Under the Radar DVD of the Week: "Mr. Bean's Most Memorable Moments"

“Mr. Bean’s Most Memorable Moments”

British actor Rowan Atkinson is a rubber-faced wonder whose gift for sustained physical comedy invites comparisons to such masters as Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. At the very least, Atkinson and his bumbling everyman Mr. Bean are spiritual kin to France’s Jacques Tati and his wondrously hapless Monsieur Hulot.

In a series of TV comedies, random series cameos and theatrical films, the slyly misanthropic Mr. Bean has both annoyed and enthralled fans with his ability to engage in the simplest task with disastrous results. On Tuesday, a highlight DVD of his best sketches will be released on “Mr. Bean’s Most Memorable Moments,” which includes Mr. Bean preparing Christmas dinner with a turkey on his head; Mr. Bean driving his Mini from an armchair on the roof; Mr. Bean trying to stay awake in church, and much more.

“Mr. Bean is essentially a child trapped in the body of a man. All cultures identify with children in a similar way, so he has this bizarre global outreach,” said Atkinson (“Blackadder,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral”). “And 10-year-old boys from different cultures have more in common than 30-year-olds. As we grow up, we acquire this sensibility that divides us.”

“Mr. Bean’s Most Memorable Moments” has a running time of 73 minutes and is being released by A&E. Its suggested retail price is $12.95.

-Dennis King