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The legendaryJames Bondseries has a long and illustrious history, showcasing the dapper and larger-than-life superspy persona. However, the intense portrayal of Jason Bourne by Matt Damon completely changed the course of espionage movies for good.
Jason Bourne, played by the actor who has won seven Primetime Emmy Awards, has set a new standard for realism in the spy genre. In contrast to the dapper and polished Daniel Craig’s James Bond, Jason Bourne was gritty, flawed, and human, which made theBournefranchise emphasize the psychological toll that living a double life can have.
Let us take a look at the five major ways Damon’sJason Bourneredefined theJames Bondfranchise when Craig took over for Pierce Brosnan.
Read more:“This ain’t gonna work”: Matt Damon Made a Life Changing Decision With Ben Affleck After Edward Norton Schooled Him in an Audition For an Oscar Worthy Role
1. Jason Bourne Was Created To Be the ‘Anti-James Bond’
Even thoughMatt Damonhas starred in a number of critically acclaimed and financially rewarding movies, theBournefranchise may have made him the most well-known.
Bourne distinguished himself from other fictional secret agents like James Bond in large part because he never employed gadgets or cutting-edge technology. He only used his fists and his improvisational abilities. In an interview withDesus & Mero, Damon described the creative process that went into developing his enduring character:
“With the Bourne movies, we were playing on the idea that James Bond — we wanted to make him kind of the anti-James Bond. James Bond always has gadgets, right? ‘Well here’s a special pen that turns into a helicopter,’ you know what I mean? And then it’s like it comes and it rescues him, or he can use it all of these situations. And we just kind of wanted to underline the point that Bourne got nothing like that.”
2. Jason Bourne Featured Some Extremely Intense Fight Scenes
TheBournefranchise transformed how action sequences were shot by utilizing shaky cameras, quick cuts, and a quick editing style. As seen in movies likeSkyfallandSpectre,theJames Bondseries has been forever changed by the raw and intense cinematography Matt Damon’s movies inspired.
In an earlier interview withEWon the movie’s fight scenes, the actor made the following statement:
“He does all the stuff that is life-threatening that I could never get insured for, and quite frankly, would never do. Mostly because I’d just look terrified while doing it.”
Meanwhile, Paul Greengrass, the director, added:
“He looks like he’s on a mission, he looks like he’s active, and he looks like there’s no time to waste.”
3. Matt Damon’s Jason BourneIs A ‘Serial Monogamist’
Matt Damon raised the stakes in the conflict between Bourne and Bond by criticizing 007 as archaic, out-of-date, and stuck in the 1960s. Speaking prior to the third installment in the series,The Bourne Ultimatum,the actor was eager to highlight the distinctions between the two action film series. He toldThe Guardian:
“Bourne is a serial monogamist whose girlfriend is dead and he does nothing but think about her … he doesn’t have the support of gadgets and feels guilty about what he’s done.”
Read more:“It’s a very risky thing to do but I had faith..”: Matt Damon Would Have Said No to ‘The Martian’ If It Was Not For Director Ridley Scott
4. Jason Bourne’s Action Skill Changed James Bond
With the arrival of Jason Bourne, viewers were introduced to a new level of hand-to-hand combat. Matt Damon’s character relied on strategic thinking, spontaneity, and a deadly fusion of action scenes.
However, Damon found that getting in shape for the bloody brawls was a struggle as the actor, 53, once toldPEOPLE:
“It was a lot of work to get back to that, but we felt it was really important. I still had to keep going to the gym with horrifying regularity to stay in shape, so that was the challenge, along with the long work hours. I was in shape for way longer than someone my age should be.”
5. Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne Has Modern ‘Values’
Hollywood has long been enthralled by those who live in the enigmatic world of espionage. James Bond and Jason Bourne, are two of the most instantly recognizable secret agents on the silver screen. In an interview withGQ, Matt Damon compared the two action spy film series directly to highlight why he has always preferred his to Daniel Craig’s. He remarked:
“I like Bourne better than Bond. Bourne has today’s values; Bond has the values of the 1960s. Daniel’s Bond has upgraded him and brought him more into the present, but, classically, that character is a misogynist who likes swilling martinis and killing people and not giving a sh*t.”
Thus, it is safe to say that, from the focus on realism and character depth to the development of action sequences and modernization,Jason Bournehas permanently changed the way we view the world of espionage on the big screen.
StreamJason Bourneon FuboTV.
Read more:Forget Matt Damon, James Bond Star Sean Connery Lost Millions by Refusing Keanu Reeves’ ‘The Matrix’ for a Role That Went to Andrew Garfield’s ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ Co-Star
Siddhika Prajapati
Senior Journalist & Content Head
Articles Published :3310
With over 3,300 articles carved into the digital walls of FandomWire, Siddhika Prajapati excels at creating, curating, and elevating engaging stories. She takes pride in giving these stories a home and, of course, she’s got a Google Knowledge Panel to prove it!Whether it’s reviewing the latest drop on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Apple TV+, or analyzing the cultural echoes of a streaming hit on Paramount+ or Max, Siddhika is always writing three steps ahead of the discourse.
