Johnny English Review

Johnny English


Release Date: 10th April 2003 - Australia


Production Companies
Working Title Films
Rogue Male Films Ltd. (Uncredited)
Studio Canal
Universal Pictures

Distribution
Universal Pictures Australia


Genre: Action/Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 89 minutes


Budget: $40,000,000

Box Office Gross: $161,735,791 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary

When a Frenchman steals Her Majesty's crown jewels, and all of Britain's agents get killed in a sudden bomb attack on MI7, a bumbling but confident spy named Johnny English is the only one left. He is the nation's last hope of defending his country. He and his faithful assistant, Bough, get thrown into the case, where they have to retrieve the jewels and uncover a devious plot that involves sitting on the throne as King of England.

Cast
Rowan Atkinson - Johnny English
Ben Miller - Angus Bough
John Malkovich - Pascal

Sauvage
Oliver Ford Davies - Archbishop of Canterbury
Natalie Imbruglia - Lorna
Campbell
Tim Pigott-Smith - Pegasus
Nina Young - Pegasus' Secretary
Kevin McNally - Prime Minister
Douglas McFerran - Carlos Vendetta
Steve Nicolson - Dieter Klein
Greg Wise - Agent One
Tim Berrington - Roger
Prunella Scales - Queen

Elizabeth II
Rowland Davies - Sir Anthony Chevenix

Tasha de Vasconcelos - Exotic Woman

Terence Harvey - Official at Funeral

Philippa Fordham - Snobby Woman

Simon Bernstein - Assailant

Martin Lawton - Hearse Driver

Neville Phillips - Priest

Takuya Matsumoto - Sushi Waiter

Peter Tenn - Sushi Bar Costumer

Sam Beazley - Elderly Man

Kevin Moore - Doctor

Faruk Pruti - Truth Serum Guard

Marc Danbury - Guard

Jack Raymond - French Reception Waiter

Jenny Galloway - Foreign Secretary

Chris Tarrant - Radio Announcer

James Greene - Scottish Bishop

Clive Graham - Welsh Bishop

Trevor McDonald - Newscaster

Peter Howitt - Man at Crowning Ceremony

(Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew
Writer (Uncredited)/Director - Peter Howitt
Writers - Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and

William Davies
Associate Producer - Chris Clark
Producers - Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and

Mark Huffam
Co-Producers - Jo Burn, Liza Chasin and

Debra Hayward
Casting Director - Priscilla John
Production Designer - Chris Seagers

Supervising Art Director - John Frankish
Art Directors - Alan Gilmore and David Warren
Set Decorator - John Bush
Costume Designer - Jill Taylor

Hair & Makeup Designer - Graham Johnston
Director of Photography - Remi Adefarasin

Aerial Cameraman - Adam Dale

"B" Camera Operator: Additional Shooting -

David Worley

Production Manager: Additional Shooting -

Bernard Bellew

First Assistant Director - Adam Somner

Location Managers - Angus More Gordon

and Simon McNair Scott
Second Unit Director/Visual Effects Supervisor -
Peter Chiang
Stunt Coordinator - Paul Jennings

Action Vehicles Coordinator - Graham Kelly
Special Effects Supervisor - Richard Conway

Special Effects Coordinator - Andrew Kelly

Special Effects Workshop Supervisor - Andy Bunce

Digital Effects Supervisor: Double Negative -

Richard Briscoe
CG Supervisor: Double Negative -

Jesper Kjolsrud

Sequence Supervisors - John Moffatt,

Jody Johnson, Tom Bebenham and

Jeremy Hattingh
Editor - Robin Sales

Supervising Sound Editor - Glenn Freemantle

Re-Recording Mixers - Ray Merrin,

John Hayward, Adam & Graham Daniel

and Andrew Caller (Uncredited)

Foley Artists - Paula Boram and Diane Greaves
Composer: "A Man for All Seasons" -

Hans Zimmer

Performer: "A Man for All Seasons" -

Robbie Williams
Music - Ed Shearmur

Music Supervisor - Nick Angel

Music Editor - Michael Higham


Review
The spy comedy JOHNNY ENGLISH is a barrel of laughs and is considered a parody of the James Bond films. It's also developed from a series of credit card commercials that feature Rowan Atkinson playing a secret agent who would later bear its namesake for the movie. While other critics deemed the film not funny, audiences reacted differently to JOHNNY ENGLISH because of its British humour. I liked the scene when Johnny gets himself covered in poo and forced to get showered and the other when Johnny shows everyone the Archbishop's buttocks leaving them all in stitches.

John Malkovich's performance of the French villain was good because of his fake accent. He seems to enjoy it. Atkinson did a splendid job of playing the title character, who was always in the wrong place at the wrong time. His spy protagonist is clueless but slightly competent and clumsier than Maxwell Smart and Inspector Clouseau. It also reminds me of Atkinson's other role as Mr Bean. His antics, madness and stupidity make for a gut-busting and hilarious viewing experience.

I find JOHNNY ENGLISH to be an underrated film. It's nowhere near the same style as the Austin Powers series, a similar parody of the James Bond flicks but had charm. If you have seen the first movie, its sequel, Johnny English Reborn, is now available on DVD & Blu-ray.

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

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