The Best Bits of Mr. Bean
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Rowan AtkinsonDVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 78 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1999-11-23
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Universal Studios
Movie Reviews of The Best Bits of Mr. Bean
Movie Review: The Real Deal!
Summary: 5 Stars
"The Best Bits of Mr. Bean" is the real deal, as far as Bean "best-ofs" are concerned. A&E's "Best of Mr. Bean" is simply a combination of four episodes that, yes, are just about the funniest in some cases, with bonus features (The Story of Bean documentary, etc.) that you can already get with the complete series DVD, which is much more worthy of your cash (I haven't actually viewed the DVD but looking at in a Barnes and Noble store has confirmed for me that even for the diehard fan type, it's really not worth it.) This, on the other hand, offers an original and entertaining plot (Bean searching for an umbrella and messing about in the attic) around which to base flashbacks to some of the funniest and most well-known "bits" from the series, as Bean finds reminders of those skits packed away in his attic (i.e. a hymnnal reminding of the time he fell asleep in church.) Bean (Rowan Atkinson), and Teddy actually appear to give us some new material between flashbacks that big fans will want to have. (Also bare in mind that Rowan Atkinson himself was involved personally with this compilation and presumably gave it final approval; almost certainly A&E's chash-in, I mean compilation, was done without an real involvement of Atkinson.)
As for the skits themselves, no they are not full episodes ( and really I can't imagine that anyone who really looked at the DVD, or product details on Amazon, before making the purchase would expect this to be 11 full-length episodes, and anyway with only fourteen total episodes EVER produced, 11 would be such a majority that simply releasing the full series from the start would be a better business idea.) However, there is plenty of funny stuff here: Bean's frenzied rush the morning of his dentist appointment and the actual appointiment that follows this are unquestionably Bean classics, as are the segments in which he drives his mini ( that's what his car is called) from an armchair atop the roof, gets a Christmas turkey stuck on his head, falls asleep in church, and has his mini accidentally crushed by an army tank. Of course the exam sketch is the all-important ( and all-hilarious) first-ever Bean sketch, and the Royal Lineup, while hilarious is one Mr. Bean's more adult-suited bits. The rest (the high-dive, parking garage, holiday packing, and street-performing sketches) are still funny but in many cases, simply not classics at the level of the stuck turkey, and the armchair-mini driving.
Still, between the new gags with Teddy and Bean in the attic ( this really is a fun, creative plot idea, at least in comparison to the flashback episodes on many other TV series), and all the classic funnies, this is worth it, mainly for the serious collecto, but it's also the type of thing that's good for parties, if you want to give "unexposed" friends a light start on Bean, or if you just want the classics. I would also recomend that those just starting on Bean who aren't sure where to go, or are just coming off of the first movie try to find this, possibly at the library or video rental, since the chances of finding it to buy are slim, (it's apparently, and shamefully, out-of-print), and there's a good chance you'll be happy enough with the complete series DVD, after seeing this once or twice. In sum, this is a nice beginners DVD, as it contains bits from almost all points of the show's run (the final year or two are sadly missing, and I for one, feel that that the golfing and insomnia sketches from about that time would be strong contenders); it's also a nice buy for the collector or experienced fan, in order to get both the original material presented here, and to have all the MAJOR classics on one DVD. Either way, as a fan the final score is definite:5/5!
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