Pretty Good

Fantastic!

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

The bumbling Mr. Bean travels to America when he is given the responsibility of bringing a highly valuable painting to a Los Angeles museum. Bean brings Mr. Bean from the TV Screens to the Silver Screen and the end result is a hilarious but also dramatic at times adventure unlike anything we've seen before from Rowan Atkinson's famous hero and it's one for the ages and i believe fans both of the actor but also of the TV Series won't be disappointed. (A+)

Before watching it, I was not convinced that for his 1st movie, Bean the Briton by nature should go to America? Now that I watched it, I'm not more convinced but it can be at least explained if we consider it as a remake for American market. We have already a example with the french comedy « Just visiting » : the original movie is very funny but too much french so American producers shot it again in America with the same cast as to please American audience !!! Here it's a bit the same thing as in a way, the movie is really loose and it's more about tying several mini Bean moments together ! Thus the story is not really convincing and American cast is not really interesting ! However the movie manages to make me laugh very often and very much and in this time, it was really enjoyable to have fun like this ! So in a way, it's at the same level and with the same feelings as the aforementioned « just visiting » !

I have been a die-hard Mr. Bean fan my whole life, seeing every episode countless times. Bean is the first movie made about the character, which I have seen countless times and never gets old. While this one was awesome, Rowan Atkinson made a sequel to this in 2007 where he tried to make it more like the show. That was a disaster. This was a success.Bean received a lot of flack for not transitioning well to the big screen because of actual dialogue spoken throughout. I will agree that the show was better, but this movie isn't far behind it! While there is dialogue, Mr. Bean stays silent and mumbling. The movie is about him living with a family in LA so of course people will talk! But since Mr. Bean himself stays the same, there's really nothing to worry about. What made the show so timeless was there was virtually no talking by anybody. This is a movie, so of course there would be changes. Mostly to differentiate from the show.Bean shows what he does for a living, which is not explained in the show. He works at an art museum as a caretaker who mostly sleeps on the job. That's just like him to do. They show him sleeping, which mirrors the church episode he falls asleep in. Bean features some of the same gags taken from the show. The rest of the staff wants him gone, for he is the worst employee the gallery has ever had, but is defended by the chairman of the board. Instead, they send him to America to unveil and give lectures on Whistler's Mother, recently bought by an art museum in Los Angeles. His host, David Langley (MacNicol), thinks he is a scholar and allows him to move in with his family for the time being. During his time there, Mr. Bean destroys everything in his path, including everything important in David's life. Can Mr. Bean fix his mistakes?All of the recycled gags found here are almost as funny as when they were first seen in the show. In the show, they were unexpected which made them more funny. All of the new gags make for this to be just as funny as the show. Another funny thing in this is we see what Mr. Bean's first name is: Mister! In the sequel to this, it says his first name is Rowan. Either way, seeing his first name is awesome. Bean has a better look to it than the show. It takes place in LA, which is a beautiful and more glowing city. Plus there's the acting by Atkinson and the rest of the cast is great. Peter MacNicol is a very underrated and talented actor who shines as brightly as David. Mr. Bean's rampage takes a major toll on him in very funny ways. Their friendship and the chemistry between them is a joy to see, as it helps understand why hasn't gotten fired from his work in England. When Mr. Bean gives his speech during the unveiling, he add-libs the whole thing for about two minutes without stopping: the longest he has ever spoken. It is short, sweet, and touching. While he hasn't got a clue about the painting, he does his own interpretation which comes out as a wonderful monologue that sears the heart.

The TV series is a classic of a comedy series, so naturally this film had a lot to live up to. It comes close, but overall it isn't a patch on the TV series. Starting with the few I had, the plot is rather generic and somewhat predictable in areas too, and I think while making an effort to stick to the spirit of the series is rather thin for the running time. Also some of the melodrama is rather sappy for my tastes. On the other hand, the film does look great, so is the soundtrack, the physical comedy is laugh-out-loud-funny, Peter MacNicol is good in his conventional role and Rowan Atkinson is brilliant as Mr Bean. All in all, there is much to enjoy but it does fall short of the series. 7/10 Bethany Cox