It’s hard to believe that the legendary Rowan Atkinson began the Mr. Bean series 25 years ago. I used to get a kick out of watching him get into one funny mishap after another back in the day, and I’m more than proud to say it still holds up after all these years and will continue to do so. Shout Factory also knows this, as the company has collected and remastered all fourteen episodes while adding in some awesome special features in the Mr. Bean: The Whole Bean Remastered 25th Anniversary Collection on DVD. While the seven hours of content tend to fly by all too quickly, watching these zany episodes play out over four DVD’s is some of the best fun you’ll ever have.
Despite playing in such legendary British comedy shows such as Blackadder, most people recognize Rowan Atkinson as the silly but lovable Mr. Bean, who comes off as a sort of manchild / clown-like character. He usually finds himself getting into one wacky situation after another, most times because of something he does that doesn’t quite go the way it should. From cheating his way through a math test, to visiting a fancy restaurant with disastrous results, or trying to drive his car while sitting on its roof in a recliner, Mr.Bean is always doing something to keep your stomach hurting due to laughing so much.
I’m pretty sure I speak for most fans when I say I wish this had been released on Blu-ray, but the remastered episodes looks pretty great on DVD. Everything looks a lot cleaner than when it aired on TV and the sounds and laugh track come in loud and clear. While this release may not be in high definition, the special features here are super sharp. First there’s some deleted scenes from the episodes Merry Christmas Mr. Bean, Do-it-yourself Mr. Bean, and Back To School Mr. Bean that add even more laughs. There’s also a lengthy extra called “The Best Bits of Mr. Bean” that serves up over an hour of some of the best parts from the series. “The Story of Mr. Bean” is a mini documentary that gives some awesome insights into the making of the show, as some never aired on TV Skits titled “Bus Stop” and “Library” round out the special features.
Fans of Rowan Atkinson and his Mr. Bean character are sure to already have the Mr. Bean: The Whole Bean Remastered 25th Anniversary Collection in their library of DVDs. With seven some hours of comedic greatness along with some fun special features, those looking for some classic comedy and major laughs will do well to pick this set up.
