Johnny Reborn

There have been a lot of rather snippy reviews about Johnny English: Reborn in the press and other media - the Guardian, some free press  and the BBC come to mind - suggesting it was second-rate, packaged Rowan Atkinson, marketed at the French. 

Nevertheless we went along to watch it in the Peckham Multiplex. 

... And found ourselves in a room full of very happy English people (in all senses), laughing out loud.  Not just for kids, theere was a huge amount of genuine, cheerful, adult laughter. 

In fact I'd be tempted to say there was more relaxed, happy, out-loud laughter for a new film than I've heard in the last 10 years or so.

The structure and tone moves on from the first film, and there is less pure slapstick and pathos; it's more subtle and complex, while keeping lots of jokes in.  And they are very funny.

These critics really need to sort themselves out. 

Are we yet again seeing the endemic English habit of critically undervaluing the comic?