Jason Bourne (Paul Greengrass/John Powell)

[Thor 7,466]

I couldn't find a previous thread on this new film when I searched. How weird?

 

Anyway, just got back from it earlier today. Totally blown away; fantastic film -- easily in my Top 10 so far. John Powell continues to emulate what he's already done, although it often gets buried in the sound mix.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I will certainly be seeing it this weekend.

 

I wonder how much Powell was actually involved in the original compositions for this.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,498]

How does it compare with the other Bourne films (Richard, who is actually enjoying "TBL")?

[Thor 7,466]

2 hours ago, Richard said:

How does it compare with the other Bourne films (Richard, who is actually enjoying "TBL")?

 

Seems like a perfectly natural continuation to me. Very organic, very "Greengrass" and very much safely in the mold of the films that came before. That's why I like it.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

So it's just more of the same?

 

Does Jason Bourne smile or show any other emotions in this or is he still a monosyllabic, hollow shell of a man?

[Thor 7,466]

10 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

So it's just more of the same?

 

Does Jason Bourne smile or show any other emotions in this or is he still a monosyllabic, hollow shell of a man?

 

The latter, thankfully.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

A pity.

 

The first film is still the best. Bourne actually seemed like a human being. He could talk, and smile and fall in love. And the stunts and fights seemed more realistic and credible then. There was an actual sense of danger.

[Melange 446]

28 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

The first film is still the best. Bourne actually seemed like a human being. He could talk, and smile and fall in love. And the stunts and fights seemed more realistic and credible then. There was an actual sense of danger.

 

I'm in total agreement, saying just this to a friend yesterday about the first movie that the first had that wonderfull atmosphere and great pacing to it, a good balance of quiet intrigue and the use of action in the 'right' proportions, instead of clattering shaky non stop chase. Plus, the human touch, with Clive Owen etc. It has the feel of a cold war thriller in so many ways. I suppose the 'hollow shell killing machine' thing of subsequent movies is supposed to show the slow drip drip corrosion and PTSD, just as John Rambo becomes more and more angry and vicious as the movies go on, the muscles and even the knife get bigger and bigger to the point that by the movie Rambo he's a totally broken shell of a man, a killing machine that can now carry out mass roaring slaughter without the slightest blink. It gets increasingly brutal.

 

I actually really enjoy both Supremacy and Ultimatum too, but in the same way that I enjoyed Rambo II and Rambo III, great movies in themselves but of a very different quality to the first movie First Blood which had far more to 'say' and quite a different feel to it. Bourne Legacy started well, but got a bit silly wiith that 'twist' of needing regular shots of a drug to maintain the 'awesomness' factor. I'm rather cynical about the appearance of the Jason Bourne movie. Proven formula=$$$$$. Going by the trailer at least, I came to the same view as yourself - 'More of the same', the old - "Jesus Christ, that's Jason Bourne" captured by a new 'team' in a room with access to all CCTV globally. It has some of the Rambo thing to it, of - "You can't escape what you are. It's what you were Bourne to do", with Nicky almost standing in for Colonel Trautman in a sense.

 

Having said that, I'm still a bit of a sucker for those movies but unsure if I want to pay what it costs to view it in the cinema.

 

DVD rental is looking likely.

[Thor 7,466]

The first film is a classic for a reason, but I think Greengrass "upped the ante" with his sequels. Added his own particular stamps as action auteur that Liman doesn't possess (although I like his work too). He continues his brilliant streak with this latest film -- thankfully completely free of most CGI and other action tropes that define the genre these days. A breath of fresh air!

 

Huge fan of all the movies (even LEGACY), and am relieved the quality hasn't diminished.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

What I like about Legacy is that the lead character there is almost the opposite of Bourne in the last previous two films. A bit of a congenial chatterbox.

[Thor 7,466]

3 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

What I like about Legacy is that the lead character there is almost the opposite of Bourne in the last previous two films. A bit of a congenial chatterbox.

 

You like them bubbly characters, don't you?

 

Me, I'll take a stout man of few words any day of the week.

[KK 3,307]

I couldn't stand Legacy.

 

Something about it felt kind of half-assed.

 

Hope the new film is good. Trailers haven't really excited me.

[Melange 446]

9 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

What I like about Legacy is that the lead character there is almost the opposite of Bourne in the last previous two films. A bit of a congenial chatterbox.

 

Renner is good in that and his character is fine in the movie. Just the story got a bit silly.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Arent all these films silly though? Just told in a very grim and gritty way.

[Melange 446]

Yes, Jason Bourne strolls into Russia without a ministry issued visa, unlike 99.9% of the rest of us  

 

 

Unless a Russian passport was included in that bunch of passports he had in a safe in the first movie.

 

 

 

[Koray Savas 2,251]

2 hours ago, Thor said:

The first film is a classic for a reason, but I think Greengrass "upped the ante" with his sequels. Added his own particular stamps as action auteur that Liman doesn't possess (although I like his work too). He continues his brilliant streak with this latest film -- thankfully completely free of most CGI and other action tropes that define the genre these days. A breath of fresh air!

 

Huge fan of all the movies (even LEGACY), and am relieved the quality hasn't diminished.

How would you rank the score among the others?

[Thor 7,466]

41 minutes ago, Koray Savas said:

How would you rank the score among the others?

 

Kinda difficult to hear in the sound mix at times, but I loved some of the "exotic" variations when they shift locale. I'd rank it on the same level as the previous ones (perhaps not as strong as ULTIMATUM, though). But again, I have no idea what is Buckley and what is Powell. I hope someone gets to clarify this eventually.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Perhaps a breakdown in the liner notes, though I doubt it. Glad you liked the film. I haven't gone to the movies in months but I'm looking forward to this one. 

[JacksonElmore 69]

When is the album out?

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Friday

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

9 hours ago, Koray Savas said:

Perhaps a breakdown in the liner notes, though I doubt it. Glad you liked the film. I haven't gone to the movies in months but I'm looking forward to this one. 

 

You aren't concerned thats it appears to be more of the same?

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Personally, I'm ok if this is the You Only Live Twice of the Bourne franchise.  (Legacy was certainly the Thunderball.....as in crappy).

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

13 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

Personally, I'm ok if this is the You Only Live Twice of the Bourne franchise.  (Legacy was certainly the Thunderball.....as in crappy).

 

YOLT is the crappy one. Sub-Thunderbirds space race plot (in fact, the Thunderbirds puppets were more animated than most of the actors here, barring Gray and Pleasance), awful dubbing, forgettable Bond girls, a sluggish pace, and top it all off--Connery sleepwalking through the film. Barry's score and Young's cinematography are on point, but it's easily the worst of the Connery Bonds.

 

Really don't get the hate some hold for Thunderball. It's not on par with the original three and the underwater scenes do drag, but damn if it doesn't have some incredibly sharp writing, Connery at his most effortlessly cool and a palpable sense of atmosphere and threat.

 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I'm a weird Bond fan.  I prefer Bond movies when they're entertainingly silly and a little crappy.  Thunderball is boooooooring.  Needless to say, I love the early Moores.

 

It may be because Austin Powers was my entrypoint to Bond.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

Thunderball was my first Bond so I'm a little touchy when people bash it, but I know where you're coming from. That's why I love Diamonds Are Forever, The Man With The Golden Gun, Moonraker and A View to A Kill. They're all silly but strangely dark

[Koray Savas 2,251]

3 hours ago, Stefancos said:

 

You aren't concerned thats it appears to be more of the same?

No, I welcome it since its been 9 years since the last one. Don't fix what isn't broken!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

The Bourne Legacy was 9 years ago?

[Thor 7,466]

2 hours ago, Stefancos said:

The Bourne Legacy was 9 years ago?

 

He refers to the last one with Matt Damon, of course.

 

And I agree with Koray -- don't fix what's not broken. There are some new elements in this film (incorporates elements of social media, better surveillance technology, the political unease in Greece, more intense action sequences), but overall, it follows the basic "cat-and-mouse" recipe of the previous films, and within Greengrass' style -- intense chamber/ensemble segments on one hand, and weighty, CGI-less action sequences on the other, including a jawdropping car chase (two, actually). Love it!

[Melange 446]

1 hour ago, Thor said:

the political unease in Greece

 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

5 hours ago, Thor said:

And I agree with Koray -- don't fix what's not broken.

 

It's that mentality though that's the reason we are getting so much of the same from Hollywood, over and over again. Wouldn't you rather want a talented film-maker like Greengrass to maybe take the material somewhere genuinely new?

[Thor 7,466]

59 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

 

It's that mentality though that's the reason we are getting so much of the same from Hollywood, over and over again. Wouldn't you rather want a talented film-maker like Greengrass to maybe take the material somewhere genuinely new?

 

No. The fact that it's rather 'old-school' actually makes it rather 'new' and different in this rather "samey" action landscape. But I urge you to see the film first before you pass judgement.

 

Btw, here's my recently posted review. As usual, you have to run it through Google Translate (which is a bit of a hassle, I know):

 

http://montages.no/2016/07/jason-bourne-oser-av-deilig-selvsikkerhet/

[A. A. Ron 1,738]

1 hour ago, Stefancos said:

 

It's that mentality though that's the reason we are getting so much of the same from Hollywood, over and over again. Wouldn't you rather want a talented film-maker like Greengrass to maybe take the material somewhere genuinely new?

 

Then change some other franchise and let Bourne be damn it! Isn't it enough that they've ruined Star Trek?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Star Trek hasnt been ruined.

[Jay 37,287]

The AV Club gives the film a C

 

Rather than push this character or story forward, the film cravenly hits the reset button, doing more of the same with much less passion and skill.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

That's kind of what I feared. Just a new version of the same old thing.

[Thor 7,466]

In this case, that's not a bad thing.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Why?

 

Greengrass made an excellent action film when he did the second one. The third one was already exactly the same, just bigger. The fourth one at least tried something a bit different, and now Greengrass is back and it's just the same old same old?

 

So after 9 years Damon, Greengrass etc come back to do something they already did before...again...

 

 

[Thor 7,466]

13 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

Why?

 

 

I already told you -- it's "new" in its retro approach (when every action movie and its grandmother are frenetic & weightless CGI fests). I thank the Powers That Be that this new Bourne film wasn't "re-conceptualized" or otherwise taken in completely new directions that betrayed its very position and approach.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Ah I see.

 

It's "retro".

 

Hipster will love it then.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

30 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

That's kind of what I feared. Just a new version of the same old thing.

 

Thor doesn't care about story or character, Steef, just cinematic form. That's why he embraced Prometheus. He's JWFan's resident auteurist.

[Thor 7,466]

Indeed. Screw stories! Then I can just as well read a book instead.

 

To be fair, though, this new film lets me get closer to Bourne and his issues than I've ever been before, so that's a story-related quality right there.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

6 minutes ago, Sharkus Malarkus said:

 

Thor doesn't care about story or character, Steef, just cinematic form. That's why he embraced Prometheus. He's JWFan's resident auteurist.

 

I thought that was Alexcremers?

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

Just now, Stefancos said:

I thought that was Alexcremers?

 

Cremers is less dogmatic, somewhat. He saw through Prometheus.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Even Stevie Wonder would see though it, or Bollemanneke!

[KK 3,307]

Who?

[toothless 963]

Available here in France on Spotify

And I must say i'm a little bit disappointed. Some tracks are really not jason bourne like :/

There are still a few good moments though

[Jay 37,287]

Well its July 29 in every country now so its on Spotify everywhere

 

 

[Thor 7,466]

Listening to it now, and LOVING what I'm hearing. My impressions from the film didn't deceive me; this is good stuff for the most part.

[A. A. Ron 1,738]

I'll have to give the album a listen on its own, but it almost all sounded like retreads of 2 & 3 in the film. Good film though and I disagree that it doesn't take the character to new places.

[Thor 7,466]

OK, I gotta modify my first impressions two posts ago (that was only after having heard two tracks).  This wasn't as exciting on album as I had expected. It's as if the Bourne sound -- once so influential -- has been eaten up by all its imitators, so what remains is the shell of what it once was. Not that there aren't highlight tracks here, but at this point it seems rather interchangeable with other thriller/action scores these days.

I still think the film is one of the best of the year so far, though.