My evening
From what I was able to handle, it’s a great movie. But literally, it made me sick–as in motion sick. I wasn’t sitting too close, maybe ten rows back, but it made me sick the way some computer games do–nauseous from the fast movement and camera moves.
I meant to give you a review, so here is what I can report: the first half sounded good. I only actually saw a little bit because my eyes were closed, or looking at the ceiling. That little bit, though, looked good and amounted to CIA spies standing in a room or sitting in a chair. There was very little of that. I had to leave at mid-film because otherwise I was close to the point of no return. You know, where if you let the motion sickness go on too long you will, uh, revisit you lunch. And dinner. So, it was a personal health/safety decision to leave. The fact that the guy next to me kept cracking his knuckles made the decision even easier. I’m still surprised that Matt Damon does action so well.
End result: It took about 15 minutes after I left the movie to feel perfectly fine. My advice, go see it, but get there early and sit as far back in the theatre as you can. And just in case, bring some of those Pepto chewable pills. My plan is to go back and take my own advice. Or I might have to wait for it to come out on DVD.
Pepto. When I go to Massachusetts to marry my iPhone, i think I will become a polygamist and marry Pepto at the same time. I love them equally, just differently.
UPDATE:
Our friend Ed Driscoll also has some thoughts on the movie, and links to Newsbusters, who takes serious issue with an underlying ‘liberal’ mantric liberal message “CIA is Bad…CIA is Bad.” Not having watched the entire film, it was obvious from the beginning that there was that primary message, but frankly, that’s noting new for the franchise. The message, though, even from I saw, is so ridiculously heavy-handed (especially as the CIA starts to focus on killing its own) it becomes a laughable part of the film.
What I tend to be interested in is the ‘human condition’ element of the film–Bourne’s search for his identity and past. Frankly, I’m getting tired of focusing on the liberal element of every single film. They virtually all have them, and fortunately, I’ve also seen the American public not be necessarily affected by Hollywood’s nonsense.
Apparently the message of the movie is nausea inducing as well. According to liberal reviewer Anthony Kaufman, the movie is chock full of liberal propaganda. It is Hollywood’s most direct attack against the Bush Regime since George Clooney’s one-two punch of Good Night and Good Luck and Syriana.
Spielberg is widely credited with starting the whole hand-held shaky camera thing. It worked really well in ‘Saving Private Ryan’ but it’s gotten way out of control. It’s to the point where I like to see movies a second time on DVD so I can make out exactly what’s happening.
As for the politics, thanks for the confirmation. My wife and I were going to see the movie yesterday, but I wasn’t in the mood for more America bashing so we stayed home.
Re: Pepto Bismol. Literally a gift from God. I’ve often said that if they’d just put some vitamins in it, I could survive on nothing else!
You know the funny thing is the books these Bourne movies are based on were about a rogue CIA Black Bag Operations in which Bourne wasn’t a hit man at all. And the CIA (aka Treadstone) didn’t put a hit out on him but did want him brought in for treatment and debreifing as he was undercover trying to flush out a real hit man named Carlos….who seems to have disappeared from the movies.
I’ve enjoyed the Bourne franchise and trundled off to watch the latest last Friday. While I generally enjoyed it as an entertaining action film, I found myself leaving with an almost uncontrollable wish to rap the director upside the head and pointing out the nearest tripod, demand that he start using it. Apparently shooting an entire movie with a shaky, occasionally unfocused handheld camera is what passes for edgy, state of the are cinematography these days, but it’s mostly just annoying.
The snappy, quick-cut “it’s-edited-like-a-music-video” thing is so ten years ago. It’s not creative anymore.
Thank you for not giving the ending away. I had to throw a kleenex box at one coworker today to get him to shut up about the movie. (He’s a walking book and movie spoiler.)
As for the pepto….amen!!!! I really need to invest in Procter&Gamble.
Stomach fine, brain hurts! Stealing a line from one of our friends: “Pass the Advil”! Too much action and not enough substance. Using another line from ………well……….not a friend of ours: Tammy “I feel your pain”.
Neighbor Steve & Bev need a soothing moment after that movie!