Bean - The Ultimate Disaster Movie (DVD)

Advantages: Funny in places
Disadvantages: Not the same Mr Bean as the TV series!

...comedy. So when a Mr. Bean movie was released, I was quite eager for more. Unfortunately Bean doesn't seem to work on film, due to the introduction of a plot; in complete contrast with the TV show where Mr Bean would just turn up at random places, armed with whatever he finds in his extensive pockets. Bean also properly talks with people in the movie, which rather ruins the effect of the 'silent comedian'. While the film is still written by Richard ...
...role somewhat. He overemphasizes the Bean character too much, using obvious and, quite frankly, lamebrained expressions and movements. Watching a man giggle isn't funny! What's even more frustrating about the Bean movie is the fact some gags are repeated from the TV series, such as on an aeroplane where he explodes a half-full airsick bag. Aside from this sense of deja-vu, there are still a few laughs to be had throughout the film, with good physical ... Read review

Advantages: See text.
Disadvantages: See text.

...Rowan Atkinson (of Blackadder fame). Bean has this inept ability to create chaos wherever he goes without even realising what he is doing, but he also has an almost eccentrically intellectual mind that helps him to get through most things. This film starts out in the National Art Gallery in London, where Bean is employed in a caretaker-type role who is paid to sit in the corner and 'look at the paintings' as he puts it during the course of the film. ...
...agrees to send over Mr Bean - at least it gets him off their back for a while, and they even given him a month or two over there as a form of a sabbatical. The reason for his going, is to be there for the unveiling of the portrait of Whistlers' Mother in front of the local elite and the media - although the art gallery who are receiving him have absolutely no idea as to what they have let themselves in for. And for some reason, hhe is known as Doctor ... Read review

Advantages: funny, suitable for all the family
Disadvantages: childish humour won't be everyone's taste

...~The story~ Mr Bean (Rowan Atkinson) is working for the Royal National Gallery of London, where he is their worst employee, detested by the rest of the staff for his general hopelessness and tendency to fall asleep on the job. They are desperate to get rid of him, but the head of the gallery wants him to stay. When an opportunity arises for an art scholar to go to Los Angeles for the unveiling of a portrait, 'Whistler's mother', which is to be returned ...
...unanimously vote for Mr Bean to go, just so they can be rid of him for a while. Mr Bean arrives in America to be greeted by David Langley (Peter MacNicol) who works at the LA art gallery, and who has talked his wife into letting Mr Bean stay at their home for the duration of his trip to the US. Mr Bean being Mr Bean soon leaves a trail of devastation in his wake, destroying everything he comes into contact with - including David's family. How long ... Read review

Advantages: Imaginative, never know what's coming next, funny
Disadvantages: Doesn't suit everyone's sense of humour

...way out of it. Mr Bean works in an art gallery, and the board at the art gallery have to send someone over to America for the displaying of a famous painting - Whistler's mother. They just want to get rid of him really, as he's useless, knows nothing about art and falls asleep in the gallery all the time. So with Mr Bean let lose on America, this is where it become 'the ultimate disaster movie'. I would say there are three important characters in ...
...this too - no doubt. Bean just gets himself in a mess quite often, is very stupid, but does manage to save himself a fair few times. He provides the majority of the comedy in the movie and is constantly pulling a funny face or doing something unusual. The second character is David - Peter MacNicol. He is the head of the family who Mr Bean goes to stay with. He is just a fairly normal guy, who reacts as most people would to Mr Bean. He is amazing ... Read review

Advantages: More of what you'd expect from the short series.
Disadvantages: Lacking in additional DVD features.

...Rowan Atkinson's character creation Mr Bean and the British comedy series of the same name, then you'll know exactly what to expect from "Bean - The Ultimate Disaster Movie"… his full-length film debut. It took three years for Mr Bean's big screen foray to be made and was written by Rowan Atkinson, Richard Curtis and Robin Driscoll. Directed by Mel Smith, Mr Bean gets up to his usual disastrous antics as this geeky absurd character ventures to Hollywood. ...
...members propose to sack Mr Bean until the chairman sings his praise. It seems only right then that he is selected for a three month assignment at the Grierson Art Gallery in Los Angeles where the famous 'Whistler's Mother' painting is to be re-housed. Keeping his job but out of the country. And so it is… excentric Mr Bean is sent to LA (humerous aeroplane scene included!) as a British Scholar representative to unveil the American painting being ... Read review

Advantages: Fairly amusing
Disadvantages: A little cliche'd at times

...Ok, I'm not a fan of Mr Bean. I find his antics less than rivetting and the laughter track that seems to get overlayed onto his TV appearances annoys the hell out of me. So why did I watch this? What could I hope to see? Could I watch it subjectively and approach it from an unbiased starting point? With the portrait of Whistler's Mother about to be rehoused in a Los Angeles museum, it seems that the British Museum can finally get rid of troublesome 'guard' Mr Bean. Ok so they want an expert on art but will they notice the difference? Charged with presenting the portrait to the world DR Bean must present the very face of British dignity amidst the glitz and glamour that only America could create. Is he eccentric or just downright insane? The Langley family (who he's staying with) start to have their doubts... Ok, the story is about... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: funny, witty, feel-good film, Rowan Atkinson
Disadvantages: none that I can think of

...were disappointed by the Bean movie, believing it to be inferior to the television series and suggesting extending the character into one interesting enough for a 100-minute movie did not work. Still, I’ve never been one to pay much attention to the critics. I loved it. I first watched it on video last year, when my Dad came to stay. We have a very similar sense of humour and both thought we’d like to watch Bean – The Movie, and we did. When it was on ITV recently, I was pleased to be able to watch it again and enjoyed it just as much. The basic story is that Bean is working as a caretaker at an art gallery in London, although making a hopeless mess of it, as you’d expect. When someone is required to travel to the USA to escort the famous (and hugely expensive) painting called Whistler’s Mother, Bean is... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Good actors, funny, great story
Disadvantages: Don't laugh too much!

...I am not a great fan of Rowan Atkinson and I have never been mad keen on the Mr Bean TV series so I watched this film because my daughter had been looking forawd to it. I really enjoyed it and was pleasantly surprised. The story was really good and the antics of Mr Bean raised loads of laughs in our house. It is certainly not one of the worst films ever made. It is a good enjoyable family film. In a nutshell, Mr Bean gets chosen to accompany the painting "Whistler's Mother" over to a gallery in the United States. After being mistaken for an art expert he inadvertently defaces the painting and most of the rest of the film is about how he rremedies the situation. There are some hillarious moments in this film. It is NOTHING like the TV program, so go on, take a look. You'll be pleasantly surprised. There are some famous faces... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful