Mr. Bean's Holiday

Versatile British actor Rowan Atkinson struck comedic gold years ago with his characterization of gormless goofball Mr. Bean, who blunders his way through life in a never-ending string of minor calamities. In his latest outing, Mr. Bean escapes the dreary, wet London weather after winning a church raffle vacation to Cannes. Predictably wreaking havoc across the French countryside en route, the bumbling Bean arrives at the Riviera vacation spot with a Romanian filmmaker's precocious son (inadvertently separated from his father, thanks to Bean) and an aspiring actress in tow. The latter is appearing in an egomaniacal American actor's (Willem Dafoe) first film, a Cannes premiere that—thanks to Mr. Bean—will inevitably derail. Atkinson's frantic mugging and matchless comic timing aside, Mr. Bean's Holiday doesn't offer anything either new or noteworthy, while Steve Bendelack's direction is flat and unimaginative. Optional. [Note: DVD extras include 24 minutes of deleted scenes, the location featurettes “French Beans” (11 min.) and “Bean in Cannes” at the Cannes Film Festival (6 min.), “The Human Bean” featurette on star Rowan Atkinson (6 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a decent extras package for an uneven comedy.] (E. Hulse)