Johnny English
Universal Pictures | Release Date: July 18, 2003 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
51
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 32 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
15
Negative:
5
Watch Now
Stream On
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
A comic actor of genius who raises silliness to an art form, the wonderfully expressive Atkinson makes excellent use of those devastating looks in the spy spoof Johnny English, where he turns up as a James Bond type more likely to kill adversaries by accident than on purpose. Read full review
80
The New York TimesDana Stevens
Unlike most movies of this kind, which run out of steam and ideas as they go along, Johnny English gains momentum, nudging you along from a few stray giggles to helpless, giddy laughter. Read full review
80
Wall Street JournalCollin Levey
The movie is, at times, funny enough to make you cry, and, when it's not, it moves nicely as a parody.
75
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
The hilarious Malkovich, coiffed in an artful pageboy and savoring a fruity French accent, would overpower the competition on sheer thespian madness. Read full review
70
Washington PostMichael O'Sullivan
Delivered with the kind of English aplomb that PBS audiences around the country have come to know and love. It must be the accent. Read full review
70
VarietyDerek Elley
An extremely silly but effective enough romp for family audiences. Read full review
70
Dallas ObserverBill Gallo
The movie is more a loose collection of skits than a coherent whole. But then, it's never coherence we're looking for when Atkinson's exhausting imagination is cut loose from its fetters. The weird bonus here is John Malkovich's over-the-top performance. Read full review
70
L.A. WeeklyHazel-Dawn Dumpert
A funny summer frolic. Read full review
67
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
Most Bond parodies tend to flatten because they fail to evoke the production design overkill and slick cinematic style of its target. Johnny English is no different. Director Peter Howitt delivers action like a journeyman, but Atkinson saves him time and again. Read full review
63
New York PostMegan Lehmann
It's a chaste "Austin Powers," a less ridiculous "Casino Royale," a more subtle "Spy Hard" — in other words, yet another James Bond parody. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
Once in a long while, it even comes tantalizingly close to that rarest of modern film commodities -- ribald wit. Read full review
63
USA TodayClaudia Puig
The jokes often are corny or labored, and the story is predictable. However, Atkinson raises the movie to the level of good fun by the force of his outrageous persona and skill at physical comedy. Read full review
60
Film ThreatRick Kisonak
Rowan Atkinson's spy spoof is wildly uneven and yet, at times, nothing less than wildly entertaining. Read full review
60
SalonStephanie Zacharek
Malkovich is usually such a numbingly self-serious actor. But he cuts loose here in a way that's outlandishly brilliant: It's his best performance in years. Read full review
60
The A.V. ClubNathan Rabin
Johnny English's international popularity may or may not translate here, but in a sequel-glutted summer, even a mildly amusing time-waster can't help but stand out. Read full review
50
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
There weren't enough good laughs for me to recommend it to anyone other than the most devoted Beanheads. Read full review
50
Boston GlobeTy Burr
Adding to the general air of ''What the hell?'' is Australian pop singer Natalie Imbruglia as Lorna, the beautiful superspy who falls for our hero. With Lorna's help, Johnny discovers that Sauvage is plotting to take over the British throne -- the Battle of Hastings wasn't good enough, it seems. Read full review
50
Rolling StonePeter Travers
Aussie singer Natalie Imbruglia gets to play the babe, nothing more, but she does that brightly. The rest of the movie is a dim bulb. Read full review
50
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Where's the real 007 when we really need him? Or better yet -- Calling Inspector Clouseau! Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneRobert K. Elder
An old-fashioned comedy. And in this case, "old-fashioned" means tired, out of date and so abominably blah that you'll fall asleep in your popcorn. Read full review
50
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
Johnny English never builds any momentum, and Atkinson simply isn't a good enough actor to mine continued laughs from repetitive material. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleEdward Guthmann
By playing the boob so brilliantly, Atkinson allows us the catharsis of recognizing our own incompetencies and lack of poise. Read full review
50
Miami HeraldConnie Ogle
Despite its contemporary-sounding anti-French cracks, could easily have been made 20 years ago. Read full review
50
Film ThreatClint Morris
All in all, Johnny English isn’t a bad effort. Rowan Atkinson is much more of a comedian than Mike Myers is, but unfortunately Myers had the spy spoof down pat. Read full review
50
PremiereAaron Hillis
Favorably, Atkinson’s family-friendly, rubber-limbed professionalism can revitalize even the most vapid of material, which this certainly is. Anyone who has seen an episode of Black Adder can tell you that he’s leaps and bounds funnier than this sitcom-grade bauble. Read full review
50
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
On its own modest terms, this romp delivers. Read full review
40
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
If you were to strip the "Austin Powers" films of their juvenile lewdness, psychedelic decor and swinging soundtrack while leaving intact the potty humor and pratfalls, the result would be something very like this pointless spy spoof. Read full review
38
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Plays like a tired exercise, a spy spoof with no burning desire to be that, or anything else. Read full review
38
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
For those looking for something positive, this is the only movie I can recall that features music from both ABBA ("Does Your Mother Know") and Handel ("Zadok the Priest"). Let's hear it for musical diversity! Read full review
30
Village VoiceJessica Winter
Smug with timely zingers like "The only thing the French should be allowed to host is an invasion," the movie's recommended strictly for Bush advisers. Read full review
25
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
The film manages the rare trick of improving as it unrolls from the utterly putrid to the barely tolerable. And, friends, I wish to say that sometimes that is as good as you can hope for in this racket. Read full review
0
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
This is strictly dull chuckles from dull wits, and while there are a few genuine laughs to be found amidst the dross, they’re as rare as Francophiles in Crawford, Texas. Read full review
More From This Movie

51 Critic Reviews

6.9 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 72 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL