Bean: The Movie

Cast: Rowan Atkinson, Peter MacNicol, John Mills, Pamela Reed and Burt Reynolds.

Director: Mel Smith

Release Date: 1997

Genre: Comedy

Running Time: 1hr 29 minutes

Rating: PG-13

Synopsis:

Mr Bean (Rowan Atkinson) works as a caretaker at the famous Royal National Gallery in London, his bosses want to fire him, but can't because the chairman of the gallery is extremely fond of him. They send him to Los Angeles, USA instead, to a small art gallery where he'll have to officiate the opening of the one of the greatest paintings ever! Whistlers Mother!

So for some of you that might not be aware of what "Mr Bean" is, it was a very famous TV show back in the 80's and 90's that starred Rowan Atkinson, very basic slapstick comedy, without the use of any speech! It caught on pretty quick and before we know it, they were making this movie, back in 1997! All I can say is if you are a massive comedy fan, you are really gonna love this beauty of a movie, because it's absolutely hilarious! Rowan Atkinson has proved to be absolutely brilliant in the likes of "Johnny English" but believe me, he is absolutely fabulous in this film and shows great comedic talent.

Mel Smith directed this movie, although he doesn't have a lot of films to his credit, he did a really great job of this film. Its a very simple movie, seriously don't go expecting oscar winning performances, however that doesn't mean the acting is bad, because it's far from it, we have some famous faces like Pamela Reed (Kindergarten Cop) and Burt Reynolds (Cop and a half), starring in this film, not to mention of course Rowan Atkinson, who has really proved himself since his Mr Bean days, he was very famous in a British TV show "Black Adder" but "Mr  Bean" really did send him in the right direction for fame.

One of the things that I love about this movie is honestly how stupid it is, please don't be put off by that statement, it's honestly what makes it so hilarious. There are moments of this film that will honestly have you laughing out loud, perhaps put your cuppa tea down somewhere safe first. Safety comes first after all :P Some scenes in this film might even be relatable, I know I've experienced some of these things, no word of a lie. A turkey in a microwave? Need I say more? That's a funny scene...I didn't um put a turkey in a microwave.

The costume design is pretty basic, however note how Mr Bean always wears the same thing, I love the characterization that comes with that. If you've never seen it before and you were wondering why he always wears the same thing, it's part of the character that he does that. Its set in modern times, so as you can imagine fashion is pretty standard for the mid 90's, to be honest not a lot different from now really, it's amazing what comes back around.

The cinematography is really great, it's a well shot movie, it makes sense from beginning to end, one might argue it's a little bit predictable, but like I said, don't get expecting an oscar winning performance, it is what is you know? The soundtrack is brilliant, with some amazing songs from The Beach Boys and Katrina and the Waves, not to mention a gorgeous score from Howard Goodhall. Boyzone also make a nice appearance on the soundtrack at the end.

I really loved this film and I'd recommend it to anyone that really loves comedy films, especially if they are a huge fan of Rowan Atkinson. The best thing you can do with this movie is to go in with an open mind and not expect a lot from it, it's just some fun. I think you'll find you'll enjoy it a lot more, if you don't go in expecting a masterpiece.

I'd highly recommend this film especially to family's!

5/5 stars