Johnny English: Strikes Again

Story: Days before the British Prime Minister’s debut at the G12 summit, the country is hit by a major cyber attack. With all its agents’ identities exposed, their only hope is the former secret service spy Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson). Will his old-school ways and silly goofs save the day for Britain?



Review: “Bring back an old one,” thunders an exasperated British PM (Emma Thompson) as the impending doom of a rogue cyber hack dawns upon her. And soon the (mis)adventure begins. Director David Kerr wastes no time in letting loose the bumbling British spy Johnny English on a mission to save the country. He is now an English teacher, ditching regular school syllabus for discreetly teaching spy-like stunts to his students.



But even on a mission, he won’t ditch his analogue ways to beat a very digital enemy. Slick smartphones, immersive virtual reality (VR) and social media are not his weapons of choice. He would rather fight with tried and tested tools. This premise creates ample opportunities for a laugh riot, and Kerr exploits them well. Watch out for a total ‘laugh out loud’ sequence where the virtual world meets the real one, as Johnny goes on the rampage through central London, wearing VR glasses. This is just one of many such fun moments.



At 63, Atkinson looks unbelievably fresh and agile for his part; whether he is burning the dance floor or chasing a leggy Russian lass in a vintage Aston Martin. There is a distinct Mr Bean brand of fun that is slapstick and at times way too childish even for a spy spoof, but either way, it leaves you in splits.



Rest of the cast rallies around with varying degree of comic timing. While Ben Miller could have benefited with more punches, Emma Thompson is loud and over-the-top. French actress Olga Kurylenko as the Russian spy Ophelia brings in the glam quotient and Jake Lacy as the geek billionaire is believable, but none of them can be taken seriously. Their characters are way too cinematic and lack realism.



The sharp edge of its humour gets somewhat blunted due to a highly predictable narrative and a few dull moments along the way. The constant tussle between making this an all-out spy spoof yet serious enough to actually save the world creates an unwanted conflict. While many laughs underline the franchise’s trademark shenanigans, it does leave you wanting more.