You've seen him in his very own television series. You've seen him on coffee mugs and T-shirts. Now, see Mr. Bean in his very own feature film.
Or better yet, don't.
Rowan Atkinson has created a monster. Mr. Bean, Atkinson’s rubber-faced, largely silent anti-hero, has an almost cult-like following. The British television show that spawned Bean was a stroke of genius - a program with virtually no speaking, relying on the pure physical comedic ability of its star. For good reason, the program is a world-wide phenomenon.
Atkinson, known for his roles in other British television hits such as Not The Nine O’clock News and Black Adder, has had small roles on the big screen (The Tall Guy, Witches, Four Weddings and a Funeral) but this is his first starring film.
The character Bean, by his very nature, is not steeped in realism. But if you buy the premise, he's believable. Atkinson is not the problem with this movie. He plays Bean much the same way he did on television, only more verbose. No, the problem lies chiefly in the script, the wooden one-dimensional supporting characters, and the directing, which tries to make this a feel-good movie.
Billed as "the ultimate disaster movie", Bean really is a major disaster. A huge flop. I'm not sure if I can attribute this to the Americanization of the film (although it was directed by Atkinson's Nine O’clock cast-mate, Mel Smith), or the fact it's a talkie. It certainly lacks the charm and humour of the television series. In fact, it is little more than a bad "Three's Company" episode, where everything is based on a misunderstanding.
I could count the number of times I laughed on one finger. It wasn't even a full laugh - more like a snicker.
