Buttered Popcorn: Buzzmans Movie Review Thread

[Buzzman]

He was actually pretty funny if you watched him in the background pretending to dance. Dude could barely move, let alone dance.

 

[Houston]

Did you see Magic Mike alone?

 

[Buzzman]

The last movie I saw by myself was 127 Hours.

 

[NAHSTE]

The last movie I saw by myself was 127 Hours.

Fitting.

 

[Buzzman]

Lockout (2012)

Lockout follows a falsely convicted ex-government agent (Pearce), whose one chance at obtaining freedom lies in the dangerous mission of rescuing the President's daughter (Grace) from rioting convicts at an outer space maximum-security prison.

Lockout is a very messy indie film trying to be a blockbuster, but just works better as a reason to have Guy Peirce throwing out one-liners like his life depended on it. It borrows from a lot of similar films like Taken, Blade Runner, and most heavily Escape from New York. It doesn’t excel at mimicking all of them and even comes up short at times, but it still manages to make itself watchable. You’ll find yourself enjoying what you see just as often as you are bored, but remember you can do much worse.

The plot falls quickly into place to get the ball rolling. The president’s daughter is at a high maximum space prison to check on the effects of cryogenic stasis has on the human mind and body, and unsurprisingly things go bad and a prisoner escapes and starts an all-out riot. The biggest problem should be obvious, but the film isn’’t interested in being smart, it just wants to be a goofy generic action film. How did this entire plan the convicts come together and actually become a plan if they were frozen for years, separated from each other, and the daughters visit was an announced visit. It makes absolutely no sense, but thinking in this movie is something they would like you to not do. Its very generic, and the action scenes are somewhat embarrassing with how awful the CGI blended in with the actors, but it’s the dialogue that keeps you watching. It’s actually a pretty funny movie that Pearce excels in. He kept me laughing quite a bit and turned what should have been a terrible role into a cheesy fun role that worked well within the context of this film. His chemistry with damsel in distress queen Maggie Grace, worked well and the constant bickering flowed with charm rather than annoyance. These two more than make the movie watchable, which can’t be said for everyone else. The inmates are terrible, the “allies” are terrible, and so are a lot of other things.

This is not a movie you should be watching, but it can turn out to be fun with the right mood, mindset, and being a fan of Guy Pearce. He doesn’t get many leading roles, so when he does get one, it’s already intriguing. The fact they allowed him to do whatever more than makes up for the other stupid crack they tried to pull off. If you find yourself up late at night just looking for anything to watch, this is your film. Any other circumstances may hinder your viewing of it.

Overall Score: 5/10

 

[Rivers17ncsu]

That's because woman have terrible taste. They probably expect constant dick shots but when the film presented itself with an actual story, they got turned off. by it.

the ones that complained specifically complained that the story sucked and only enjoyed the shots of Tatum dancing.

 

[Buzzman]

Your Sister’s Sister (2012)

Iris (Emily Blunt) invites her friend Jack (Mark Duplass) to stay at her family's island getaway after the death of his brother. At their remote cabin, Jack's drunken encounter with Hannah (Rosmaire DeWitt), Iris' sister, kicks off a revealing stretch of days.

There are times when you go into the theater, sit down, and watch a movie you know nothing about. Nowadays with the internet, you can rarely go into a film blind. At some point you’re bound to run into reviews, opinions, and rumors during the months leading up to its release. It happens more so with blockbusters because of their massive appeal and public shootings than smaller indie films, but it’s still hard to avoid. Your Sister’s Sister was one that slid under the radar and benefitted greatly from it. It throws out a few jokes and some charm, but then eventually slams you in the chair with a lot of unexpected heart. It’s this year’s little film that could that goes above and beyond expectations and really knocks it out of the park.

The film begins on the one year anniversary of the death of Jack’s (Duplass) brother and he has yet to recover from it. His best friend, Iris (Blunt), sees his suffering and tells him to go to her cabin up north and let of some steam for once. Reluctantly he goes and to his surprise, her sister Hannah (DeWitt) is up there drunk, alone, and depressed. From here is where the film begins and really never lets you down. Its small budget and cast are put front and center, and really is just a stretch of conversations between characters that develop large amounts of characteristics, personality, and backstory through strong dialogue that has a natural flow that feels real rather than staged. There never is a straight forward story, but rather a big moment between the lives of three people that just happens to kickass. You just need sit back and listen, smile, and enjoy yourself because it’s a lovely indie film.

The year of Mark Duplass can’t have gotten any better. He’s hit a great stretch in a matter of weeks that includes directing Jeff Who Lives At Home, and starring in Safety Not Guaranteed, and now is once again in front of the cameras in this. He turns in a great down to earth performance about a man lost, struggling to respond to the feelings he has stored inside for far too long. He’s a tremendous talent that deserves a bigger following that he has. Emily Blunt, who is one of my favorite actresses working today, doesn’t let me down. She is at the heart of the film and its best scenes. She doesn’t appear to be doing a whole lot, but the script allows her to show off her improvising skills that allow you to smile at wish she was talking to you. You couldn’t really ask for more. Then there was Rosemarie DeWitt playing the other sister who has been in films for a while now, but I am just seeing now. She does the same as Blunt, but a little less, but no less challenging. They all have great chemistry together, which is absolute key for this kind of film, and they manage to make a simple film great.

This is a showcase of talent that has been much overlooked so far this year. It’s a film fans film that exceeds everything you want out of it and reaches for the sky and touches it. As of August 4th, it is my favorite film of the year, and that comes from the point of going in blind. I had almost no expectations going in and just walked away with a smile on my face that I couldn’t wipe off. It does a lot without doing very much. If the rest of the year can manage 4-5 films that can top this, it’s going to be a great year for film. Go watch this.

Overall Score: 9/10

 

[Buzzman]

Brave (2012)

Merida is a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson). Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (Robbie Coltrane). Merida's actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric old Witch (Julie Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to discover the meaning of true bravery in order to undo a beastly curse before it's too late.

Pixar has been at the top of its class for a longtime. Every film they make is top quality in animation and storytelling. For some odd reason people are a little worried that Pixar is going to start a downward spiral because of Cars 2, but if you take that franchise away they have hit a triple or homer every time. It seems absurd to say that kind of thing, but then you look at Brave as a whole alogn with there future lineup of films and it isn’t so absurd. They could be a in a downward spiral, but it didn’t start with the money making Cars, but rather here with Brave. Nothing about it feels quite right and seems like a very generic child aimed cartoon rather than what we’ve come to expect out of Pixar. It scares me a bit.

Brave never looked very good to me. The story about a young girl trying to overcome her appearance and be one of the men is nothing neither new nor groundbreaking, so imagine my surprise when that all takes place in the first minutes of the film. The rest of the film is such a bizarre turn from Pixar that I could never quite recover and enjoy it because it just looked and acted out so stupid. I don’t want to say much about it because it’s so hidden from the marketing, but it’s a twist that is so lazy, so generic, and so poor, it makes it even worse than Cars 2, and is the first real disaster Pixar has come up with. It’s the first time you begin to really question their creativity. The animation is still very top botch, definitely the best in the business, but the story is just scary bad.

The voice work throughout the film is rather pitiful too. I understand it takes place in Scotland and the voices all make sense in there realm of reality, but the choice of dialogue hurts the ears. Most of the movie is about the main character crying to her mother about not being respected and it gets annoying really quick. The same gets said about the mother’s attitude and what image she has of the perfect daughter. It constant strain of tug of war that ends in a copout draw that ends way too clean. The father and his sons are the comedic relief but feel out of place doing so many random things for laughs that it becomes a big stoppage in flow, not that the film any and real rhythm to begin with. Such a awful piece of work here. Pixar really dropped the ball on this film and with the future lineup of films not looking too enticing and other animation studios stepping up, they really need to pull there shit together to stay at the top. I hope they do, but it doesn’t look too likely.

Overall Score: 3/10

 

[dell71]

Wow, a 3 for a Pixar flick? That is indeed scary. To be fair, I thought there first disaster was the original Cars.

 

[Buzzman]

The thing with Cars is I can see from a money stand point why it was made. That brand makes them so much money it was insane they waited so long for a sequel. With Brave, its supposed to be a jump back into storytelling and creativity and just utterly falls flat. The plot twist early on is so god damn bad I have no idea how it made its way past pre-production. Then I see the teaser to Monsters University and I just keep thinking that I know the story already and exactly how its going to end. On the other hand I think movies like Paranorman and Frankenweenie look like some really good animation and the bar is set high enough that being good isn't good enough anymore. You have to be great.

 

[Buzzman]

Batman Begins (2006)

Bruce Wayne loses his philanthropic parents to a senseless crime, and years later becomes the Batman to save the crime-ridden Gotham City on the verge of destruction by an ancient order.

Batman Begins had a tough wall to climb. It had to dig itself out of a long stretch of being a campy, laughable, and awful superhero and turn him into a serious, well grounded into reality man that rises to become a hero. It had such a terrible past, I actually passed this film off as another shitty one and passed on it in the theaters. It wasn’t until home video that I gave it a chance and found out just how awesome it really was. What Nolan accomplished is nothing short of gold and should be given a standing ovation on how quickly he changed the perception of the character.

Unlike previous films, this film is entirely the origins of Bruce Wayne and how he came to be the Batman. The most any other film has dwelled into was through short flashbacks that only tell a simple basic story. Batman Begins shows how hard it actually is to don a suit and call yourself a hero. Majority of the movie shows a lost Bruce Wayne looking for a purpose that is answered by a strange man named Rhas Al Ghul. He teaches Bruce Wayne things far more important than simple fighting techniques. He teaches him a strategy to become something more, something that is a legend. It works well and moves at a slower pace than most other superhero films, and helps establish Bruce Wayne as a character before you lose him in the Batman suit. It’s a great origin story that shows a more realistic portrayal of a man trying to be a hero and the consequences he may face when he does it. It’s a great beginning chapter that helps establish a franchise in dire need of a jolt of rejuvenation.

Rhas Al Ghul may not be the flashy villain the franchise eventually gets later on, but he is a great starter villain. He’s the mentor, the man who helped shape Bruce Wayne and his betrayal of sorts more meaningful. His line of thinking is acceptable and his plan seems to have weight on it. He challenges Batman in a way to prepare himself for the days of tomorrow and his conclusion is great. A great starter villain that is overlooked due to his simple appearance and straight forward scheme, but none the less still effective.

I am one of the people that probably look at Batman Begins a lot higher than others. I think it’s almost as good as the Dark Knight and a great fucking film. It was such a drastic change in tone, appearance, and scale that I couldn’t stop watching it once I saw it. I’ve seen Batman Begins far more than any other superhero film and holds a special place in my heart as the film that started it all. It’s a awesome beginning to a trilogy and that is destined for greatness. Who would of thought that a playing card at the end could mean so much of things to come. Fantastic film, that is somehow still underrated.

Overall Score: 9/10

 

[Buzzman]

The Dark Knight (2008)

Christopher Nolan steps back into the director's chair for this sequel to Batman Begins, which finds the titular superhero coming face to face with his greatest nemesis -- the dreaded Joker. Christian Bale returns to the role of Batman, Maggie Gyllenhaal takes over the role of Rachel Dawes (played by Katie Holmes in Batman Begins), and Brokeback Mountain star Heath Ledger dons the ghoulishly gleeful Joker makeup previously worn by Jack Nicholson and Cesar Romero. Just as it begins to appear as if Batman, Lt. James Gordon (Gary Oldman), and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) are making headway in their tireless battle against the criminal element, a maniacal, wisecracking fiend plunges the streets of Gotham City into complete chaos.

You are in two categories for Nolan’s second film of his Batman trilogy. You either think The Dark Knight is the best superhero film of all time and a greatest of all time kind of film or it’s a good movie that gets overrated because of the Joker. I fall under the category of the former. This film is just about perfect and is unlike any superhero film we have ever seen before that we’ll never get again. It almost feels like this could fall right into the crime genre and blend in at the top just fine. It delivers one of the best performances I’ve ever seen and adds another thrilling chapter to Bruce Wayne’s tragic story.

Since Batman has donned the suit and began to fight off the criminal underworld that almost brought Gotham to ashes, things have changed. The Batman is a sign to be feared and mobs have been backed into a corner. In doing so, they turn to a psychopath known as the Joker. His introduction into the film is downright amazing and is a brilliant opening shot to get you sucked into the film. From there it never lets it off the gas and winds up having your full attention at every second. Bruce Wayne doesn’t know how to handle this kind of criminal. A man with no purpose is a man who cannot be stopped easily. When its randomness you fight, there is nothing you can prepare yourself for. Bruce Wayne faces the consequences for creating the Batman for the first time and begins to question whether he brought this upon the city himself. It takes us deep into the mindset of our hero more than any other comic book film before it and for the first time feels as human as you or I. He must face the wrath that he has brought upon the city and save it no matter which way it takes. It’s a tremendous game of cat and mouse that is both exciting and emotional all at the same time.

The Joker is without a doubt the best superhero villain to embrace the screen. He’s menacing, captivating, frightening, crazy, mesmerizing, and despicable all at once. His acts of chaos are riveting, his constant game with the Bat should’ve gone on forever, and his psychotic mannerisms fit the character to a tee. I love the line where he’s described as a man who just wants to watch the world burn. His belief that everyone is corruptible plays out incredibly over the screen. A scene I love in particular with him is when he sticks his body out of the car window and takes in the air like a dog. It’s such a great scene that sums the character up all too well. It’s sad we’ll never be able to see where the character could’ve been taken, but what we got of him is nothing short of amazing.

Bale this time around has a confidence in himself that pours out on screen. He feels like an established Batman, with an abundance of knowledge to fight the common criminal. We get a softer side to him later in the film with his eventual failures that bring out emotions we’ve never seen out of Bruce Wayne before. He feels human; feels man that can be stopped; a man that will endure because he has too. Another strong performance that is overshadowed by the villain. The other overlooked performance is that of Harvey Dent, played by the always fun Aaron Eckheart. He is the cocky new attorney that finds a win way to never lose. He really is the white knight that could save Gotham in a way that Batman never could. His pre-transformation performance is really played out, but never really quite recovers from a shoddy use of CGI. His storyline lines up well with all of his thoughts and ideals, which make his downfall that much more tragic. He makes the character work in both ways.

All of that is aside the point compared to what Heath Ledger was capable to turning in as the Joker. It is a role that is so incredible; I’d never thought it’d be possible to see Ledger under that makeup. The amount of things he changed about himself is insane. His mannerisms, his lick of the lips, his constant hair slick backs, his psychotic laugh, his fighting techniques, his ability to turn from a playful fellow into a menacing character is all played out on screen. It’s remarkable. Watching it knowing we’d never see him act again was and is still tragic. It was what we like to call a career defining performance that I still don’t know if it could ever be topped. He single handily turns a great film into a masterpiece just by showing up and going above and beyond. Who knows where he would have taken the character in the follow-up but at least we got to see him at his best in The Dark Knight, a role I’ll never forget.

The Dark Knight is the best comic book movie of all time. I have no doubts in my mind about it. It rejuvenated the entire genre and flipped it upside down and walked with to do its own thing. Nolan created a masterful piece of work here and was absolutely robbed of an Oscar. Nothing more needs to be said about it.

Overall Score: 10/10

 

[Buzzman]

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

It has been eight years since Batman vanished into the night, turning, in that instant, from hero to fugitive. Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner Gordon both hoped was the greater good. For a time the lie worked, as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act. But everything will change with the arrival of a cunning cat burglar with a mysterious agenda. Far more dangerous, however, is the emergence of Bane, a masked terrorist whose ruthless plans for Gotham drive Bruce out of his self-imposed exile. But even if he dons the cape and cowl again, Batman may be no match for Bane

Four Years! That is how long we have waited to see the final installment in Nolan’s Batman trilogy. It is so rare in today’s world that a studio is willing to wait to pump out a guaranteed money machine, but Nolan gets what Nolan wants. The long wait builds up incredible expectations, countless conversations on where they end up and how amazing it’s going to be, and just how much of a letdown it could be but we never want to admit. That is a lot of pressure to put on just one film. Not to mention it has to follow up the most popular and well-received comic book film of all time. In the end, it winds up just fine, capping off what to me is the greatest trilogy of all time.

Eight years has passed since Batman has taken the blame for Harvey Dent’s crimes and the city of Gotham couldn’t be better. It has been clean and at peace for years, but the central characters seem to be at the opposite end of the spectrum. They are in a dark place with everything they have endured, but going back to the first film, they have fallen and are learning to get back up. The night is darkest before the dawn and the dawn is coming. It is all connected and weaves its way through all three movies that tell one giant story of Bruce Wayne and the legend he creates as batman. For Bruce Wayne, he has age, he has lost the will to be the man he once was, but when the mad terrorist known as Bane comes to town, he has to will himself to put the suit back on one last time and save the city. This is the most personal chapter we get of Bruce Wayne. He is clearly facing obstacles you shouldn’t win. He’s physically outmatched, outnumbered, and outsmarted, but he must find a way. It takes him to his lowest point, alone, broken, and out of reach, but its here when he finds the will to rise and give Gotham everything he has to save it. It’s touching, exhilarating, draining, and emotional all at different times, and is the closest to perfect ending to the chapter of Bruce Wayne and the Batman.

The villain he must face is Bane. I didn’t entirely love him in the first viewing, but with a second re-watch, you can see his plan and its ending point weave together with a lot of thought and precise planning that you might not have caught the first time around. He really is smart, he really did spend years of planning so that he can execute his goal and destroy Gotham just the way he wanted too. He throws the city upside down and makes the city tortutre itself before he plans to blow it up anyway. Where the Joker just wanted to watch the world burn, Bane wants to be the one to light the match and then blow it up. He’s also physically menacing, with many moments of pure badassness. The dialogue was sloppy the first time around (I think because of the theater) was much better this time around and his choice of words are calculated that add a lot of intensity to already intense scenes. His eventual demise is still a bit of a letdown, but it is really amazing how much improved he felt on a second viewing. The pieces come together much more nicely when you already know the endgame.

Then there is Catwoman, or Selina Kyle since she’s never actually referred to by her actual comic book name. What Nolan does here is take the character and make it completely his own. She is sexy, smart, and vulnerable all at once. She is a great counterpart to Bruce Wayne and he is everything she might have turned out to be had she been born of wealth. Her chemistry with Batman/Wayne is good and surprisingly flows well within the story. We never feel stopped when she’s on screen. She was one of the many pleasant surprises in a film full of them; the other surprise being John Blake. I had a feeling he’d basically be a glorified cameo when the film was said and done, but he winds up getting just as much screen time as Bane/Batman and an integral part in the film. He delivers a character that represents everything we want to be as a person, while never overplaying his role. He holds back and allows others to dominate the screen, but when asked, clearly shows all the traits his character needs to have. He couldn’t have been weaved into the story much better.

Bale gives us the finest performance as Bruce Wayne that we’ve gotten. He’s always overlooked by the more juicy roles, but he’s at the heart of the franchise and gave it his all. It did the Batman franchise a lot of justice. Tom hardy as Bane can’t do much with the mask, but his physical presence works, his facial expressions lights up at the right moments, and creates another great villain on the screen. It was hard to work past the Joker, but he manages to hold his own and not be blown away. Anne Hathaway was great, especially out of costume. Same goes for JGL. He just may be the most likeable man working today.

This may not be the absolute perfect film, as it should’ve ended 5 seconds before it did, but it does seem to be the best ending the trilogy could’ve chosen. It closes the books on all of its characters and Gotham just fine and gives you the feeling of greatness. That score is so god damn good, and the Batman trilogy is one of the best of all time. We will never get a franchise in this genre, of this tone, that works so well. It makes me sad to think that, but I am so glad I was along for the ride this time. I don’t think a series of films will have grab my attention more than Nolan and Batman managed to do these past 7 years.

Overall Score: 9/10

 

[CCBrink]

Lol at a 3 for Brave. It's still Pixar quality, but more towards the bottom 10 of their movies.

 

[Buzzman]

Lol at a 3 for Brave. It's still Pixar quality, but more towards the bottom 10 of their movies.

So you've seen it?

 

[Buzzman]

Cabin in the Woods (2012)

Five friends go for a break at a remote cabin in the woods, where they get more than they bargained for. Together, they must discover the truth behind the cabin in the woods.

Cabin in the Woods had a very strange path into the theaters. Skipping past the long delay due to financial reasons, the trailers looked pretty damn bad. They were very generically aware trailers that seemed to be screaming originality that didn’t seem like it was going to be true. Then a few screeners popped up weeks before the release date and all hell broke loose. The buzz went crazy about it. People were saying it was genius, amazing, a blast, and turned the horror film on its back. It got so much attention; Joss Whedon publicly went on record begging fans not to ruin the movie and future film goers to not read anything on it. He couldn’t have been more right because the film is something special amidst its flaws.

The film begins like many others before it with a group of teenagers heading out to a cabin in the woods ready to party for the weekend. Standard situational characters and environments pop up in precisely timed scenarios that lure you into what seems like a standard horror film affair. Once it turns the story on its head and gives you something else, everything seems to make perfect sense. Why things happened in certain order, with certain choices, and certain character arcs become all more apparent that this was something made with a calculated pen. It also helps its one hell of a ride. With all the momentum the film makes, the third act comes to such a high, the definite ending makes the crash seem far harder than it was. It’s a bit of a film killer for me, but I have tried not letting five minutes of hatred effect what was an otherwise very fun ninety minutes. If you can accept its conclusion, you will find nothing but love for it.

The quick look of the cast looks like a bunch of unknowns with only a pre-Thor Chris Hemsworth giving a performance that all but foreshadowed the star he was going to be. He’s a lot of fun with great screen presence and a natural knack to lead. Others from the group of teens that do a good job are Kristen Connolly playing more than viable substitute as the scream queen and Fran Kranz as the comedic relief that manages to bring some laughs but add a more substantial role then you’d expect from his type of character. The two stars without a doubt are Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford in somewhat hidden roles that cannot be discussed without proper discussion.

Cabin in the Woods is such a bizarre case for a film. I think it would have worked just as fine as a standard slasher film, but what it turns into is incredibly fun, it’s very easy to look past some of the more goofy things they throw at you. Had they managed to work its way in a better conclusion it would’ve been one of the best films of the year, but as it stands it’s still one of the best experiences of the year and if you didn’t catch it earlier in the year, be sure to catch it at home in September. It’s strange to say because I normally hate them, but I’d be all for a prequel to the cabin in the woods and work out some fo the other cool scenarios written on the board.

Overall Score: 7.5/10

 

[Maestro]

 

Thought that Cabin in the Woods was excellent. It was a bit weird at the end, but the way it makes fun of horror movies and they're typical storylines was awesome. Also the random cuts to funny dialog in the office between the scares was excellent. Really enjoyed it.

 

[Buzzman]

The Bourne Identity (2002)

Matt Damon stars as Jason Bourne, a barely alive amnesiac with a pair of bullet wounds in his back, pulled from the Mediterranean by Italian fishermen. Bourne's only clue to his own identity is a bank account number etched on a capsule implanted in his body. He quickly finds the Zurich bank where money, a gun, and a few identification documents await, but after he's pursued by security goons at the American consulate, Bourne realizes he can trust no one and offers a German gypsy named Marie (Franka Potente) ten thousand dollars for a ride to Paris. Encountering more professional killers bent on his destruction, Bourne discovers that he possesses a surprising degree of skill in combat, martial arts, and linguistics -- handy talents that clearly indicate his past includes work as a spy and assassin, but for whom? With Marie's reluctant help, Bourne edges closer to the truth, something CIA officials want concealed at all cost.

Who knew that when the Bourne Identity hit the screen, we’d be watching the first installment in what has now become a premiere franchise that is one of the best still in production today. It rose to the top of the action genre instantly upon release and managed to mix it well into a story worth telling that was intense, smart, and badass. This was a pretty big risk with even riskier choices that eventually paid off big for Universal. The Bourne Identity was the start of something big.

We start off meeting a man who we know nothing about, which seems suitable; he has amnesia after being shot in the back and left for dead in the ocean and is in the dark about himself as much as we are. It creates this mystery around him that slowly is put together as the film progresses and the more you learn about this man, the more you wonder if you want to. He doesn’t know who he is, yet can kick the crap out of you, walk out of an embassy chase unphased, and then disappear without a trace. This man is not human; he is a machine; he is Jason Bourne. The puzzle pieces start to come together, characters begin to collide, conspiracies become facts, and before you know it, it’s coming to an end and you want more. Not enough to leave you dissatisfied, but enough to long for a sequel and see Jason Bourne kick more ass. It’s known for its very good action pieces. (That embassy scene is so fucking awesome), but it’s also a very smart spy thriller. It doesn’t get enough credit for that because that’s what makes it great to me. I can see action in a lot of movies but rarely do you get such a well-crafted mystery come with it.

Matt Damon was something very different here. Up until this point he had starred in feel good light hearted dramas that were mostly good, but never that real meaty role yet. Once he stepped into this film, he feels right at home as a bonafide action star. He had no trouble kicking ass with a slew of strategies that still hold up today. His sense of hopelessness is not lost, as he is a man with no name, and the effects it has on his character is on full display in a career jumpstart that jumped him into stardom. Franka Potente plays the love interest of sorts for the film. She is a damsel in distress without ever being annoying. She does what she’s told, moves when need be, and by the end has created a great checkpoint for Bourne to cling onto. The chemistry was small but eventually built up to a point where the relationship became believable. In smaller more defined roles, Chris Cooper as Bourne’s former boss and Clive Owen as the agent brought in to bring Bourne down, are pretty well done. They bring a lot of intensity and conclusions that end on high notes. You had an image of which they were going to be yet by the end, were opposites. It was a pleasant surprise that helped created an all-around great film.

If you haven’t started the Bourne franchise yet, no need to wait any longer. The Bourne Identity is a great start to a great franchise. It has a ton of great aspects that hold up to today’s standard in both action and storytelling, and is one of the better performances out of Matt Damon in a roller coaster career. If you’re a fan of spy thrillers full of mystery, you can’t go much better than Bourne. Great fun film.

Overall Score: 8/10

 

[Buzzman]

The Bourne Supremacy (2004)

Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) has abandoned his life as a CIA assassin and has been traveling beneath the agency's radar, eventually reconnecting with Marie Kreutz (Franka Potente), the woman he loves. But Bourne is haunted by vivid dreams and troubling memories of his days as a killer, and he's not certain how much really happened and how much is a product of his imagination. When Bourne is led out of hiding by circumstances beyond his control, he must reconcile his past and present as he struggles to keep Marie out of harm's way and foil an international incident with dangerous consequences.

The Bourne Supremacy didn’t do a whole lot different from the original, except make everything bigger as many sequels tend to do. The big difference here is that the bigger is more statement held true, opening up the audience into a much bigger conspiracy that gels right into the ongoing plot of the first without feeling all that forced. One of the coolest aspects of the film is just how many little things they managed to work into the film that consistently brought back the first without ever forcing in into the center of the screen. It let the audience put it together, trusting them not to fuck it up, thriving in the process.

Moments into the film, it sucks you right in with one of the best opening scenes in the past fifteen years. The action is top notch, the scene is really intense, and the impact it has on Jason Bourne sends him spiraling out of control. It’s a mixture of the best of both worlds for viewers. Where Jason Bourne was contained in how he moved around in the first film, he is now unleashed and free to do whatever he wants with a heart full of hate; when you’re in his cross hairs, you lose, it’s that simple. For Bourne this is a narrow minded film. He has one goal; revenge on those who ripped him into the spotlight once again. He handles it in an entertaining somewhat Hollywood manner, but its those moments where he turns a easy situation difficult is where the entertainment comes in. Sure he can just walk in with a gun and shoot you in the head, but we want to see him beat the shit out of you, get the answer he wants, and then destroy you in a sort of art form of hand to hand combat. This is the weakest film we get of Bourne, which still isn’t bad, but it’s the antagonist that brings her game. She feels like a more calculated, controlled, and open minded superior than we got in the original. The filling of the blanks for the first film comes through her and not only helps make this film more interesting, but adds a lot of afterthought into the first film. This is one long character arc that works as one long movie, and this is the part where the questions are being put in place that set up responses the third film will answer. It’s the most action-oriented film of the franchise, and a solid continuation of a long great story.

Matt Damon returns as Jason Bourne is even better than his original portrayal. Gone is the sense of confusion and present is a state of calculated anger that is brought upon suddenly from the opening moments. He is a wounded animal that’s only known taught response is too bite back. His fight sequences are top notch here, and are the high point of the series for me in that department. Joan Allen is the CIA Agent brought in to track and capture Bourne, but her brain quickly puts together that things are not as they seem. She makes a more interesting semi antagonist that plays both sides of the line then the one dimensional Chris Cooper, but is far from the reason the film is so fun to watch., Karl Urban disappears for a bit too long but his time on screen is great. His cat and mouse chase scenes are top notch, ad with very little dialogue provides Bourne’s with his toughest opponent of the franchise who is an agent that can go toe to toe with Bourne and feel like he can walk away winning.

Supremacy is the only Damon-Bourne film that has faced some of the most criticism, but I don’t really see it. It has a lot of “epic” moments, another solid chapter in the Bourne story, and opens us up into more of the Universe he runs around in. There’s a scary truth to it, and that why it’s so engaging. This kind of corruption probably has found its way into programs of this sort, and the action fits well into the plot. It’s a solid sequel that is just as good as the original and what I feel is the 2nd best in the series as a whole.

Overall Score: 8/10

 

[Buzzman]

The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)

Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) races to solve the mystery of his past while being hunted by members of the very organization he was hired into as director Paul Greengrass brings author Robert Ludlum's popular character back to the big screen for his third feature outing.

The first two films in the Bourne franchise has led to this. The character that we have watched is finally ready and willing to remember; who he was, what he has done, and where does he go from here. It’s a thrilling, almost perfect conclusion to a character that has been torn apart and put back together so many times in such a short span. We finally come back to the first film and learn the identity of a man we never truly knew. The question is whether Bourne is going to like what he learns, and the choice he must make with that information on how he lets it define him.

The Bourne movies has always built into a larger scale and scope and that holds true here for Ultimatum, but it does so by going back to the basics and turning back into Bourne’s past. He goes back to where it all began and learns some terrible things about himself. He has been a man presented in a hero’s light with all the good intentions that came from his amnesia, but the man he was before was a scary assassination that did what was necessary to save lives. Or was he just a hitman doing the dirty work to keep grimy men in power. It doesn’t have a definite answer, but no matter what way it’s put, Jason Bourne was never the good guy. It’s a truly fascinating approach to man we came to admire, and his journey feels like it was always going to end this way. This movie has some really good action pieces, but the best scenes are full of dialogue and tension. It’s the franchises peak, and the closing minutes of the film are bittersweet. We have to say goodbye to a badass, somewhat tragic character but journey to his conclusion was a well-made nonstop roller coaster with plenty of twists and turns that always made it an exciting film to sit down and watch.

Matt Damon is at his best here. He has not till this day portrayed a character as well as he did here. He’s a ruthless, tragic, sad, scary, and at peace all throughout and his final turn as the character was Matt Damon. He became the character he was portraying and forever and always will always been seen as Jason Bourne first, and anything else second. The film adds another superior to hunt Bourne down. This time in the form of David Strathairn, who is essentially a much slimier version of Joan Allen that doesn’t have the moral obligation as Pamela Landy. He’s very good here, and the tension between the two makes up for the lack of a standard assignation throughout the film. The two go back and forth at each other, overflowing into Bourne’s story that sets up the conclusion of the franchise at the time into a prefect shot.

The Bourne Ultimatum is one of the best thrillers I’ve ever seen and is such a perfect conclusion to one of the best franchises in recent Hollywood. The movies have always been about Jason Bourne and who he was as a person and this film does it better than the previous two combined. They add such a rich history into the character; you have no choice to love it. It caps off a trilogy that will always go overlooked, but rightfully deserves to be u there with the best of them.

Overall Score: 9/10