# Johnny English **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 6, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-english/199971 "2003-09-06T19:28:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-english/199971/1 "2003-09-06T19:28:16Z")
I know this is a bit late, but we just saw Johnny English at the dollar movie today. My son loved it. I wasn’t sure if it would be good, i know Rowan is great, but must say, there were some great moments. My son even laughed out loud a few times, especially during the bare ass segment. Anyone else like this movie? ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-english/199971/2 "2003-09-06T19:35:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by vanilla \* > \*\*I know this is a bit late, but we just saw Johnny English at the dollar movie today. > My son loved it. > I wasn’t sure if it would be good, i know Rowan is great, but must say, there were some great moments. > My son even laughed out loud a few times, especially during the bare ass segment. > Anyone else like this movie? \*\* I think I started a thread on this a while back. I was disappointed with this movie, but like the main actor. It was an also incredibly short movie. In comparison, _Shanghai Knights_, with Jackie Chan, is so much better. Maybe Johnny English is better for children. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-english/199971/3 "2003-09-06T22:37:45Z")
Way too many jokes (all of them, actually) were telegraphed. There was only one moment that made me chuckle; the henchmen shot full of truth serum who gives the heroes directions. ---
**Author:** ![typhoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ed8c4c/32.png) [@typhoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typhoon)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-english/199971/4 "2003-09-07T01:01:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bryan Ekers \* > **Way too many jokes (all of them, actually) were telegraphed.** Huh? Like, you received them over Western Union? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-english/199971/5 "2003-09-07T01:47:24Z")
Just in case I’m not being whooshed, I’ll explain that “telegraphed” in this context means that every joke was perfectly predictable, i.e. Johnny English refuses the tracking device, so of _course_ he will parachute onto the wrong building. Johnny English sees the tattoo on the fake Archbishop’s butt, so or _course_ he will end up pulling the real Archbishop’s pants down. After five or ten of these, it became clear that none (or at least very few) of the jokes would be unexpected. ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-english/199971/6 "2003-09-07T01:57:24Z")
I guess I’m in the serious minority. I liked it – I thought it was a fun movie. Yes, there are many of the jokes that you can see coming – but Rowan Atkinson is so good with visual comedy that I still found even those parts funny (e.g. the truth serum / muscle paralyzer mixup). I think I also benefitted from **not** having seen trailers for the movie before seeing it – I heard that a few of the best parts are essentially given away in the trailers. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-english/199971/7 "2003-09-07T02:29:12Z")
[I liked it](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=198700) [More RA fans check in](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=202186) Not spectacular, but good entertainment. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-english/199971/8 "2003-09-07T10:35:46Z")
I really enjoyed the movie. I agree that some of the jokes were a bit predictable but I still liked the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-english/199971/9 "2003-09-07T12:00:30Z")
It was okay, but I wish there were dollar theatres here for me to see it in. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-english/199971/10 "2003-09-07T18:15:38Z")
I especially like the one scene where he’s trying to say something, but can’t because of the relaxer, then the other guy says it, and he points and is like “what he said” great. ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-english/199971/11 "2003-09-07T21:13:58Z")
The one that cracked me up was the little brag about English technology, and then the clip fell out of his gun. The timing of it makes that one work. (I only hope that wasn’t in the trailer, which would have spoiled it for many, for sure).