Review by Justin Bateman
Stars Rowan Atkinson, Matilda Ziegler | Written by Rowan Atkinson, Richard Curtis & Robin Driscoll
UK certification U | UK RRP £9.99 | DVD Region 2 | Runtime 68 minutes | Directed by Various
A character created by Rowan Atkinson while he was at Cambridge University, Mr Bean has become a global comedy phenomenon since his first appearance on our screens in 1990. Initially a half-hour TV series, it spawned an animated series and two feature films, all of which found success in almost 200 countries.
If for some reason Mr Bean has passed you by, the basic premise is that Mr Bean is an idiot with no social skills. The episodes are typically split into three sketches in which he does something normal – have a meal at a restuarant, take an exam, go swimming – but because of his quirks ends up creating farcical situations. It's very much a return to silent comedy and Atkinson himself cites Jacques Tati's Monsieur Hulot as an influence.
With almost no dialogue, the humour comes largely from Atkinson's famously rubbery face, his comedic expressions and the ridiculous things he gets up to. It's a very simple comedy but no less inventive for it. However, while the universal success of Mr Bean is to be admired, its appeal soon begins to wane.
Happy Birthday Mr Bean contains three sketches from the original series and three cartoons from the animated series, some of which have a birthday theme. The animations almost seem redundant since the humour comes from a real person doing ludicrous things. As a collection it is no more than adequate
– the original series, which are also being released to celebrate the 20th anniversary, are probably a better representation of the full Bean experience.
EXTRAS None