I admire British comedian Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean) for reviving the nearly silent, slapstick-heavy style of early greats such as Charlie Chaplin and Buster
Keaton. I just wish he was good at it. Johnny English, a disposable spy spoof, has a few decent gags, but even those are hampered by laborious setups and a thudding obviousness. In the time it takes Atkinson to tell one so-so joke, someone like Keaton would have squeezed out four great ones.
