Johnny English Strikes Again

Universal Pictures | Release Date: October 26, 2018

6.1	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 111 Ratings

USER RATING DISTRIBUTION

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Watch Now

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Review this movie

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Please sign in or create an account before writing a review.

Check box if your review contains spoilers

0 characters (5000 max)

User Reviews

User score By date Most helpful

NightReviewsOct 30, 2018

In a world filled with serious and kick-ass James Bond’s and Ethan Hunt’s, especially after the expectedly explosive summer blockbuster season and approaching the very serious fall award season fair, one man and one film aims to giveIn a world filled with serious and kick-ass James Bond’s and Ethan Hunt’s, especially after the expectedly explosive summer blockbuster season and approaching the very serious fall award season fair, one man and one film aims to give audiences the laugh-out-loud moments and gags everyone deserves. Johnny English Strikes Again may be a Rowan Atkinson vehicle for a once applauded physical-comedy actor to cash a cheque in a cultural landscape where audiences are obsessed with uber realism and knock-your-socks off action, but the placement of the newest English film may be the spy’s most daring mission yet. What is the third (and perhaps final) entry of the spoof spy series, Atkinson returns in his second most memorable role as a spy with no clue as to what he is actually doing. Call it luck or being surrounded by the best company possible with his reliable and witty sidekick Bough (Ben Miller), Johnny English Strikes Again is one heck of an entertaining, silly and gratuitous time at the movies during a heavy hitting awards filled season.

Approaching sixty-four years of age, Atkinson still proves that he still looks dashing in a suit and willing to fill the spy shoes once again, maybe not giving Cruise a run for his money for his physical stunt work, but surely showing that his elastic face and comedy acting chops are surely not a thing of the past. Yet, the film’s plot of a cyber hacker infiltrating all the knowns agents within the British Intelligence agency, is the main focus of the film, English must use as little tech as possible, to track down a villain who’s biggest threat, is technology itself. Refusing cellphones, glitzy gizmos and gadgets, English and Bough track down their nemesis using good old fashion guns (that require them to fill out health and safety forms), skeletal armour suits and of course, their most reliable tool…pay-phones.

While the premise of Strikes Again couldn’t be more spot on for a spy-spoof film in 2018, its English’s interactions with the high-tech gadgets that truly get the best laughs throughout the course of the film, most notably, a hysterical virtual reality simulation scene that finds English wandering, crawling and scaling the streets of London, sporting a virtual reality mask and imaginative tools and weapons, to defeat his virtual enemies.

While it may be hard to believe that these films has any sort of cult following or intense built-in audience, the last two entries in the franchise, which more than quadrupled their production budgets, prove that the Johnny English franchise and trademark is alive and kicking, even if those kick aren’t too painful or threatening. Atkinson proves that English is most effective when the actor so effortlessly spoofs his British humour, along with his signature elastic facial expressions and slippery unknowingness.

Whats most impressive of the English franchise, especially when thinking of the newest entry is the unexpected star-power in front of the camera. Emma Thompson, who plays the very naive and bewildered Prime Minister, brings some of the films biggest laughs purely from dialogue and delivery, showcasing Thompson’s comedic chops which may surely be unexpected coming from such a renown British actress whose focal comedic chops come in the form of British romantic comedies and family friendly films. The film also boasts cameos from acting greats like Michael Gambon, Charles Dance and Edward Fox, as well as making a very tongue-in-cheek casting with Olga Kurylenko, a former Bond girl in the most recent Daniel Craig era.

While many may think that slap-stick comedy may very well be a thing of the past, Johnny English Strikes Again shows that during a very crowded and formal season of movies, a few strikes of comedy wit, hilarity and fun may be exactly what audiences may be craving after all. Even if those strikes are more inclined to deliver tickles and giggles, Johnny English Strikes Again with exactly what you might expect, and that may very well be not so bad after all.… Expand

4 of 5 users found this helpful41

All this user's reviews

QuacksonjaMemeDec 30, 2018

An average movie. Didn't really feel the elements of Rowand Atkinson's older movies. All in all, its a hilarious and enjoyable movie.

6/10

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

All this user's reviews

m15964Feb 2, 2019

It's funny to watch Rowan Atkinson as an actor in a comedy film but it's a ridicules and empty movie from any sense of humor that we expect from his character as a comedian.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

All this user's reviews

TVJerryNov 1, 2018

The best things about this movie: it's only 89 minutes long and the funniest person is Emma Thompson (as the prime minister). Unfortunate, considering it's another of Rowan Atkinson's bumbling spy flix. He sets out to save the world from aThe best things about this movie: it's only 89 minutes long and the funniest person is Emma Thompson (as the prime minister). Unfortunate, considering it's another of Rowan Atkinson's bumbling spy flix. He sets out to save the world from a high-tech takeover, but not before causing disaster and mayhem everywhere he goes. While the energy never lags, the laffs are almost non-existent. The outcome of almost every gag is telegraphed by the setup, which leaves no surprises. Even with his Mr. Bean expressions and over-the-top physical comedy, it still falls flat (and not in a funny, pratfall way).… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

All this user's reviews

RalfbergsMar 8, 2019

Too many unfunny jokes or slapstick which is overplayed already. I did like the first ones, but this keeps repeating most of the stuff and the jokes get really predictable. Somehow wasn't that funny altogether. SO basically quite average

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

DubeauDec 20, 2018

Strikes Again is an average movie. The story is pretty obvious. There are good moments and for me it was when he was at school. There was a nice appeal and chemistry with the kids. And that part was a better idea then all the rest of theStrikes Again is an average movie. The story is pretty obvious. There are good moments and for me it was when he was at school. There was a nice appeal and chemistry with the kids. And that part was a better idea then all the rest of the movie. Sadly, the movie is quite predictable and the gags too. I give it a 40%. They should have exploited the spying school idea.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

TyranianJul 9, 2019

Equal to the first two, has many funny moments but is overall far more stupid than clever.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

TomtagApr 14, 2019

Even though the story was not good at all, it was the funniest of the trilogy

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

Deben71Aug 29, 2023

Rowan Atkinson (and his sidekick Boff) struggle to deliver a few funny scenes, but the task of bringing an empty page to life isn't an easy one.

There's also an ex-James Bond Girl, but hey, she's only allowed a few poor minutes in the endRowan Atkinson (and his sidekick Boff) struggle to deliver a few funny scenes, but the task of bringing an empty page to life isn't an easy one.

There's also an ex-James Bond Girl, but hey, she's only allowed a few poor minutes in the end and bits of scenes where her character sucks, when she brings the tablet there you can see that the actress understood that it sucks and she absolutely doesn't give a **** anymore.

The real there is not just a stranger out of nowhere, we are at the level of the jobber, good classic plans we will not ask for more but good failed lighting and backlighting!!!

Atkinson as a knight in the arcade, I had to check my contrast on my television, no no it's well and truly poorly lit....

But everything else is worth it, the script is useless, the protagonists are not worked, the villain is useless.

7 years separates the 3 from the 2 and there is only emptiness, Atkinson who is recognized as a pain in the smallest details apparently had no say and the film is cut from many scenes, hole editing ass or **** production, you have the choice.

My part on P. Sellers and B. Edwards

What makes me wince is a long finale (because it's rhythmic like... heuuu no actually not rhythmic at all) where Atkinson is in knight's armor with all the movement problems that entails, I don't know if it's a tribute (yes finally a copy) to Peter Sellers or not at all, but hey it's not Blake Edwards behind the camera and in terms of comic genius it's not Peter Sellers in armor (I specify that I like Atkinson).

Peter Sellers with Blake Edwards knew how to make moments without speed or even very slow very very good and fun, with a classic realization of course but which relied just on the character, his bad luck and his way of getting up even very slowly from what he suffered was funny, we took the time to savor the misfortune of Clouseau (see also Hrundi V. Bakshi in The Game).

In the end, it makes me think of Jackie Chan's Smoking, who is also a failure who doesn't know how to exploit his main character or the other protagonists (Jenifer Love Hewitt), but much less worse than here.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

Amirhosein2005Jun 7, 2021

A film that is somewhat entertaining and tolerable, but extremely repetitive and superficial, which reduces the quality of the work.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews