--- title: "Bean: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/bean/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/bean" critics_score: 59 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Bean (1997): what the critics said Critics' score 59 from 9 reviews: 3 positive, 3 mixed, 3 negative. The reviews split almost exactly three ways, and the consensus is lukewarm. Where critics are kind, it is for Rowan Atkinson: his elastic, largely silent clowning is praised throughout, and the gallery scene with America’s most famous painting draws the biggest laughs, even from reviewers who like little else. Several find the film good-natured and cohesive, and a couple argue it is witty enough for adults as well as children. The reservations cluster around length. Most critics agree a sketch character struggles to carry a feature, and the harsher reviews find long flat stretches between the set-pieces. Variety faults the extended hospital sequence as more nerve-racking than funny, and The AV Club notes a shortage of the slapstick that made Bean’s name, along with bland supporting characters. The spread is wide, from warm to dismissive, and the dividing line is familiarity: those already fond of Bean enjoy it, and newcomers are tested. ## Radio Times — Jason Caro Rating 4/5. Caro calls the film a very enjoyable, cohesive outing that suits Atkinson’s physical-comedy style. He singles out Bean’s encounter with America’s greatest painting as an absolute riot. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-190afx/bean/) ## Empire — Caroline Westbrook Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic finds the film a consistently entertaining, frequently laugh-out-loud diversion. They praise Atkinson’s performance and the hilarious set-pieces, while noting that some visual gags fall flat. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/bean-review/) ## The New Yorker — Daphne Merkin Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 16 November 1997. Merkin finds Bean witty and subversive, entertaining for adults as well as children. She singles out Rowan Atkinson’s elastic physical comedy and the film’s send-up of adult prestige and pretension. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1997/11/24/1997-11-24-137-tny-cards-000152705) ## Los Angeles Times — JACK MATHEWS Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 7 November 1997. Mathews finds the film funny for viewers already fond of Mr. Bean, though its premise may test newcomers’ willingness to suspend disbelief. He praises Atkinson’s visual comedy and the film’s mostly silent sketches. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-nov-07-ca-51020-story.html) ## Time Out — DA Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The available page identifies this as a review but does not reveal the critic’s verdict. Its description notes that the film revamps familiar Mr Bean material, including the coffee joke and tongue-shaving sequence. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/bean) ## Variety — David Stratton Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 13 July 1997. Stratton finds the big-screen transition mostly satisfactory, though Bean’s eccentricity may not appeal to everyone. He praises Peter MacNicol’s performance but faults the extended hospital sequence for being more nerve-racking than funny. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1997/film/reviews/bean-1117329657/) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 7 November 1997. The review finds the film’s comedy limited rather than consistently successful. Its headline suggests the critic singles out Mr. Bean’s antics as inescapable, but the article text was unavailable to verify further details. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/07/movies/film-review-not-even-whistler-s-mother-can-escape-from-mr-bean.html) ## Total Film — Total Film Rating 2/5. 8 August 1997. The critic strongly dislikes the film, finding its one-note premise stretched far beyond its natural length. They single out Bean’s Whistler’s-mother speech as a genuinely funny moment amid long stretches of flat humor. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/bean-review/) ## The AV Club — Maria Schneider Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 4 April 2002. The critic finds the film mostly unsatisfying and unlikely to win converts beyond hardcore fans. She singles out the shortage of Atkinson’s physical slapstick and the bland supporting characters. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/bean-1798196317) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/bean.md