Mr. Bean's Holiday (DVD, 2007, Widescreen)

Oh Mr. Bean, what are we going to do with you? For years Rowan Atkinson's Mr. Bean character has been a worldwide sensation. You'll always hear that laughter may be the universal cure for sickness, but to find something that everyone would find funny...now THAT is the challenge! Somehow, being a man of few words, Mr. Bean has been the universal character that people all over the world love. It's not hard to see why. I always found it impressive that a character who speaks so few words (if, indeed, he speaks at all) manages to make me laugh so hard I want to bust a gut. Comparisons to Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton are not uncalled for. In fact, they are actually a very accurate way of describing Mr. Bean, and his new movie "Mr. Bean's Vacation." I must admit, humor is not the easiest thing to write about. Likewise, "Mr. Bean's Vacation" is not a movie I can easily describe because there isn't much to describe.

There is no story in this movie. There are some connecting events, but outside the fact that Bean wins a trip to Paris and is attempting to get a lost boy to the Cannes Film Festival, there really isn't much in terms of story. Heck, there isn't even much in terms of dialog. Unlike the previous Bean film, "Bean: The Movie," Mr. Bean has returned to being his clumsy, mumbling self. No speeches, no conversing in American slang, just Bean messing up in every sticky situation he gets himself in. There are moments when the film stalls, but there are much more laughs to be found then groans. In fact, I'd venture to say there were at least three scenes that had me laughing so hard, my stomach actually began to hurt. You know the feeling right? You start laughing. Then you continue laughing. Then you can't stop laughing.

Then you grab your stomach in pain, trying to catch your breath, but you just can't stop laughing. Yeah, "Mr. Bean's Vacation" can be like that sometimes. In a rare leap of faith, most the dialog that DOES make it's way through the movie is in French, with subtitles! This makes sense since Bean is traveling with a French boy he can't communicate with, which is the source of many of the misunderstandings in this movie that results in gags. But it's also daring because the characters must come to understand each other through their body language instead of their speech, which makes the language in this movie universal. Indeed, the few times the subtitles do show up it won't matter, because even if the kids can't read the subtitles they can read the body language, and thus they still get the joke.

Yes, it has flaws. There are moments where the film just drags, and the skits aren't sown together as flawlessly as they could be, but these points are moot. The bottom line is "Mr. Bean's Vacation" is pure comedy. Not all of it works, but most of it does. It's something the whole family can see and not be offended by. In fact, it may even be smarter then most of the big star "comedies" that we've seen released this year. It's not perfect, but if you're looking for a comedy, and especially one that you can bring your kids to, "Mr. Bean's Vacation" is a winner.

THIS MOVIE IS A RENTAL
OVERALL
6.5/10

Never stopped laughing! Best Bean ever. A must see for everyone. Watch it with your whole family. Mr. Bean wins a vacation to Cannes France and off the story goes. At beginning of his train travels Mr. Bean inadvertently becomes the ward of a boy who has lost his father. Of course Mr. Bean must find the boy's father at all costs. William Defoe plays a movie director Mr. Bean meets along the way and the on screen chemistry is amazing. I highly recommend this comedy to anyone looking for a good laugh.

You have to watch this show from start to finish, watch the story unfold. Mr. Bean , as usual, is corny, wacky, and sometimes just plain wierd. Somehow he always comes out proving that he's got his heart in the right place. In this show, he wins a raffle for a trip to France, and sets out traveling. Because of his bumbling, a father and son get separated, and Mr. Bean feels responsible for the boy. I think this Mr. Bean show has good plot, and a pretty funny story. I recommend it.

Mr. Bean's Holiday is a movie for the entire family. It is random silliness for all. It is full of jokes for all ages. Trust me when I say that there are jokes and gags for all ages. My kids laughed at parts I didn't get. I laughed at parts they didn't get. Overall, we just laughed together and had a good time with it. This movie WILL NOT win any Oscar. So, if you are looking for cinematic excellence, you won't find it. For an excellent time with your family, this is a must see. Hope you enjoy as much as our family did. Oh, by the way, I am a dorm supervisor of 140 young men. They all loved it!

The last offering of Mr. Bean to hit these shores a few years back was "Hollywood-ized" way too much. Mr. Beans Holiday is a British production with Rowan Atkinson at his best. If Steve Martin and Buster Keaton had a child in England--it would be Atkinson. Okay, so I'm more than a little partial, but this film is Mr. Bean as the Brits have come to love. If you're a fan of Mr. Bean---you'll love this one!