The climax of “Johnny English” features the ultimate nightmare for all of us who value British culture and tradition: a skillfully staged scene of a royal coronation, full of pomp and splendor, with cheering crowds, solemn ceremony, Handel anthems blaring appropriately in the background, and the sacred crown about to descend on the head of – a perfidious Frenchman! Not even Napoleon himself came so close to polluting the sacred throne of Albion as does John Malkovich (with perfect Gallic sleaze and subtlety, and flawless comic timing) playing the billionaire villain in this laugh-out-loud lark.

The Malkovich character not only steals the Crown Jewels but forces her Majesty the Queen to abdicate, renouncing all royal claims on behalf of her family. The only one capable of rescuing Britain from this ultimate calamity (Malkovich claims the crown as a distant relative of the Windsors), is secret agent Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson) a bumbling desk jockey in a top secret intelligence agency called into field service only after all the more competent agents meet their doom in a bombing attack at a major funeral.

The hilarity in the project comes from Atkinson’s classic English understatement – he never overdoes the slapstick, so that his unceasing humiliation proves irresistibly funny. You can believe that his poker face and pretentious babbling persuade some colleagues and adversaries to accept him as the espionage expert he pretends to be; the movie lets us feel like insiders since the audience knows more about the true depths of the main character’s idiocy than do the other figures on screen.

Atkinson, best known for his role as “Bean,” has earned big laughs with supporting roles in movies ranging from “Four Weddings and a Funeral” (as the incompetent prelate) to the recent “Rat Race” (as a narcoleptic Italian), but this film, already a smash hit in Europe, promises to make him an international comedy star of the very first rank. His droll performance may remind some observers of Peter Sellers’ characterization of Inspector Clouseau in the “Pink Panther” movies, but Atkinson is even more enjoyable because of his everyman, Walter Mitty qualities. His embarrassing escapades prove spectacular, but his everyday ineptitude seems normal, ordinary, and altogether believable.

Singing star (and international model) Natalie Imbruglia makes an outrageously auspicious debut as a sexy mystery woman, who may (or may not) play a role in the anti-British conspiracy. Her acting looks effortless and accomplished, and she displays one of the greatest, most riveting movie faces of any new star in years — with the sort of lips, cheekbones and dreamy eyes of the Greta Garbo/Marlene Dietrich era. Handling comedy (which she pulls off with aplomb) generally demands more than straight romantic roles, so her cinematic future looks limitless. If nothing else, she deserves acclaim for keeping such a lovely straight face in playing comical love scenes with Rowan Atkinson.

Director Peter Howitt previously crafted the intriguing and captivating Gwyneth Paltrow alternate-reality romance “Sliding Doors,” and here shows the pacing and balance of a natural-born comic master. He creates moments that will stick in the memory as classic bits: with Atkinson assuring his boss that he’s visiting the most secure spot in England, a split second before a huge explosion detonates in the background, or the clueless hero breaking into a hospital and ordering around patients and staff at gunpoint before he slowly realizes he’s entered the wrong building.

Producers Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner of “Working Title” films have created the best British comedies of recent years, including “Four Weddings and a Funeral”, “Notting Hill”, “Bridget Jones Diary” and “About a Boy.” This time, they offer a rollicking romp (appropriately rated PG, for a brief and humorous glimpse of a bare bottom, and references to bathroom functions) that children can enjoy along with their parents. The robust undercurrent of anti-French humor constitutes a welcome and educational thematic plus. Atkinson may be the anti-Bond, but at this point his secret agent future (a sequel will almost certainly turn up) looks even brighter than 007’s. THREE AND A HALF STARS.

Michael Medved hosts a nationally syndicated daily radio show focusing on the intersection of politics and pop culture.  He's the author of eight non-fiction books, was co-host for 12 years on "Sneak Previews" on PBS, and is the former Chief Film Critic for the New York Post.