The Bourne Supremacy...

[fajrdrako]

A friend gave me a movie pass for tonight and I went to see The Bourne Supremacy. I remember reading the novel years ago and being mildly bored - I don't like Ludlum's writing style. The trailer looked like a overabundance of car chases; and I don't find Matt Damon very interesting. But. My goodness, what a good plot. It kept me guessing what was going to happen from minute to minute, and I really liked the two protagonists, Bourne and Landy. It awoke my old love of espionage stories. My only complaint is that I like Karl Urban, who played the Bad Assassin, far more than I like Matt Damon, who payed the Good Assassin. But that's okay. I just had a great time watching the villain. Brian Cox was good, too. As usual.

I had planned to see it with Lyn, but she hurt her back and couldn't make it. How long has it been since I saw a movie alone? Years. I consider watching movies a social activity - TV too, most of the time; if I'm alone I read comics or books. Usually. I've warched Touching Evil on my own, though, which is a sign how much I like it. I watch Smallville alone too, if I'm working on fanfic research.

Leaving the cinema, I ran into the Stage Manager at the theatre where I work, and he and his wife gave me a drive home. Happy timing. They had seen Collateral Damage; he had the evening off since we don't have a performance on Mondays this summer.

I got almost no sleep last night (due to pre-menstrual cramps) but felt more alert and awake today than I usually do. What's up with that? I didn't want to lie there fretting, and I didn't want to wake myself up by getting up and doing something, so I reached for something to read from the stack of stuff by my bed - which turned out to be a wonderful Jack/Will Pirates of the Caribbean slash story by Beth called Succubus. It covered all the criteria in my head for good slash: an original and different plot that is firmly based on the premise and mood of the original show; good characterization; hot sex, and a satisfying and convincing relationship. Not to mention suspense and action. Delightful.

Comments

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Random: do you know where I could find a good Smallville mood theme? hehehe.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

No, not offhand - I can try to find out. I know lots of people who have them, and they're gorgeous, too!

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Yes! Do share when you get the info. Gorgeous Smallville themes = yay!

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

A friend gave me a movie pass for tonight and I went to see The Bourne Supremacy.

Hm! Intersting choice. I don't think I'd go see that one even if someone else did pay -- then again, that'd probably be the only reason I would. I also feel strong aversion to the upcoming Cellular, which involves a kidnap victim getting hold of someone on his cell phone and then his phone losing its battery charge so he has to steal a car and rush to a phone supplies store and his car gets hit by a big truck (without him in it -- I think he double-parked it) and explodes, and then he has to jump the line in the cell-phone store and demand a charger by shooting a pistol at the ceiling. Uh, yeah, sure. Even as I was shaking my head at the total ridiculousness, the incredibly manufactured and false tension of it all, the dude behind me at the theater was going, "Yeah, wow, that'll be a good one!" Give me a break -- are people really that shallow? Betya this young man hasn't read a book (outside of class, and then -- under protest) possibly in his entire pseudo-adult life. Sorry, rant over....

I remember reading the novel years ago and being mildly bored - I don't like Ludlum's writing style.

Yeah. Odd, how I find most of the "bestsellers" these days to be far from interesting. And I do like spy stuff, yes I do indeed, but...!

The trailer looked like a overabundance of car chases;

Um, no, the trailer looked like the same car chase seen from every angle that they'd filmed...! They must have liked that one, because the utterly saturated the trailer with it. I don't like car chases, either -- I find them annoying and unrealistic -- and this one was one of the worst yet. But that's just me.

and I don't find Matt Damon very interesting.

Oh, thank goodness it's not just me! I don't, either. What is the appeal he has for so many, I wonder?

But. My goodness, what a good plot. It kept me guessing what was going to happen from minute to minute, and I really liked the two protagonists, Bourne and Landy. It awoke my old love of espionage stories.

Ah, yes -- finding joy in unexpected places. Maybe I'll go see this movie after all, despite my assertion above!

My only complaint is that I like Karl Urban, who played the Bad Assassin, far more than I like Matt Damon, who payed the Good Assassin. But that's okay. I just had a great time watching the villain. Brian Cox was good, too. As usual.

Karl Urban. My goodness. He's showing up everywhere. I was delighted to find him in The Chronicles of Riddick, and liked what he did with his character, which was by far one of the most believeable in the movie. Then again, the movie itself was good, character-wise, if a little thin on the real-science part of its being hard sci-fi.

Brian Cox, I don't think I know. Or, if I do, I don't connect the name. What else has he been in...?

(Sorry to hear about Lyn's back! Hope it's not serious.)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Why doyou feel an aversion to The Bourne Supremacy? Do you not like spy movies, or is it the actors? I liked the plot, and if the problem is that Bourne was too super-competent and survived things improbably - I like that, too; it makes the character a sort of superhero without the costume, and I respond to it in the same way. I love it; it's my old passion for heroism.

The car chase at the end was overlong but that didn't bother me too much. It was also more interesting than most car chases, if only because of who was doing it, and because it was an echo of previous chases in the movie - on foot.

Does Matt Damon have a lot of appeal? I suppose he does - he's a star - but he isn't someone I hear my friends talking about or thinking about.

Brian Cox (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004051/) played Stryker in X-Men 2. He was also Agammemnon in Troy. He seems to specialize in playing interesting antagonists. I see he was also in The Bourne Identity (which I would now like to see) in the same role.

[lilithlotr.livejournal.com]

I just finally saw Bourne on Sunday. I could have gone with Karen and Co. in San Diego, but I knew she'd crow when Karl killed Franka, and I didn't want to have to kill Karen in retaliation....

It occurred to me, about 2/3 of the way through the final car chase with Karl and Matt, that I was actually WATCHING a long chase scene. Usually I nod off (or wander out, if possible). Good movie.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I was actually WATCHING a long chase scene

Yes, me too - it was remarkable! It was still too long, but it was interesting. It held my attention. It made me worry about the outcome.

I knew she'd crow when Karl killed Franka, and I didn't want to have to kill Karen in retaliation....

Oops. Well, no. But all in a good cause and so on.