Un-Bourne

I really should get to bed but I want to get this in first.

I saw The Bourne Supremacy tonight. It was a solid action flick. (for those lacking in movie reviews from me, solid means, it stood up on its own, but ultimately I won’t see it again. Its a C movie. (in the sense that C is average, I don’t do grade inflation.)

What disappointed me is that director Paul Greengrass jettisoned most of what Doug Liman, the director of the first Borne flick, brought to the table that made it special. Liman spent a great deal of time rounding out Borne, making sure that in several ways he’s a plausible real character. Liman had scenes scattered thorough the movie that enforced, this not the standard bookends that action movies do. (I.e. Scenes establishing full roundedness…LOTS OF ACTION…closing scenes reinforcing full roundedness.)

Another thing, Jason Borne does not once disappear before the audience’s eyes during this movie. Liman felt that this was an important little trait to add in, Greengrass on the other hand would’ve been well served by watching the first DVD with the commentary to pick up on this technique.

Finally, the camera work was just too action movieish. Bourne One had an un-action movie feel because it wasn’t as fast cut happy as your average movie. Greengrass has once again missed this stylistic technique that separated Bourne from other action heros.

Doug, next time please direct the sequel or at least get someone who can crib some of your work so the movies feel like they’re one coherent family, instead of a schizophrenic set of twins.