CRITIC'S CORNER
Mr. Bean becomes kid friendly
By DNA Smith

Rowan Atkinson (above) stars as the quirky Mr. Bean in his second feature film. "Mr. Bean's Holiday" features the lovable Britton taking his hijinks to France.

"Mr. Bean's Holiday"
Running time: 90 minutes
MPAA rating: G

I am a huge fan of Rowan Atkinson's television work. His "Blackadder" series ranks as one of the most original and funny television shows of all time.

"Mr. Bean" is also one of my all-time favorite shows. In "Bean," Atkinson has created a truly international comedy icon: a mostly-silent, petulant 6-yearold kid trapped in the body of an adult.

Many critics have compared Bean to Jacques Tati's Monsieur Hulot, but I disagree. Sure, both characters rarely speak and the comedy is visual and often slapstick, but the similarities end there. Tati never went to the physical extremes for a gag as Atkinson has through the years. Bean is more Buster Keaton than Tati, in my opinion, and that in and of itself speaks volumes.

Bean's latest adventure (and second feature film) is a departure from the television persona we're accustomed to. In "Mr. Bean's Holiday," Atkinson has made Bean a little softer, a little less naughty, and a lot more Kid Friendly.

In the film, Bean has won an all-expense-paid holiday to Cannes, France in a church raffle. In addition, he's given a video camera, which he uses with reckless abandon.

Of course, being a Mr. Bean adventure, getting to Cannes isn't as easy as it seems. Through a series of mishaps, Bean causes a man to miss his train to Cannes, leaving his son onboard alone. Bean decides to help the boy reunite with his father. Unfortunately, Bean is mistakenly accused of kidnapping the boy.

Bean and the boy endure their fair share of mishaps on the road to Cannes, but they become good friends and are eventually aided by a beautiful French actress named Sabine (Emma De Caunes), who drives a Mini Cooper that is the spitting image of Bean's.

They make it to Cannes just in time for the film festival. A hilarious sequence involving a pretentious art film and Bean's apprehension by the police ensues. I won't spoil it for you.

"Mr. Bean's Holiday" is a fun little film for young people; and it has a few jokes for the older crowd. I'm not sure if I like Mr. Bean as a children's film character, but the changes Atkinson has made to the bumbling Mr. Bean don't detract so much from the original incarnation for it to be a distraction.

That said, I think "Mr. Bean's Holiday" is a decent enough matinee, or if you want to wait - - a rental.

GRADE: C+

(c) 2007 King Features Synd., Inc.