Lost Translations
Bean Not as Funny on the Big Screen

I've been a fan of Rowan Atkinson since the first time I watched "The Black Adder" on television. As a comedian, he has timing and wit which has made him an international success. As an actor he has the ability to lose himself in his roles, whether as a medieval rogue or as the voice of the Lion King's major domo, Zazu. In all his incarnations, though, Atkinson has maintained an international flair in his comedy. One need not be British to understand his particular style of comedy (although being mentally off-center may help).

In Bean, Atkinson brings his loveable character, the reticent Mr. Bean, to America. Mr. Bean is sent to the U.S.A. under the pretext of being an expert in American art, particularly the painting "Whistler's Mother." In fact, the board at the gallery where Bean works just wanted to get rid of him. So our hero wings his way across the ocean to begin an adventure that will wreak havoc on America.

Along the way, Bean has a series of encounters which can best be described as comedic vignettes, loosely woven together by something resembling a story. Because of his recommendation from England, Americans refer to him as Dr. Bean, ascribing a great deal of intelligence to his simple -- if eccentric -- behavior. For example, when he says his job is to sit in the gallery and look at the paintings his American liaison David Langley (Peter MacNicol) sees a deep philosophical meaning in the rudimentary way Bean has described what he believes to be a very important job in the art world.

Bean works best when he is given a chance to explore the world with childlike whimsey. Too often in this movie, though, he had to think and act like a cunning adult, something which lost some of the magic for me. When Bean visits a hospital and is mistaken for a surgeon because of his name tag which reads "Dr. Bean," Atkinson finally gets a change to play the classic Bean. He isn't afraid to go digging into a man's guts to retrieve an M&M which he dropped, a scene so funny I couldn't stop laughing.

The film has been a hit overseas and lauded by the critics. As a long-time fan of Atkinson, though, I found the story beneath his usual standards. There were laughs, but they were few and far between. Oddly, I found the storyline getting in the way of what could have been some funny scenes. Rather than having Bean thrust into a story where he was forced to interact with others, I would have enjoyed seeing Bean visit America on his own, with nothing to do and nowhere to go. Such a plot would have allowed for the sketch comedy which has made Mr. Bean an international success.

All in all, Bean is a fun movie, better suited to video rental than the big screen. The sophomoric humor is often gross but never offensive. This is a movie for the family, although young teens may become bored when Bean isn't doing one of his patented sight gags. Also, look for the cameo by Burt Reynolds (this guy is in everything lately) as the American general who buys "Whistler's Mother" from the "Frenchies" so it can come home to the USA.

MY RATING: 3 out of 10.

RATED: PG-13
RUN TIME: 90 min.