Trevor Bingley returns in the new Netflix series, Man vs Baby. This Rowan Atkinson comedy is a follow-up to Man vs Baby. However, this festive show largely falls flat. The review finds the series trite and nonsensical. It features an overall nauseatingly schmaltzy tone. The plot fails to deliver the high-wire farce we expect from a Rowan Atkinson comedy.
Bingley: Not the Mr. Bean We Know
Rowan Atkinson plays Trevor Bingley. Bingley shares Mr. Bean’s single-mindedness. Both find absurd fixes for minor problems. Yet, Bingley is a human with a backstory. He is lonely and often inept. He has a teenage daughter, whom he calls “Sweetpea.” The original Man vs Baby was successful. It offered stressful, callback-laced comedy. Do not expect the same quality from this Rowan Atkinson comedy.
A Convoluted Christmas Plot
Man vs Baby starts during Christmas. Bingley loses his primary school caretaker job. He then finds a baby on a doorstep. He lands a last-minute house-sitting job in London. They are too busy to help. Furthermore, social services assume the baby is imaginary. Bingley decides to smuggle the infant. He hides the baby in the luxurious London penthouse.
Weak Slapstick and Substance
The plot quickly loses its comedic momentum. Bingley, a devoted father, cares for the baby well. He demonstrates newfound competence. Consequently, laughs and physical slapstick are scarce. He even cooks an elaborate Christmas meal easily.
The series uses heavy product placement. Cadbury’s Heroes are repeatedly spotlighted. This is not the most cynical aspect of the show. The show relies too much on “Cosy British Christmascore.” This approach feels cloying and forced. It is an exercise in festive togetherness.
Disappointing Physical Comedy
The series has a dark mystery at its core. It asks who lost their child. Ultimately, the resolution is quite ridiculous. The action never escalates. We miss the grand, socially subversive comedy. This is the Rowan Atkinson comedy we expect. Instead, we get a capable man delivering dull Christmas cheer
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