I loved the Mr. Bean television series. I liked the 1997 film Bean, too, though it was uneven, alternately recapturing the spirit of the show and then missing the point entirely. But whereas that movie was very Americanized, this one returns the character to a vehicle with a more European feel. Instead of lots of unnecessary subplots and dialogue, this one simply gives the Mr. Bean character a simple and beautiful place to breathe in and be himself. That, ultimately, was the secret to the humor in the show, and it was lovely to see a movie that understood that.

I was about to say that Mr. Bean feels more at home in this movie -- but the whole point, I suppose, is that he's the proverbial fish out of water. Well, this movie, as opposed to the earlier one, is the water that he's a fish out of.