Page 30 - Aruba Today

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Friday 26 OctOber 2018
'Johnny English' sequel is an ode to low-tech charm

By JOCELYN NOVECK joined in this venture by
There's nothing really new his erstwhile partner from
or fresh or bold in "Johnny the first movie in 2003, loyal
English Strikes Again," the sidekick Bough (a pleasant
third installment of Rowan Ben Miller.)
Atkinson's bumbling-spy But, you ask, who's the vil-
saga/James Bond spoof. lain? Well, that would be
And for some of us, maybe technology itself, in the
that's not such a terrible form of a (truly annoying)
thing. Sometimes you don't Silicon Valley billionaire
want the hip new cocktail. smartypants — you know
Sometimes you just want the type — named Jason
the same beer at the same Volta (Jake Lacy, in a one-
temperature at the same dimensional role). Jason
time in the same comfy has completely charmed
chair. (Especially these the tech-challenged prime
days, perhaps, but we di- minister, who is unaware of
gress.) his sinister hidden goals.
So when Atkinson's John- But he can't track an ene-
ny, on the run in a Scottish my who has no digital foot-
castle, winds up in a room print. At least that's Johnny's
of decorative suits of ar- theory. He's untraceable,
mor, you start chuckling This image released by Focus Features shows Olga Kurylenko, left, and Rowan Atkinson in a scene but he also can't make a
preemptively. Because of from "Johnny English Strikes Again." phone call. His low-tech
course you know he's go- Associated Press strategy extends to every-
ing to hide in one of those thing: He has a mixtape on
suits, and of course you ter. Thompson as anything In any case, we begin a days teaching schoolkids a cassette! His spy gadget
know he's going to have a at all would be a plus, but week before the PM is to the essentials of Bond- works with a floppy disc! It's
massively difficult time stay- watching her channel her host a crucial G12 summit ian spycraft (seduction via unclear if kids in the audi-
ing upright, and, well ... it'll inner Maggie Thatcher — in Scotland. Things are not martini, for example). ence will know what these
be funny. Not innovative and mix in a little Theresa going well. A major secu- He's a fish out of water. In things are. But they likely
or thought-provoking, and May — may have you im- rity breach at MI17 exposes a high-tech world, he's will crack up when John-
certainly not snarky or bit- mediately bemoaning the the identity of every British lower than low-tech; he's ny tests out a virtual real-
ing. Just funny. fact she only got to play secret agent. To replace no-tech. He rejects even a ity headset and ends up
If that's not enough, we a prime minister's SISTER them, they call in aging for- smartphone. All he wants wandering into streets and
also have Emma Thompson in "Love Actually." What a mer agents. Enter Johnny, is a gun, and a dusty old stores and attacking peo-
as the British prime minis- waste! who's been spending his Aston Martin to drive. He's ple randomly.q

David Crosby shares wisely on

'Here If You Listen'

By PABLO GORONDI
Associated Press
David Crosby, "Here If You
Listen" (BMG)
Crosby, Stevens, Willis &
League doesn't have the
ring or reputation of David
Crosby's other multi-named
band with Stills, Nash &
Young, but "Here If You Lis-
ten" makes it wonderfully
clear that the 77-year-old's
association with Becca
Stevens, Michelle Willis and
Snarky Puppy bandleader
Michael League is also a
rich partnership of harmo-
nies and creativity.
The collaborators also ap-
peared on Crosby's 2016
album "Lighthouse," and
while Crosby's name is fea-
tured first and most promi-
nently on the album cover,
This cover image released by BMG shows "Here If You Listen," a it's the enhanced team-
release by David Crosby. work makes the songs work
Associated Press as well as they do.q