The world’s favourite secret agent, Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson), has retreated to a Tibetan monastery run by Ting Wang (TOGO IGAWA) to hide from his shameful Mozambique cock-up eight years ago. But when English receives the call from MI7 to lead a mission that only he can handle, he is indubitably back in action.
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On arrival in London, English discovers MI7 has changed considerably during his time away. It is run in an unrecognizable, politically correct fashion by Pamela Thornton, aka Pegasus (Gillian Anderson), who quickly attempts to dissuade our hero of his old, cheeky ways. Pleased to be back, English is reunited with his idol, Agent Ambrose, aka Agent One (Dominic West), as well as the wheelchair-bound Quartermain (TIM MCINNERNY). Finally, he is introduced to the beautiful behavioural psychologist Kate Sumner (Rosamund Pike).
Pegasus dictates English’s pressing mission: to go to Hong Kong to find ex-CIA agent Fisher (Richard Schiff), who has intelligence of a plot to assassinate Chinese Premier Xiang Ping (LOBO CHAN) at the upcoming Anglo-Chinese talks. To make sure protocol is observed, she teams him up with the very green Agent Tucker (Daniel Kaluuya), aka Spy of the Month.
Jetting off to Hong Kong with Tucker in tow, English chases a series of clues that takes him to a hotel where Fisher has been hiding. Fisher reveals that a group called Vortex is behind the plot to kill the premier…and it has a secret weapon. He shows English a key, one of three keys that, when used together, gain access to a powerful weapon. Fisher tells English that there are three members of Vortex; he is one of them, and his life is in danger.
English discovers that Vortex was indeed responsible for the death of President Chambal (WALE OJO) in Mozambique. Just as Fisher’s information has been leaked, he is shot dead by an assassin known as the Killer Cleaner (PIK-SEN LIM). English and Tucker pursue the wily murderess, but she gets away. Ling (WILLIAMS BELLE), the Killer Cleaner’s accomplice, enters Fisher’s room and takes the key from the body. English chases the impossibly agile Ling across rooftops, on speedboats and on pontoons, and he uses his kung fu to get the key back.
English and Tucker return to London. Now at Pegasus’ swanky pad, English reports to Pegasus and the foreign secretary. But when he goes to reveal the key, he finds it has been stolen. Chastened, English is sent out to pull out all the stops to find the members of Vortex. Left alone, English mistakes Pegasus’ mother (JANET WHITESIDE) for the Killer Cleaner. Disgraced, English sits in the conservatory, and Kate invites him to a therapy session.
In her office, Kate uses hi-tech hypnotism to help him recall the second member of Vortex: Karlenko (MARK IVANIR). Soon enough, English is squeezing information from Karlenko on the golf course, until Karlenko too is shot by the Killer Cleaner. After a high-speed helicopter chase to hospital, Karlenko hands English the second key and reveals the third man is within MI7…then suddenly dies.
Due to the threat of Vortex, the Anglo-Chinese talks are quickly moved to Switzerland, into a government fortress in the Alps that is allegedly impregnable.
As Ambrose and English share dinner together, English reveals that the third member of Vortex is actually in MI7. During the meal, Tucker lures English to the toilet, where he reveals that Ambrose is the mole. English is so outraged at Tucker’s insolence toward his hero that he dismisses Tucker from their mission. Ambrose implicates Quartermain as the mole, and at the end of the meal, English hands over the second key to Ambrose.
English, unaware that an ambush awaits him—and that he has been accused of being the mole—sets off on the new lead and follows Quartermain into a church. After narrowly avoiding assassination, he escapes using Quartermain’s wheelchair and finds himself on the, ahem, run, eventually landing at Kate’s house. The ever-clever Kate uncovers CCTV footage from Mozambique that proves English’s innocence.
At last in possession of all three keys, Ambrose—with the aid of the villainous Madeleine (JOSEPHINE DE LA BAUME)—accesses a dangerous drug from a safety deposit box before meeting with an Asian businessman who agrees to pay $500 million U.S. to assassinate the Chinese premier. Thankfully, English comes to his senses and realizes who the real villain is.
With the talks underway at Le Bastion in Switzerland, English solicits Tucker’s help before setting off in hot pursuit. As they break into the Le Bastion, they are caught by security; English fakes his death and enters the building in a body bag. He tries to arrest Ambrose, but he accidentally drinks the mind-controlling drug planted for Pegasus and unwittingly becomes Ambrose’s new pawn. English tries desperately to resist killing Premier Xiang Ping until Tucker finally exposes Ambrose by broadcasting his instructions over the loudspeaker. Ambrose scarpers as Kate’s supersonic kiss revives English back into action. English chases Ambrose across the snowy mountains, and our hero finally explodes a cable car with Ambrose inside. Mission (in theory) complete.
We cut to Buckingham Palace just as the Prime Minister (STEPHEN CAMPBELL MOORE), Pegasus and Kate prepare to watch proudly as English’s knighthood is reinstated. But just as English bows before the Queen’s throne, he is almost beheaded by the Killer Cleaner in disguise as the Queen. Barely escaping her swift sword, English gives chase and attacks the vile hag. Unfortunately, he turns the traitor’s head around just in time to realize the Killer Cleaner has escaped once again. He has actually bashed the beloved monarch herself. English howls from the depth of his patriotic soul…
“Johnny English Reborn,” starring Rowan Atkinson, Rosamund Pike, Dominic West, Gillian Anderson and Christina Chong, is directed by Oliver Parker. It is distributed locally by United International Pictures through Solar Entertainment Corporation.
Showing at your favorite theaters on September 15.