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Review Ratings
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A Review By:
Gavin Midgley
Date:
12/5/2007 10:53:25 AM
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Film:
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Video:
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Audio:
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Extras:
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Overall:
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Film
Mr Bean is a character that tends to sharply divide audiences. You either love him or you can’t stand him. At least, that’s what I usually hear. I’m actually somewhere in the middle. I loved the early one-off shows; they were well written and performed, and didn’t outstay their welcome. A pleasing tribute to the silent comedies of old, but with a modern British twist. They also didn’t lapse into nauseating stretches of sentimentality. However, as is the way of things, there were too many trips to the proverbial well, and the later shows became quite tired, eventually running out of ideas altogether. Unfortunately, this was when it was decided that Bean should make the jump to the big screen.
Seeing it for the first time in many years (since I saw it at the cinema actually), I wondered how it had stood the test of time. Sadly, time hasn’t made much difference. What worked in the movie still works now, and what doesn’t work is still pretty awful.
So what does work? In short: Rowan Atkinson. Even when the material is thin and the jokes unfunny, Atkinson continues to prove that he is one of our greatest comic actors. His physical performances are always worth watching, even in films that are inferior to his talents. Sections of the movie promise a much funnier comedy, largely thanks to his tireless work.
What doesn’t work? Firstly, the ghastly relocation of Bean to America. It’s a tired, tired plot idea that, aside from getting the film a bigger release in the States, serves no real purpose. Bean’s decimation of his host’s home and career is of course inevitable, but still painful to watch. Even when Bean tries to put things right, you don’t really care. It wouldn’t matter so much if the gags were good enough to hide the flimsy story, but sadly much of the material is either pretty tame or simply lifted wholesale from the TV episodes (the “turkey stuck on the head” scene especially). The early London-set scenes and Bean’s arrival in America are fine, but the film then starts going downhill and never really recovers.
It’s a shame, as you feel there is potential to make a really good Bean movie. Sadly, this isn’t it (and neither was the 2007 sequel, Mr. Bean’s Holiday).
Picture and Sound
This dvd release, timed to coincide with the cinematic release of the sequel, features a very good transfer. The 1.85:1 anamorphic picture is clear and bright. Grain occasionally pops up but it’s not very noticeable. The Dolby 5.1 audio is also good, with dialogue nice and clear. There’s little opportunity for it to make use of the surround system however.
Extras
The main extra is a 20-minute featurette called Bean: Scenes Unseen, where Atkinson and director Mel Smith talk through the apparently vast amount of footage which was shot but then cut from the final version. A much longer sequence in London was filmed, but removed as they felt it was holding up the actual story. Unfortunately all we get given are snippets of these scenes, leaving it unclear if comedy gold was left on the cutting room floor (fairly doubtful).
The only other extra feature is a 3 minute preview of the sequel, Mr. Bean’s Holiday, featuring a few behind-the-scenes shots and Atkinson talking up the new film.
Overall
Bean has not improved since its release ten years ago – if you love Mr. Bean, you’ll enjoy the film. If not, then stay well clear: this is definitely inferior to the TV show that spawned it. The dvd is fine but, with so few extra features, has little else to recommend it.
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