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There's a vulnerability to Damon's Bourne which I distinctly felt in the first two films (even on this last watch) which I don't quite remember feeling in the third one. As I recall, he was more 'superman' in Ultimatum, but I can better report on it once I watch it tonight.
Renner is decent enough in Legacy, true. However, he too seems almost indestructable for most of it (unsurprising given he is full of drugs) and then demonstrates panic once those run out. I never felt the emotional vulnerability like I do with Damon's character.
Renner is a good actor no doubt, but I have an impression of him as supporting material to bigger stars (like in MI , Avengers or American Hustle) rather than a lead in an action film.
One of the only Brosnan movies I had yet to see, found it very entertaining, was much better than I had hoped. Brosnan had one of the coolest moments of his career in this movie.
'Jupiter Ascending'
Finally gave it a fair chance and watched the entire thing, and I thought it was awful. Wachowskis have done nothing but duds, in my opinion, over the last decade or so.
Apparently it stays closer to the Ludlum novel AND - apparently - those novels aren't worth my time, especially the third one isn't. Ultimatum, I was told, is terrible.
I've only read Identity many years ago and enjoyed it. I'm not much of a fiction reader, but am interested in reading the others one day.
@ClarkDevlin, I've been a fan of the series since the start, and that's never a thought that's come to my mind, nor have I heard it discussed before. Where'd you get this notion from? The only pills I remember Bourne taking at all in the series where for sleeping or headaches, when he's trying to hide with Marie in Gao, but never figured it was due to the effects of chems or anything like that.
It makes no sense if he did get his skills from chems, because he still had the same abilities mentally and physically in Ultimatum, long, long after the effects of the chems would've worn off, and we know he didn't do what Cross did to get permanent abilities, as he only knew who he was at the end of Ultimatum. Hell, the chems would've worn off for Bourne before he even got off the fishing boat at the start of Identity, post the failed mission.
I really hope this isn't true, because this junk movie science sunk Legacy and Bourne not needing chems for his abilities was one of the things that actually made him interesting. If they take that away from him, that's sad.
I haven't actually seen him as a lead in anything, yet, but that's my impression as well. (So I also haven't seen Legacy, and can't comment on that.) Btw, since you mentioned it: Carmine Polito is my favourite of the little that I've seen of his characters - lots of genuine warmth there.
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Movies watched recently pretty much just because of the leads:
First Snow (2006)
Guy Pearce.
An interesting case of a slow-moving film that still had tension all the way through, the feeling that something terrible was going to happen - and you expect something other than what you get and especially how you get it. I liked that approach.
Apart from Pearce, I also really liked JK Simmons in a small supporting role.
Calvary (2014)
Brendan Gleeson.
The movie begins with an anonymous, unseen parishioner taking to Father James (Gleeson) in a confessional, saying he'll kill James next Sunday. Then we follow what happens during that week. This isn't a crime mystery or thriller, though, but a quiet, good drama.
Gleeson was excellent as usual. Btw, I seem to remember someone here really likes Kelly Reilly... she plays Gleeson's character's daughter.
House Of D (2004)
Anton Yelchin.
Not a great movie by any means, but worth a watch (at least for me). I suspected this would be hard to watch and it was. Robin Williams (in a supporting role) I had no problem with, but Anton Yelchin, gawd... Here as a fresh faced kid - so young, so sweet, so obviously talented. He was wonderful in this.
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
I wrapped up my pre-Jason Bourne-athon tonight with the final film in the original trilogy. This was by far the most successful of the original films, both domestically and worldwide, and was a major smash upon release. Damon went out on a high.
As has been mentioned by others earlier, the action set pieces in this entry are absolutely brilliant. The tense early Waterloo Station chase sequence is still unmatched, as is the Tangier pursuit & fight with Desh. It had a big influence again on the following year's QoS. The final car chase is intense, but I really much prefer the one in Moscow in Supremacy (more on that below).
Location work is amazing, as it is in all 3 of the original films. One gets a real immersive feel for Tangier in particular - much more so than in last year's SP.
Damon again delivers as the amnesiac spy. Jason Strathairn (a brilliant actor) is outstanding as CIA Deputy Director Noah Vosen. Joan Allen reprises her role as Pam Landy (in a smaller part this time) as does Julia Stiles as Nicky Parsons. There are small roles for great stars of the past (Albert Finney) and future (Edgar Ramirez & Daniel Bruhl).
I really enjoyed the film, as I always do, but in contrast to most other members, I feel this is the weakest of the original trilogy by some distance. Why? Well, it's because I find it somewhat derivative of Supremacy and Identity in many instances. While the earlier films felt fresh at the time and the situations and circumstances were new to my eyes, ears and senses on first watch, Ultimatum seemed like a bit of a retread in 2007, albeit a superbly executed one with higher stakes and body count. That perception remains after today's watch. Moreover, as I surmised earlier, Bourne himself seems more of a superman in this film. While he was emotionally battered in the 2nd one and frightened by his lack of 'Identity' in the first, here he is on a quest to finally get to the bottom of his past. That purposefulness makes him strong, but also a little less appealing to me & a bit more robotic.
Having said that, this is still an 'exceptionally good' actioner. It's just that I feel the first two films really set the bar very high and this one closes it out nicely but doesn't move the needle all that much. Very similar in that respect for me to The Return of the King from the LOTR trilogy. I realize I'm being quite critical.
I am now completely pumped for Jason Bourne on Friday, and will be among the first in line to get my fill of the man himself in the theatre for the first time in nine years. I can't wait - it's been way too long!
Man Cave rating: 4.5 of 5
I've seen The Running Man. Pretty interesting movie considering how funny it is in the middle of a dark story. Probably a big inspiration for The Hunger Games series?
Ah, the book is so much better.
That also said, I wouldn't mind seeing more scientific objects get in the way and have Bourne battling those assassins who possess strength superior to the human norm. It'll be the glorious scenario of "the old ways are always the best".
As for the pills, again, I am sure I've heard it somewhere... Perhaps it was The Professor who said that to Bourne after his defeat... Don't quite remember, but I'll definitely get back to it.
Mine too @DaltonCraig007
Ultimatum moves so fast and the action barely lets up. Love all the Tangiers scenes especially.
The Professor mentions pills, but as far as I always interpreted/understood it, they were both taking them to tame the headaches and insomnia they got from the dangerous and traumatic work they did, and not for their abilities.
@0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 promised some crazy stuff and methinks I saw a lot of it. But wow, I'm truly shocked by the ending although, I must admit, I have a few hypotheses of my own but I won't allow myself to be spoiled or anything. Seeing how most of the Potter films rely on pretty predictable plot turns to resolve things in the end, I'm allowing myself a minor degree of speculation concerning what's really going on with Snape. Ah well, I'll soon find out how right I am. ;-) What matters most is that the dark stuff is great, the cast keeps surprising me - I mean, is every British actor of some notoriety going to end up in a Potter film at least once? ;-) - and even the loopy teenage romance is fairly entertaining. These magical adventures are definitely working for me! The Half-Blood Prince is simply my next proverbial "favourite film in the series so far". Right, so now we have one, or is it two - uh, I'm confused - films left. I'm usually scared of the part onesies and twosies to conclude a series. Those last two Twilight films, which I was forced to watch shotgun to my head, as well as those last two Hunger Games, were vomit inducing in the former case and aggravatingly disappointing in the latter. But since I'll be forced to endure Infinity Wars as a twosome, I might as well try to keep an open mind on things...
JOHN CARPENTER WRITTEN and / or DIRECTED THEATRICAL MOVIE RETROSPECTIVE
4 - HALLOWEEN (1978)
Written and directed by Carpenter
One of my all-time favourites, the godfather of all slashers, the primary stalker thriller, HALLOWEEN set the tone for everything that was to come from FRIDAY 13TH onwards. From the brutally unnerving opening to the misleading calm of the middle section, and from there on all the way to the actual "night he came home", the narrative of HALLOWEEN is a simple as it is brilliant. Carpenter's classic score and Dean Cundey's incredible cinematography - watch this film in Widescreen Anamorphic - made HALLOWEEN something much bigger than its $300 000 could have bought in less capable hands. (Half of that budget went to anamorphic lenses and other equipment.) Jamie Lee Curtis became our most beloved scream queen overnight and Donald Pleasence, accepting the role that Christopher Lee had declined, was given a whole new career as Dr. Loomis.
Laurie Strode babysits on Halloween, isn't overtly interested in boys (except Ben Tramer but she dares not even ask him) and doesn't mind her friends' drinking and unsafe sex adventures in other people's houses. A common thing in Springfield, Illinois. Until October 31st, when 'the Shape' has taken enough interest in her for reasons unknown to us, to go out on a killing spree. First her friends get it, then Laurie must suffer Shape's resolve to get to her no matter what. Luckily, Shape's psychiatrist, who identifies the Shatner mask wearing lunatic as Michael Myers, has come to protect Laurie.
By now most of us have probably seen this film in the double digits. If so, I recommend you give the extended edition of HALLOWEEN a try. It's not a better film than the theatrical version by any means, but it adds some scenes which hint to the sequel's big reveal, the one that gave George Lucas an idea. (I'm just making that up, folks.) Those additional scenes were shot during the production of HALLOWEEN 2 and edited in for the television viewing of the original.
I can't believe how much I love HALLOWEEN. It's simple, not all that scary any more and by no means the CITIZEN KANE of horror thrillers. But it's essential viewing, arguably Carpenter's best and a source of inspiration for a lot of independent horror filmmakers. The most successful independent horror film of its time, depriving Hooper's "The TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE" of that honour, HALLOWEEN spawned 7 close and loose sequels and a remake. The 2007 remake, by Rob Zombie, was one of the most faithful remakes of a Carpenter movie, despite being trimmed down to the second half of that film. While I certainly love that remake and have nothing but kind things to say about it, nothing beats the original. I'll take Freddy over Michael Myers everyday, but HALLOWEEN remains my absolute favourite in the pantheon of slasher films, if for no other reason then at least for it being such a bloody well-made movie.
RANKINGS
Halloween: 9,5/10
Eyes of Laura Mars: 8,5/10
Assault on Precinct 13: 8/10
Dark Star: 6,5/10
The Killing Joke- 2016
Man, I hate to be a downer, but this movie just wasn't that great.....
Without spoiling too much, they added a half hour prologue (understandable, since the book itself is a bit too short for a movie) that many people will HATE. It also plays hell on the pacing. It's a bit like Full Metal Jacket in a sense-- two movies in one.
Once we get to the story we were all waiting for things improve quite a bit. But still, for a movie I've been looking forward to for so long it just wasn't anything to write home about.
Also, there was nothing R rated about it-- it felt like a longer episode of The Animated Series. Maybe I'm just numb from all the violent movies I've seen growing up, lol
Worth a watch, make no mistake, but try not to get your hopes up too much.
I thought Dark Knight Returns was waaaaay better.
I'd give Killing Joke a 4.5 out of 10, hate to say :/
You've inspired me to give this another go, Darth! It's been far too long! I'd love to hear your opinions of the rest of the series!
If you enjoy Halloween that much, I recommend adding 'Someone's Watching Me' to your retrospective. Carpenter made it immediately before Halloween, and it shows. A number of techniques that he would employ in Halloween, and given a test run in Someone's Watching Me. And while it might be a tv movie, don't let that put you off.