JOHNNY ENGLISH (2003) **1/2 Just because Peter Sellers has been dead these twenty years is no reason not to have a bit of fun at the expense of the French. I also believe that the basic premise of having Rowan Atkinson do a James Bond spoof is a good one. Unfortunately he looks more hemmed in than inspired by the script. The result is a character who lacks either Blackadder's serpentine wit, or Mr. Bean's blatant individuality. Rowan is largely wasted as an incompetent agent, his best moments being his regularly necessary bouts with plausible deniability. John Malkovich, who lives in France, does his best to ingratiate himself to his neighbors-sneering, fawning over himself, and slithering in that ingratiating manner that is too often substituted for diplomacy. Natalie Imbruglia isn't bad as the English Girl, but doesn't add enough sauce for a film so desperate for some despite its high-octane leads. Neither disastrous nor brilliant (save, perhaps, the coronation scene, in an understated way), but given the cast and premise the former would hardly seem possible.