Mr. Bean - The Animated Series, Vols. 1 & 2

Rating:
Summary: Just as good as the show!
Review: Being a fan of the Mr. Bean britcom I got this for Christmas. I was really impressed at how well they were done. They got down his mannerisms, and he talks just like in the show (mostly noises and little words here and there). There's the mean old landlady downstairs with her mean old one eyed cat. And as usual, Mr. Bean and Teddy are always getting into trouble. My favorite episodes are his day of Spring Cleaning and him going on a Treasure Hunt. If you like watching Mr. Bean you will love these. I'm glad I got them, they are a great addition to the show. Lastly, watching him dance as the credits roll by is a kick too!

Rating:
Summary: A must for Bean fans!
Review: Being an American, I had no idea what to expect with the Mr. Bean animated series. I love the live action work (sans the laugh tracks), but I didn't know how it would translate in animated form. In general, I'm not a big fan of animation, but Bean fits absolutely perfectly in cartoon form. Live action Bean is very cartoon-like anyway, so it's a great match-up. I was worried however that it would get to the point of being a bit too goofy (being a cartoon), but it's not as absurd as the live-action series. It's the same brand of humor. I just love how Mr. Bean will make you laugh without even talking. Charlie Chaplin would be proud. Here's how the disc breaks down.

There are 9 episodes in this package (18 segments). In total, it's about 3 and a half hours of entertainment. 3.5 hours of Mr. Bean. I read that the original show was aired in widescreen anamorphic, but is only offered in full screen on DVD. I am bothered by this (why I only gave it 4 instead of 5), but I might as well take what I can get. It's also good to hear that Mr. Bean himself provided the voice for the animated character. All in all, if you love Mr. Bean and don't mind watching animation, you will love this! A seamless transition. My favorites episodes/segments: Cat Sitting, Mime Games, Birthday Bear, Roadworks, and The Inventor. Great, great stuff!

Rating:
Summary: All hail KING BEAN!
Review: I , my son, and my wife have viewed the 4 volumes currently on the market.
We LOVE them all. The simple joys that Bean brings to his live action character translate very well into this nicely done, and artfully drawn, cartoon series. Perfectly enjoyable.

Rating:
Summary: By far not as good as the original series.
Review: Okay, so I've decided to check out the animated Bean episodes. At first, I must confess, I was very optimistic about this. The animation looked quite funny, and I thought it would be great fun. Boy, I was wrong.

The first few episodes were sort of enjoyable, but I couldn't help but notice I did not laugh. Not at all, for the entire four 12-minute stories. Believe me, I REALLY tried to like this, but I can't. Bean is just not as funny as he used to be. The only thing good about this series is the brilliant voice acting by Rowan Atkinson. Hence the 2 stars I'm giving this.

I don't see much relation between this and the original shows. It's just not funny at all to see Bean sitting in jail, or being followed by gaint cats. His adventures are just a bit TOO wacky, and go way too far to keep this believeable.

Bottom line: only get this if you're collecting this sort of thing.

Rating:
Summary: Falls flat
Review: Sorry, the animated version of Mr. Bean just doesn't work.

I'll give this series two things in its favor. One is that if you're comparing it to many TV cartoons, it's not too bad - it's competently done, unlike most cartoons on TV today, which are disasters. The other is that, being a cartoon, it avoids the sometimes-risque humor of the real Mr. Bean shows.

But beyond that there's nothing much here. Even my kids just sat and watched without laughing - and after a couple of episodes voted to skip the rest. We're all big Mr. Bean fans, and this just did not fly.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: These Bean cartoons are to comedy what cardboard is to cookies. The humour found in identifying with the live Mr. Bean is lost in simple crude cartooning and wishy-washy colors. Not even the occasional grunt from Atkinson brings these boring drawings and predictable story-lines to life. Not watchable, even by great fans of Bean or by children.