I walked into the theater with pretty low expectations. Especially after seeing the trailer for the movie which made me feel like it was going to be just another Transformers rip off. But after watching Real Steel, I can safely tell you that – this movie blows Transformers out of this world. Forget the Michael Bay disappointments we’ve been sitting through over the past few years. Real Steel does right everything that Transformers did wrong, and then offers some more. But most importantly; it has heart.
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Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson) is back, and it’s a good thing. After catching the funny trailer many months ago, I had some pretty high expectations about the movie, and I wasn’t let down. As soon as the movie starts you’re in for a treat. What was missing in the original (which I felt was too dry for my tastes) is all here and while Rowan Atkinson might be aging, he sure isn’t losing his acting chops.

Johnny English Reborn tells the story of Johnny English, a secret agent who was dismissed from the force 5 years ago due to a mishap in the past, returning to MI7 to help prevent an assassination attempt on China’s Prime Minister. This time around he has a new partner in the form of newcomer, Agent Tucker (Daniel Kaluuya) to keep him in check. There aren’t any racial jokes here (ala Rush Hour), which is refreshing. However there’s a lot of slapstick humor here. And I mean a lot.

The plot this time around is far-fetched – but hey, what would you expect from a spy comedy? It’s the jokes and gags littered throughout the story that we came for, and there are plenty to be found. Beating up old people? Check. Stereotypical Asian bad guys? Check. Helicopter ride on the freeway? Check (in fact, it was one of my favorite scenes in the movie).

All in all, I didn’t have a problem with the movie, and found myself laughing out loud during quite a number of scenes. If you’ve got time and some brain cells to kill, Johnny English Reborn is definitely right up your alley. I’d give Johnny English Reborn 7/10. Oh yes, stay awhile for a nice outtake during the credits.