Rowan Atkinson again shows his flair for physical comedy when he returned in Netflix's new series, Man vs Bee, which just landed on the streaming platform over the weekend.
For avid watchers of the silver screen, Rowan Atkinson is no stranger. The English actor first rose to fame with his performance in the hit Blackadder. However, it was not until he starred as Mr. Bean in the television series and 1997 feature film of the same name that Atkinson became a global star.
The series became a worldwide success and a classic cult in the comedy genre, with Atkinson putting on a hilarious portrayal of the character. Following the huge success of the series, Mr. Beans continued to exert his prowess with comedy movies, starring in blockbusters such as Johnny English (2003) and Keeping Mum (2005).
At the age of 67, the actor-comedian is still active in his career, with his latest much-anticipated work, Man vs Bee just released on Netflix. The Netflix original piqued interest among watchers, who are eager to see Atkinson's return to his signature comedy genre. Here are some main points about Man vs Bee and whether the slapstick is worth your time.
The main plot of Man vs Bee
Man vs Bee can be described as a modern-day version of Mr. Bean, with different character developments of course. The film follows the journey of Trevor Bingley, a bumbling yet kind father, in his relentless battle with a seemingly invincible bee. The trouble comes to him after he lands his new job as a babysitter in a multi-million mansion with precious art and other objects. As Bingley tries to finish his work, a series of unfortunate and chaotic events ensue, all of which are caused by the detestable bee.
According to Decider, the Netflix original is written by William Davies and directed by David Kerr, spanning 9 episodes with each lasting 10-19 minutes. That makes the total running time of the series 108 minutes, fair enough for even the most impatient audiences.
Responses to Man vs Bee so far
Since its release, Man vs Bee has been receiving positive acclaim from both film critics and the audiences. According to Hello, the slapstick series remind audiences of Rowan Atkinson's cult character, Mr. Bean. One person tweeted:
'Man vs Bee is hilariously refreshing. Brings back that Mr. Bean feel from back in the day. If you're having a bad day this one could cheer you up. Totally loved it. An easy funny binge.'
Rowan Atkinson recently confirmed that the character of Trevor Bingley is actually inspired by the worldly-famous Mr. Bean. In an interview with RadioTimes.com, the English actor said:
'So, to a certain extent I feel that some of this show feeds off... it’s like an extension, an extrapolation from that old sketch (Mr. Bean) that we did in the early nineties.'
According to Netflix Junkie, the most remarkable thing about Man vs Bee is it straightforward but captivating plot, in which viewers don't have to struggle to make head or tail of the events that happen to the hapless Trevor, but still stick to the end to see his whole journey.
Another excellent point about the film is the outstanding acting of Rowan Atkinson (as usual), whose signature distinct physical humor keeps the audiences attention throughout the nine episodes. Everything else, including acting, set design, music, and writing, are done meticulously. To sum up, Man vs Bee is worth watching if you need nothing more than a relaxing and light-hearted movie for the weekend. Speaking of his slapstick comedy, Rowan Atkinson said:
't’s a TV series but, at 100 minutes, I regard it more as a movie. People can either binge-watch it or watch in bite-sized 10 and 20 minute chunks.'
