After a cyber-attack reveals the identity of all of the active undercover agents in Britain, Johnny English is forced to come out of retirement to find the mastermind hacker.
Following up from the global successes of “Johnny English” and “Johnny English Reborn,” comes “Johnny English Strikes Again,” starring Rowan Atkinson in the title role. Although there really isn’t much new here, the film is a pleasant enough experience. Exotic locales combined with serviceable performances by the supporting players make for an enjoyable 88-minute ride into comic espionage.
Our story begins at MI7 headquarters, where images and dossiers of current British secret agents appear onscreen en masse – broadcast in effect to the world. Hence, none of the active MI7 agents can be assigned to investigate the breach because they have all been outed. The Prime Minister, played well by Emma Thompson, must find a former agent now in retirement to fill the void.
Cut to former MI7 agent Johnny English, now teaching at a prep school. His student-related extracurricular activities comprise scouting fresh talent to recruit for Her Majesty’s Secret Service. From this setting and much to his delight, Johnny is called out of retirement.
One of the film’s all-too-brief satisfactions occurs near the beginning, when other retired MI7 agents gather in an anteroom, each hoping for reactivation to the service. The stellar collection includes Michael Gambon, Charles Dance, and Edward Fox – a who’s who of British character actors, all with countless credits to their name. Much as in other “Johnny English” vehicles, Atkinson inadvertently vanquishes his colleagues before the vetting process even starts. As a result – essentially by default – English is assigned to the case.
In the course of the narrative, further network breaches occur, such as London stoplights nefariously getting stuck on red, thus paralyzing traffic throughout the city. The abysmal state of government affairs suggest that Great Britain – or at least the Prime Minister – would ostensibly benefit from retaining an internet cybersecurity expert.
Enter Jake Lacy as the decidedly smarmy Jason, a Silicon Valley billionaire whose high tech company analyzes mountains of data and rapidly conjures up optimal solutions. There is seemingly no problem his algorithms can’t tackle. Jason’s smug pretention makes it all too easy for the audience to despise the character. Later we learn that he is also the criminal mastermind behind the skullduggery so his disagreeable demeanor fits the role nicely.
Olga Kurylenko as Ophelia, a Russian agent, is an enticing ingénue, sporting an assortment of charming outfits. She and the solid cast of supporting players do a fine job as straight “men” to Atkinson’s incessant buffoonery.
As with other Atkinson vehicles, including the marvelous “Mr. Bean,” the title character’s ineptness often becomes his secret weapon. For example, when selecting a vehicle for the mission, the choices consist primarily of new hybrid models. Yet, English spies a mothballed candy apple red Aston Martin in the garage, which leaks oil and requires constant repair. When the Prime Minister’s aide objects, English’s sidekick Bough, played by Ben Miller, remarks that the Aston Martin has no computer chips or electronics, thus rendering it invisible to modern surveillance technologies.
Indeed, several references to the old school garner a chuckle in “Johnny English Strikes Again.” From Atkinson’s disdain of cell phones to his use of an inane alias – utterly absent from state-of-the-art databases – the film remains moderately, even consistently amusing. It would have been nice, however, if the filmmakers had employed a hotter iron from which to strike (again).
Now available on Digital HD and on Blu-ray & DVD January 22nd
