No one likes Rowan Atkinson but me

Mr. Bean. Black Adder. Um . . . Mr. Bean again. Is there anything Rowan Atkinson hasn't done? What a wealth of talent.

Rowan Atkinson is a comic genius, shown by all, um, two of his successful roles in the entertainment world. But don't let the small number of mainstream successes lead you astray. His mime-like performance as Mr. Bean was hilarious, and the sarcastic, uppity style he used on Black Adder was proof that he can also be funny while speaking. Such range has not been seen since the world watched Carrot Top do standup comedy and the movie "Chairman of the Board".

Ok, in all seriousness, I realize I'm probably one of the few people who actually likes Rowan Atkinson. Most people think of him as "that Mr. Bean guy", and regard anything he does as an extension of that role. But unlike most people, I don't roll my eyes when I see him in a movie, because while his humor style does involve little bits of his Mr. Bean character, I've seen enough of his other work to know that he can be funny in a variety of ways.

So when the Rowan Atkinson movie "Johnny English" hit the theaters, I cheered while the rest of the country groaned. Yes, it's one of those "so dumb it's funny" movies, but not to the extreme of the "Naked Gun" films. It has a lot of obvious jokes, but there are just as many genuine laughs. Like the scene where the female secret agent (played surprisingly well by Natalie Imbruglia) says, "I'll bet you've made love to many women", and Atkinson's smug smile turns to a look of horrible fear and insecurity. That look alone is worth the price of admission.

Or perhaps the line where Atkinson says, "Oh, get off it, will you? It's just a bit of poo." As one might expect, such "poo jokes" are given high marks in Paul's World of Comedy. Or, hey, how about the scene with the muscle relaxant, where they're convulsing around on the floor, babbling like mentally retarded* children? It's classic.

*also known as short bus riders, window lickers, jerry's kids, and mouth breathers.

In all honesty, it's a pretty fun movie that, sadly, will probably be gone in a few weeks. It didn't even open in a major theater here in La Crosse. It opened at one of those tiny second-run theaters, where the cheapskates and trailer trash bring their children to see movies that opened six months ago. You know, those theaters where the audio sounds like it's coming from a boombox set up behind the screen?

They still charged full-price, though. Bastards.

"Johnny English" has enjoyed little fanfare, and the lack of exposure hasn't been lost on me. I couldn't even remember the name of the movie when I walked into the theater. I knew it was something involving the word English, but I couldn't quite get it right. So when I got to the ticket booth, I called it "that Rowan Atkinson movie." The girl at the counter stared at me blankly. Apparently, she didn't know who Rowan Atkinson was. So I sighed and mumbled, "the movie with the Mr. Bean guy." "Oh yeah! Is that his name?" she said. "Yes, it is," I said. "And he was also in this other really funny show called . . ." "Okay, I can help the next person here," she said.

Oh well. At least I'm doing a little to help Mr. Bean break away from that old role of his. Or, I mean Rowan Atkinson. I meant to say Rowan Atkinson. Damnit! Even I'm doing it. Just go see the damn movie, all right?

Perverted Poll. New poll today. Go vote.

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Reader Comments

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Termin8or Boi (Joel)      Dec 31, 1969 • 4:00pm   Rowan Atkinson is soooo cool. Rowan Atkinson live is funny as! Johnny English, Rat Race, Bean: Ultimate disaster movie, they are all funny! He is the king of comedy. I luv blackadder and mr bean! Blackadder\'s christmas carol is real funny. Rowan if you are reading this by some small chance, u r really cool and another thing......................................................................................................................GO TERMINATOR! TERMINATOR IS THE BEST ACTION MOVIE OF ALL TIME! YEAH! mae      Dec 31, 1969 • 4:00pm   He`s my FAVE too! nibs      Dec 31, 1969 • 4:00pm   he is really cool Shaun      Dec 31, 1969 • 4:00pm   Rowan Atkinsons better known parts on \'Black Adder\' and \'MR.Bean\' were all well and good. \'Black Adder got old fast though,and \'Mr Bean\' was,lets admit it,a little bit over-rated.What Atkinson deserves credit for is his on stage performance.Watch \'Rowan Atkinson Live\'...now THATS comedy genius. Mike      Dec 31, 1969 • 4:00pm   Are we forgetting about his live comedy special, which used to be aired on Comedy Central from time to time, back before they started making their own programing??? Zamboni      Dec 31, 1969 • 4:00pm   *wild applause for Liz* The Flash      Dec 31, 1969 • 4:00pm   I thought he was funny in Rat Race...who else could\'ve played a foreigner with narcolepsy so well? Jojo      Dec 31, 1969 • 4:00pm   I give you a 10 just for using \"mouth breather\" Cholly      Dec 31, 1969 • 4:00pm   I loved Black Adder, and his stand up routine is a hoot, but I dislike the Bean character. Liz      Dec 31, 1969 • 4:00pm   How typically \"Paul\" of you to think you are the only person on the planet capable of appreciating the humor of R.A.. You didn\'t even mention his hilarious portrayal of the nervous reverend in the film \"Four Weddings and a Funeral\" He was brilliant in that one.SHEESH!

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