found it very watchable, it just didn’t match the hilarity of the first film and it’s not a DVD I’d watch twice.
Perhaps the idea of a hapless secret agent has worn slightly thin. Or perhaps it’s the case that squeals are rarely as good as the original, in my experience.
I also couldn’t get past the fact that the DVD is in widescreen. When you don’t have a widescreen television it means the film only fills half the screen making it difficult to fully enjoy.
The synopsis provided by Universal Pictures is as follows:
In his latest adventure, the most unlikely intelligence officer in Her Majesty's Secret Service must stop a group of international assassins before they eliminate a world leader and cause global chaos. In the years since MI-7's top spy vanished off the grid, he has been honing his unique skills in a remote region of Asia. But when his agency superiors learn of an attempt against the Chinese premier's life, they must hunt down the highly unorthodox agent. Now that the world needs him once again, Johnny English is back in action. With one shot at redemption, he must employ the latest in hi-tech gadgets to unravel a web of conspiracy that runs throughout the KGB, CIA and even MI-7. With mere days until a heads of state conference, one man must use every trick in his playbook to protect us all.
It is good family entertainment on a rainy Saturday afternoon, but if you're not a fan of Rowan Atkinson or you don’t own a widescreen television I’d recommend borrowing a copy from a friend.
Marks out of five:
Johnny English Reborn from Universal Pictures, rated PG, is available on Blue-ray Triple Play and DVD and currently priced at £14.99 and £10.99 respectively on Play.com . I received a review copy of the film from Universal Pictures for the purpose of this review.
