Chinese Character - Full of beans

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CITYLIFE / what's on








Full of beans

By Chen Nan
Updated: 2007-07-31 09:47





It's tough to make a family friendly film these days without spending an
enormous amount of money on either computer generated animals or boy
wizards with computer generated magic tricks. But there is an exception,
Mr. Bean, whose story requires little or no computer generation.

Titled Mr. Bean's Holiday, British actor Rowan Atkinson is back to play
our ever-lovable and funny Mr. Bean this summer.

If the character has run his course, he's had a full life. Mr. Bean has
gone from sketch comedy on stage, to international stardom on TV, before
making the jump to the big screen in two films, all without uttering a
full sentence.

With his reliance on physical rather than verbal comedy, Mr. Bean has
been catapulted to pop culture icon status. Atkinson has even been dubbed
the modern Charlie Chaplin for his silly exploits.

This is the second film based on the television series, Mr. Bean,
following the 1997 success of the film Bean.

As all Mr. Bean TV series and movies go, misfortune and bad luck follows
him in his journey. It starts with a misunderstanding involving a taxi at
the railway station in Paris. Bean was forced to walk toward the station
for his train to Cannes. A funny sequence sees Bean follow a map,
disregarding any obstacles he meets along the way. Arriving at the train
station, a vending machine causes him to miss his train, giving him an
hour until the next train for Cannes arrives.

But it's not just the language barrier that Bean has to hurdle when he
reaches France.

The plot thickens when he accidentally separates a Russian film director
and his son at a train station as they head for Cannes and then tries to
reunite them, only to have the vacation footage from his video camera
screened at the famous film festival.

Mr. Bean attempts to befriend the boy and together they were bound for
more comedy and adventure. This involves performing in public for ticket
money and being cast in a French movie, which Bean manages to destroy
because of his ignorance. Funny and hilarious scenes follow, whether
because of Bean's ignorance or his indifference. The conflict of the
story comes when Bean is suspected of kidnapping the boy.

However, at the end, all is worked out and Bean finally reaches Cannes
and spends his day on the beach.

The movie does skimp on scenes with Teddy, Bean's ever loyal and cuddly
companion. In the TV series, a lot of gags and sequences were featured
between Teddy and Mr. Bean.

Comedy films for most people are relaxing. Viewers just love to laugh and
forget all their worries. This film gives that and more.

Atkinson has definitely made Mr. Bean his own character, and viewers
wouldn't be able to watch a movie if the person playing Mr. Bean was not
him.

This is the first time Mr. Bean has hit the big screen on the Chinese
mainland. However, reports suggest it will also be the last, as the film
is expected to be Mr Bean's farewell project.

"I think it is true that it might be his last outing," Atkinson said as
he arrived for the North American premiere of the movie. "I think it's
unlikely that I will do any more Mr Bean, highly unlikely." "It's not
impossible. You must never say never, so I'm never going to say never but
I think it's unlikely."

Mr. Bean's Holiday opens at cinemas citywide from July 27.

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