Volume 5
Issue # 12

July 27, 2004

"Matt Damon is Bourne Again"

Rating: 8/10

One of the most important components to a film is the believability of the protagonist. If someone were to cast Haley Joel Osment as Batman, somehow I don't see that movie flying. If they were to have George Carlin play opposite Jennifer Lopez in a romantic comedy, somehow I have second thoughts about that film already. Matt Damon was very much aware of this fact when he first signed up to play Jason Bourne in the 2002 smash hit, The Bourne Identity. Better known for more of his dramatic roles, epitomized by his first major hit, Good Will Hunting, Damon was unsure how the audience would react to him as an action star.

That being said, the "action star" he plays in The Bourne Identity, and now The Bourne Supremacy is a far cry from the days of Sylvester Stallone's Rocky or Arnold Schwartzenegger's Terminator. It cannot even be compared to Sean Connery's portrayal of the international spy James Bond. The character of James Bond is from a completely different strata of society. Perhaps Jason Bourne is more akin to the character of Jack Ryan, best known in such films as Patriot Games (1992) and Clear and Present Danger (1994). Of course, he was portrayed by Harrison Ford in those days, with Ben Affleck assuming the role of a younger Jack Ryan in The Sum of All Fears (2002).

He's a thinking man's action star. Perhaps the most endearing aspect of the character of Jason Bourne is the fact that he is completely oblivious to the training he has received, and for the most part, missions in which he has participated. Suffering from a rather severe case of amnesia, shattered fragments of his past come to him in the form of broken flashbacks and disturbing dreams. What he retains are innate abilities and skills which present themselves effortlessly on the part of Bourne. In the trailer, for example, we see him disarm and incapacitate two guards in a blink of an eye.

Without delving too deep into the intricacies of the film, The Bourne Supremacy opens with Jason Bourne seemingly enjoying a quasi-civilian lifestyle in India, until a hired assassin finds him there and makes an attempt on his life. Through a series of events, which I will refrain from describing here, we find Bourne travelling throughout Europe in search of the truth. Why are they after him now? Why do they want him dead? Who is behind all this? Slowly, he builds a clearer picture of his past, and more specifically, of one particular mission in Berlin.

Yes, Matt Damon questioned his ability to be a believable action star, but I feel he has accomplished his goals in these two films. Playing a troubled, confused, but highly proficient spy and assassin, Jason Bourne always has a plan in mind and ways of discovering new information. Every motion, act, thought, spoken word seems so deliberate and planned out - is this an accurate representation of a typical CIA or FBI agent? I'm not too sure, but what I am sure of is that this was a thorougly enjoyable film and a sign of perhaps a great legacy to come. As these films are based on the books of the same name, I would not be at all
suprised if the next tome in the series, The Bourne Legacy, finds its way onto the silver screen.

A couple caveats.

First, if you're looking for a no-brainer action flick with big explosions, lots of gunplay and a hero-gets-hurt-but-wins-the-girl type of film, perhaps Terminator 3 is more your flavour. Like the Godfather films, the James Bond series, and other films of the ilk, you do have to pay attention to this film. I found myself recapitulating the story with my partner to clear up any discrepancies in our understanding of the film. The plot is by no means as complex as The Godfather, but is, again, by no means as simple as Jean-Claude Van Damme's shoot-em-ups.

Second, this film does make use of some shaky camerawork. It provides a great effect, instilling a sense of franticness and urgency during the fight and chase scenes. It is as if a man with a handheld camera is frantically trying to keep up with Bourne as he hops in and out of subway cars, tugboats and seemingly low-hanging bridges. It gives a good sense of controlled chaos, but I found that this film overuses this tactic. If you are prone to dizziness or motion sickness, it might be best you wait for the DVD, so you can pause and play at your leisure when you start to feel a little light-headed.

That being said, like I said, this is a thoroughly enjoyable film with a thoughtful storyline and intelligent characters. It is a solid action-thriller, and a strong followup to The Bourne Identity; but perhaps not quite as strong as the original. Perhaps I shouldn't go as far as to agree with David Levine of filmcritic.com in saying that Jason Bourne is this summer's best action star, beating out Catwoman, Spiderman and Will Smith; however, this film is not a big special-effects superhero-laden movie like Catwoman, Spiderman 2 or I,Robot. It is a highly intelligent and complex story of a spy with an unknown past. And the car chases are pretty cool too.