--- title: "Johnny English Reborn: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/johnny-english-reborn/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/johnny-english-reborn" critics_score: 50 critics_reviews: 16 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." --- # Johnny English Reborn (2011): what the critics said Critics' score 50 from 16 reviews: 3 positive, 6 mixed, 7 negative. The reviews lean mixed to negative, and the one thing nearly every critic agrees on is Rowan Atkinson. His timing, his face and his physical comedy are praised even in notices that dislike the film around him, and several reviews name the same moments: a rooftop chase, a wheelchair chase, a gag built on a chair that will not sit at the right height. More than one critic says the simpler the gag, the better it lands. They part over whether Atkinson is enough. The negative reviews, which outnumber the positive, find the script lazy and the invention thin, and The Guardian argues the slapstick fails to use Atkinson’s talent properly. The spread is wide: Eye for Film finds the film smarter and more fun than expected, while Digital Spy finds it stale and deeply unfunny. Slant, alone, saves its warmth for Gillian Anderson. ## Los Angeles Times — Robert Abele Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 21 October 2011. Abele finds the film a routine but enjoyable vehicle for Rowan Atkinson’s comic talents. He singles out Atkinson’s precise physical comedy and subtle expressions as the source of its best laughs. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-oct-21-la-et-johnny-english-reborn-20111021-story.html) ## Variety — Russell Edwards Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 17 September 2011. Edwards finds the reprise enjoyable, though its laughs are uneven and the comedy often feels wheezy. He praises Atkinson’s physical performance and says the simpler visual gags work best. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2011/film/reviews/johnny-english-reborn-1117946137/) ## Screen Daily — Mark Adams, chief film critic Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 20 September 2011. The page identifies this as Mark Adams’s review, but its verdict is unavailable in the accessible text. No specific praise or complaint can be confirmed. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/-johnny-english-reborn/5032475.article) ## The New York Times — Stephen Holden Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 20 October 2011. The review text is inaccessible, so its verdict and specific praise or criticism cannot be verified. The available page does not provide enough information to summarize the critic’s assessment. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/21/movies/johnny-english-reborn-stars-rowan-atkinson-review.html) ## The AV Club — Nathan Rabin Rating C+. 20 October 2011. Rabin finds the sequel hopelessly mild, with only occasional laughs amid weak physical-comedy setpieces. He singles out a chase gag built around Johnny English’s unexpected common sense as the film’s sharpest moment. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/johnny-english-reborn-1798170120) ## Empire — Ian Freer Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 13 September 2010. Freer finds the film low on ambition but capable of delivering strong laughs. He praises Atkinson’s physical and verbal comedy, while noting the story’s thinness. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/johnny-english-reborn-review/) ## Radio Times — Terry Staunton Rating 3/5. The review finds the sequel lively and Atkinson great value as the incompetent spy. It praises his performance but says some stunts and set pieces suit Mr Bean’s slapstick better. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-fmzl01/johnny-english-reborn/) ## Time Out — Trevor Johnston Rating 2/5. 4 October 2011. The critic finds the sequel ho-hum and its central character less funny than in a credit-card commercial. The review’s description singles out the film’s weak central character as a complaint. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/johnny-english-reborn) ## Total Film — Neil Smith Rating 2/5. 11 October 2011. Smith finds the sequel unfunny, stale and painful to watch. He especially faults the lethargic script and its lack of invention. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/johnny-english-reborn-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Rob Humanick Rating 1.5/4. 20 October 2011. The critic finds the sequel contrived, inert, and barely funny. He singles out Gillian Anderson’s spirited performance as the cast’s most enjoyable contribution. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/johnny-english-reborn/) ## Evening Standard — The Standard Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 14 April 2013. The critic finds the sequel smoother-looking than its predecessor but still not funny enough, and says it limps when Atkinson is not at full stretch. The strongest moments come when Atkinson’s physical comedy recalls Mr Bean. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/johnny-english-reborn-review-7426992.html) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 6 October 2011. Bradshaw finds the sequel weaker than it should be, despite some good gags and a strong final sequence. He criticizes its undeveloped ideas and says the slapstick fails to make the most of Rowan Atkinson’s talent. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/oct/06/johnny-english-reborn-film-review) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Megan Lehmann Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 18 September 2011. The critic finds the sequel a lazy, redundant spy farce with too few laughs. She praises Atkinson’s physical comedy and singles out a rooftop chase as a standout set piece. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/johnny-english-reborn-film-review-236840/) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 3 October 2011. Kermode finds the film much more fun than expected: smart, endearing and distinctly British, despite some cheap laughs and ideas that do not quite work. She praises its well-paced blend of action and slapstick, especially the wheelchair chase. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/johnny-english-reborn-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) ## Den of Geek — Simon Brew Rating 2 out of 5. 3 October 2011. The review finds the film largely unfunny and a slog. It praises Rowan Atkinson’s comic skill, noting that his timing and performance give the weak material some life. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/johnny-english-reborn-review/) ## Digital Spy — Ben Rawson-Jones Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 3 October 2011. The critic strongly pans the film as a stale, deeply unfunny comedy that squanders its cast. They single out Atkinson’s chair-height mishap as the one standout gag, while criticizing the direction and pacing elsewhere. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a342839/johnny-english-reborn-review/) --- © 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/johnny-english-reborn.md