«Johnny English Strikes Back»: fun without tension

A good spy movie has its classics: chases, gun battles, explosions, gadgets and tension. But can we talk about these codes when it comes to Johnny... Johnny English strikes back? Certainly, up to a certain point. That point where parody takes over. That point where everything goes to hell.

That's what it's all about! The return of Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson) to MI7, now a professor of geography or rather geocamouflage, is imminent after a massive cyberattack on London and then on the whole of England. All other agents were identified or even killed after the hack. We say geocamouflage because the former secret agent teaches his pupils secret service techniques rather than the topography of England. But that's just a detail!

He returns to the service of Her Majesty. He is, however, slightly overwhelmed by all the new technologies. Geolocation: unknown to him. Augmented reality: unknown to radars. The smartphonesAvoid at all costs. Tablets: not his thing. Hybrid vehicles: useless. It's precisely at the moment of choosing the car that the farce begins. Because, yes, it's much more of a farce than anything to do with the British secret service. Not surprising for a franchise like Johnny English.

A half-film film

That's where it hurts! The impression of déjà-vu, of having seen the same film over and over again. Just like the trailers before the start of the screening: the Grinch in 3D or yet another episode of a spin-off series from Harry Potter. At the same time, Christmas is coming. Hollywood also wants to give presents. So no one is surprised by Johnny English's failed infiltration of the so-called hacker's yacht. Everything goes wrong, as planned.

We know this even before we climb onto the ship's deck in magnetic boots. There are no surprises or surprises throughout the film. We'd have liked to see a little more substance to the whole story, for example, by developing the tension inherent in any good spy movie. Even if this is not the priority of a comedy. Make sure the viewer doesn't always expect what's coming next. Make them lose track. Wouldn't funny scenes be even more hilarious?

Lots and lots of laughs, in fact; it's a success in that respect. Even if we regret the format chosen by director David Kerr. It's a succession of mini-sketches. However, Rowan Atkinson has lost none of his talent as an entertainer and makes the film even better. In particular, he gives us two cult scenes. Yes, they still exist! The first is an unexpected, never-ending dance that leads to a major breakthrough in the investigation. To reveal more would be a lèse-majesté - never so well placed, I think. The second is an unexpected and violently comic journey through London with augmented reality goggles on. Once again, the investigation moves forward.

Nothing new in Johnny English strikes back. Same old, same old. In the end, all that remains is the realization that Rowan Atkinson has lost none of his superb comic talent. He's brilliant! Simply brilliant. So brilliant, in fact, that he single-handedly makes the film. We would have liked to see him appear in a different register at times. It's a success for the actor, but a shame for the director. Why didn't David Kerr try to bring more emotion, suspense or something new out of the franchise?

Write to the author: alexandre.waelti@leregardlibre.com

Photo credit: © Universal Pictures

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