Happy Birthday Mr Bean

What can you say that hasn't already been said about a character who has so little to say?

Mr. Bean, every non-English speaker's favourite in-flight entertainer, is back to celebrate his 20th birthday. Arguably the world's most iconic physical comedian since Charlie Chaplin, Rowan Atkinson through some strange and convenient witchcraft doesn't appear to have aged a day over the past two decades. Needless to say, neither has his most timeless creation.

This four-DVD set brings you the 14 original TV episodes, as well as the 1997 documentary The Story Of Bean and a "best bits" memory-lane clip show produced last year. The latter constitutes the only smatterings of new material, but this is definitely a release with collectors in mind - say what you like about the two rather dubious movies, they're not included.

A lot of us grew up with Bean and a lot of you may think you also grew out of him, but it's impossible to watch this and not appreciate the textbook brilliance of Atkinson's performances. You still know in your heart that this is the stuff of legend. Worth owning, if only for the sake of your inner child.



Released on DVD on 6th September 2010 by Universal Pictures UK.

Reviewed by Mike Stephenson.