Total Recall and The Bourne Legacy have both underperformed at the summer box office, but are audiences sick of remakes and reboots, or just sick of crappy ones? Plus, is Ben Affleck the man for the Justice League?
Mamo #265: You're Gonna Wish You'd Never Been Bourne [ 35:06 | 0.01 MB ] Play Now | Play in PopupTo download this episode, use this URL: http://rowthree.com/audio/mamo/mamo265.mp3
Referenced in the episode, here’s Mike’s piece on shaky-cam and the Bourne movies:
http://www.thesubstream.com/html-bourne-and-the-quotshaky-camquot-paul-greengrass-gone-away-style-and-the-death-of-bourne.html
OLYMPICS.
…ARE OVER FOR ANOTHER 2 YEARS! WOOHOO!
I was a quite big fan of Bourne4. I see the missing third act issue, but destabilizing standard narrative (nothing new in this age of many franchises that write two or three entries at the time) is probably the task at hand for taking this franchise in new direction. Clearly they are keeping things open for Part4, while expanding the Bourne Universe another layer of government ops (Hence the inclusion of Ezra (Scott Glenn handing over the reins to Stacey Keach) as well as the closure on David Strathhairn and Joan Allen as scapecoats. The new program is the one that actually achieve results (The Treadstone/Blackbriar programs were still in testing phases, whereas Outcome was getting results, hence the result to kill the field agents/doctors to save the research results).
In terms of the Jacket/Plane, Matty Price missed the whole scene at the airport where he steals the plane, there is even a shot where the pilot is pulling up to the airport and a reaction shot as to why his plane is missing! It’s all there.
Also, Rachel Weisz could spout medical exposition till the cows come home. Her cadence is dead sexy. I bought the Renner/Weisz co-existence – Science and Blue Collar Supersoldier outwitting Government politicking and such.
Maybe there are multiple print versions floating around? I saw the shot of the pilot finding his plane missing, but no sequence of Bourne (sorry, Newbourne) stealing the plane.
The scenes are spliced together as if to say this guy shows up for work that day in his pickup-truck to his little bush-plane airstrip in the Alberta wilderness, and is a bit flabbergasted that his plane is missing. Cut to newBourne flying the plane: pick-up-guy’s plane. I think that is solid enought to pass the Eisensteinian sniff-test for image association.
@Kurt, who wrote: “The new program is the one that actually achieve results (The Treadstone/Blackbriar programs were still in testing phases, whereas Outcome was getting results, hence the result to kill the field agents/doctors to save the research results).”
Jason Bourne was an active agent/asset before his amnesia. Did you see his folder, the one Landy went through in “Ultimatum,” and the journal he kept in “Supremacy?” He had a lot of Treadstone assigned missions/kills under his belt. I would call that ‘results.’
I was hoping for a smackdown on the Cinecast tonight but Kurt and I seem to be on the exact same page with this one.
Complaints will be that there isn’t any/enough action sequences. I would argue, GOOD! The bits in this that are the best are the moments of tension before any action sequences occur (or better yet, the tension that is built and then no action sequences occur).
And also the science involved. I’m no fan of Rachel Wiesz, but her monologuing on the science behind the Bourne “clones” is mesmerizing.
Oh, and the cabin sequence is terrific. Couldn’t disagree with you guys more about this film – other than the third act, which is fucking terrible.
And yeah the way you guys describe the plane sequence was pretty funny, but I didn’t find it that strange. He shows up at a small airport, grabs a plane and makes a point to fly very low is not inconceivable that he avoids detection. Remember, at this point in the film, Norton thought he was dead so they weren’t looking for him. Landing at a major airport is not a problem for small, unscheduled planes as long as you know the lingo – I landed a single engine Cessna at Minneapolis International about ten years ago (I wasn’t actually flying, I was riding shotgun).
I had no problems with that scene.
Actually I somewhat take that back. When we landed at Mpls International, it was longer than ten years ago – in fact it was pre 9/11. So things have probably changed sine then. Still, whatever.
Last thing, the disparaging remarks about Gilroy were a bit upsetting as well, like he’s a total schlub and can’t direct.
In my opinion this is the hat trick for him. Bourne 4 might not be quite on par as his previous two, but (especially) Michael Clayton and Duplicity are fantastic films!
Duplicity is an underrated gem. Michael Clayton deserved every bit of credit it got (it has one of the coldest, efficient onscreen murders ever filmed). I would say that I like director-hat wearing Tony Gilroy. Sure his hand-held camera is not nearly as kinetic or ‘empathy building’ as Paul Greengrass (arguably the only Shakey Cam auteur working) but I like this more stabilized, classically shot movie in the Bourne universe after the two-shot by Greengrass.
The only reason Michael Clayton is overlooked is because it was 2007 – possibly the best year for film in the history of the medium. I have it at #9 on my list. Any other year it would be top three.
Well, baring so many great American films in the 1970s, I’d say that:
1982 (ambitious blockbusters) – from Blade Runner to Fitzcarraldo to Ghandi to Conan The Barbarian.
1984 (goofy blockbusters ) – from Ghostbusters to Temple of Doom to Beverly Hills Cop to Gremlins.
1999 (pre-millenium tension) – Fight Club, Bringing Out The Dead, Being John Malkovich, Eyes Wide Shut, Magnolia, Holy Smoke, Summer of Sam, Three Kings, The War Zone, The Limey, The Iron Giant, The Ninth Gate, Toy Story 2, The Straight Story, Ghost Dog, eXistenZ, Ravenous, The Matrix, Election The Blair Witch Project, Beau Travail, Ratcatcher and Limbo. (WHEW)
The Insider was ’99 too, man that was a year. I do wonder what was the best Summer movie season.
1984 / 1989 – Both Ghostbusters years, actually.
I was looking and I would have to go with 81 or 86
81:
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Superman II
An American Werewolf in London
Stripes
Escape from New York
Heavy Metal
Blow Out
86:
Short Circuit
Top Gun
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Labyrinth
Big Trouble in Little China
The Great Mouse Detective
Aliens
The Transformers: The Movie
The Fly
Manhunter
So far the titles listed on any of these years doesn’t hold a candle to ’07 (1999 comes close) – I mean I just don’t ever remember a year of going to the movies and being wow’d every single time I walked out of the cinema all year long:
Assassination of Jesse James
No Country fro Old Men
Atonement
Death Proof (Grindhouse)
Michael Clayton
There Will Be Blood
Back Snake Moan
Zodiac
I’m Not There
Persepolis
Sunshine
Rescue Dawn
Gone Baby Gone
Bourne Ultimatum
28 Weeks Later
Bug
Enchanted
Walk Hard
Ratatouille
King of Kong
Lake of Fire
Once
Darjeeling Ltd.
Diving Bell and Butterfly
—-debatable others:
The Orphanage
A Mighty Heart
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
La Vie en Rose
Juno
Across the Universe
Savages
Kite Runner
Eastern Promises
Into the Wild
In the Shadow of the Moon
Forgot about:
Superbad
Knocked Up
The Counterfeiters
Mad Detective
Boy A
The Host
Stardust
TimeCrimes
Control
Cashback
Inside
Son of Rambow
Tell No One
My Blueberry Nights (though I consider that ’08)
Encounters at the End of the World
Wristcutters
The Signal
Silent Light
The last couple posts have only been summer releases
Andrew, did you just have a 4-part conversation… with yourself?
Usually I am talking to myself. So thanks for noticing!
I really enjoyed Bourne Legacy. It’s not a perfect film but I had a good time with it. I don’t really understand the Matts dislike for the film, it’s a lot better than half the blockbuster shit they like.
Agreed. To each their own taste though. I tend to like these types of thrillers, so losing some of the emotional stakes (or a 2nd/3rd act) was not a big hit to me. I liked watching Renner do his thing in this world.
I liked the film, though I have to say I was mildly disappointed when the Moby song came on and the film is over.
BTW, it’s interesting to note that they have started the habit of releasing new mixes of “Extreme Ways” with each film. Good way to keep selling a 10 year old song.
I was seriously wondering at one point whether or not they would use the MOBY song, which ended each of the three Damon films. I’m not sure if they should, as this series should have it’s own ending credits theme song!
There’s a lot of good (newer) Moby songs.
The song “After” from his latest album would’ve made a great Bourne theme – http://youtu.be/KnD4xDfcYgQ
The thing with the Christopher Nolan Batman movies, is that he adapted the realistic tone of Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One with Batman Begins and then kept going with that. It was the right tone to take with the character and was using the template of one of the most successful Batman comics ever made.
I agree with Matthew Price that the realistic tone doesn’t work as well with other DC characters. Unfortunately, I think DC might be taking the wrong lessons from Nolan’s Batman trilogy. They shouldn’t be taking the idea that all of their stories need to be dark and grounded for them to work. What they should be looking at is to adapt the tone and possible stories of their best comics. It’s hard to tell where Man of Steel is going based off that trailer, but a lot of people are pointing to Superman: Grounded by J. Michael Straczynski. A Superman travelling across the US trying to find himself, which had a very polerizing result in fans. Some people liked it but a large number of people hated that treatment.
The animated movies got it right recently adapting “What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice & the American Way?” into Superman vs the Ellite and All-Star Superman. None of these need to be straight adaptions, but with so much existing material, they should look at which stories that hit a nerve and continue to be successful.
Also I do think the idea of building a connected universe slowly with individual movies is the right away to do it. Rather than jumping into the Justice League and having to spend time introducing & explaining new characters that the public are not familiar with, depending on who is in the league.
The crazy thing about DC right now is that after Man of Steal, they got nothing. NOTHING! They talked having movies set up like planes on a runway, but the only area they are set up that way is animated movies. Meanwhile Marvel has 6 movies in various levels of production. The whole idea of changing DC Comics to DC Entertainment moving their headquarters from the east coast to the west coast was to be more involved with the movies. Diane Nelson was made head because of her working with J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter. Yet it doesn’t seem like DC Entertainment is calling any of the shots, that it is still Warner Brothers who are stumbling along.
Seconds after we recorded this episode, I appeared on the justAtadcast to tear a further strip off The Bourne Legacy:
http://justatad.wordpress.com/2012/08/14/justatadcast-episode-3-the-bourne-legacy/
By the by it was SERAPHIM FALLS with Liam and Pierce.
Thank YOU! I thought I’d never remember.
You guys need to talk about 47 Ronin and World War Z.What the heck is going on with big budget productions in Hollywood, nowadays?
Since, like with most of your posts I don’t know what you’re talking about, I’m gonna say that actually we don’t need to do that.
Matthew Price — I will try to be less rude and more coherent in my future posts.
As to whether I wanted Ben Afleck to direct a Justice League film — I do not know. In my opinion, like The Avengers, a Justice League film has to embrace the fantastical elements of the superhero genre. I do not know whether Affleck can pull off the fantastical. It will a great challenge for him, though.
And yes, Lens Wiseman represents the worst aspects of Hollywood film-making. At least Michael Bay and Roland Emerich have unique voices.