This movie was nothing new and was a lot of old movies thrown together but not as well. 2nd rate espionage as compared to a James Bond film, 2nd rate care chase as compared to Ronin. And how many films have the “lost identity” or “who do I trust” cliche,
aka. Mission Impossible, Total Recall. The bar has been raised so high for new ideas, better plots, better action that this felt like a made for TV movie. Better luck next time.
I didnt read the book, but after watching it I felt that the movie was not that good and left with a little confusion…like thats it? Then we went to IMDB and read reviews and found out we should have read the book to understand the history because without it I thought it was an alright movie nothing special.
By James Bond films, Ronin, Mission Impossible, and Total Recall? With all due respect, George Costanza could leap over that bar.
I thought the movie was pretty good. Damon played the role very well and there were a couple scenes that actually made me jump in my seat, notably when the assassin swung in through the window of his apartment.
I enjoyed it so much I saw it in the theater twice and bought the DVD. I hope the sequel is as good, although the way the movie ended doesn’t make me long for a sequel—I liked the way things were at the end.
OK, but just what is the point of Julia Stiles’ character? Does the CIA normally have 20-year old field office agents?
Isn’t it obvious, BobT? Just in case the movie was a big, big hit, they wanted people to be able to have “Marie or Nicolette”-type debates!
BTW, Nicolette.
I found the whole youthful approach believeable. For instance, you cannot join the military or the CIA http://www.cia.gov/cia/employment/jobpostings/overseas.htm as a field agent if you’re older than 35. Spy sort of work is full of those younger than 30 in the field.
And to be a good spook, you don’t neccesarily have to follow the James Bond “I have to stop the evil genius but I want to have drinks with him and have sex with his attractive female flunky first” approach to film spy work. In regards to Jason Bourne, he could have been any age and it would have worked, as he wasn’t exactly supposed to be seen. Just as long as he did his job, I don’t think it mattered what he looked like or how old he was.
As for being experienced: young people fight and die in wars all the time. Wasn’t the average age of a soldier in Vietnam around 18 or 19? I would imagine you’d get very experienced very quickly when people are trying to kill you.
–greenphan
Ni-ni-ni-ni-ni-nineteen, according to Paul Hardcastle.
I saw it with my brother and grandma. The same little-old-lady whom I had lunch at Hooters with the day before. As a movie, I loved it and so did they. The story was better than XXX, the plot was exciting with enough action to keep me grabbin the popcorn but done well enough to keep me from being bored with it, and I was entertained. I haven’t read the books, so I won’t make any judgements based on the book-to-movie transition, but as a fun action movie it was pretty good.