In Man vs Bee, while watching over an opulent estate, a man discovers himself at war with a bee. Who will triumph, and what harm will be done that cannot be repaired?
Story
Maddy’s father, Trevor, is a clueless but loving man. He has finally secured employment with a company that provides house-sitting services for wealthy clients who possess contemporary mansions filled with priceless artwork and other items.
When the couple’s ordinary housekeeper is transferred, Trevor is brought in to housesit. Nina immediately shows Trevor the “straightforward” setup and claims that everything is in a “manual” she put together that is hard-bound like a book.
Additionally, there is a bee that Trevor unintentionally lets inside the house when he enters. While waving at the bee, he unintentionally destroys a statue. Then he catches it in a cup, but the resilient bee escapes.
Trevor finds himself locking horns with the bee with the ultimate goal of getting rid of it. And in the process, ensues a war that leaves a trail of mess and unimaginable repair.
Performances
Rowan Atkinson is best recognized for his use of physical humour. He excels at portraying the beaten-down character who can create exaggerated expressions and bulge his eyes when his characters suffer the consequences of their careless actions. Atkinson’s physicality and the way he so effectively portrays a stupid and bumbling character are both hallmarks of Man Vs. Bee.
Jing Lusi is entertaining in the few scenes she is in as the stern Nina, who takes offence when people mispronounce her difficult last name, Colstad-Bergenbatten.
Positives
Man Vs. Bee is an on-spot comedy that you have to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy. But no one on earth is better at slapstick than Rowan Atkinson, and this series showcases all the talents that have propelled his career to such heights. He is one of the reasons the show is hilarious in nature and worth watching.
Each episode is for a period of 10 to 12 minutes barring the pilot episode making the whole series an easy watch.
The relationship between Trevor and Maddy and, of course, the times when Atkinson gets extremely physical, such as when the bee shoots up his pants as a police officer comes to the alarm going off in Episode 3, are the highlights of this show.
Negatives
The bee is terrible at being described, to start with. There is no clear motivation for the bee to be terrorizing this man. The reason behind its expulsion from the hive is flimsy at best.
The predictability of the series means that it cannot be considered a truly good watch as the viewers might choose to have it playing in the background while they do something else.
Verdict
Being a comic genius, Rowan Atkinson doesn’t let us down in this series either. The brief episodes make them very simple to watch, especially for young viewers who will adore the slapstick humour on offer.
The ongoing conflict between Trevor and the bee is clearly shown since each episode builds on the one before it. Give Man vs Bee a try if you want to have a few laughs since it’s funny in a way that only Atkinson can accomplish.
Rating: 2.5/5
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