One of my favorite action franchises – the Jason Bourne series - is returning for yet another installment, and the key players, director Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon, are returning. Without them, I would be much more hesitant, but now the film is all but guaranteed to be good.
Following Doug Liman’s The Bourne Identity, which was very good but not great, Greengrass took over and absolutely blew me away with The Bourne Supremacy. Most people liked The Bourne Ultimatum even more, but I slightly favor Supremacy for its more complex plot.
All that I ask, Mr. Greengrass and Mr. Damon, is that you write a plot involving Carlos the Jackal. He was the main villain in the books, and the whole reason for Jason Bourne’s existence. Sure, the movies have veered so far away from the original plot of the books (read The Bourne Supremacy book and tell me it’s not one of the coolest books ever written – even though it’s nothing like the movie) that some elements will be lost (the movies have killed off two of the three main characters from the books), but Ultimatum really set the stage for something about Carlos the Jackal. Sure, Ultimatum tried to explain David Webb’s transformation into Jason Bourne, but it never touched upon why the program was created in the first place. Why? To take down Carlos the Jackal!
The one thing the Bourne movies have lacked is a truly evil villain, and it’s about time Jason Bourne met his match. The Bourne Identity 4, or whatever it’s going to be called, better star Carlos the Jackal, or else I’ll… hmmm. Well, just put the dude in there. What about Javier Bardem as the bad guy? Benicio Del Toro? Paulie Shore?
Update: this fourth Bourne Identity movie is currently slated for a summer 2011 release date.
Tags: bourne identity 4, jason bourne, new bourne movie, sequel
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February 24th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
My personal thought not shared by all opinion about those bourne movies is that they are very boring. I know, I know, the so called action and what not but I just don’t get them. I’ve seen all of them and they just don’t do it for me. Suggestion for 4th movie. The Bourne obsurdity
February 24th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
Hi JayMike,
Yeah, I remember you saying you weren’t too crazy about the Bourne movies. I’m just so surprised – I find them to be some of the most adrenaline-filled, fast-paced action movies in recent memory. What did you think of Casino Royale?
February 25th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
I just bought casino royale about two weeks ago and I loved it. I’ve only seen a couple of the recent James Bond movies and I have to say it was pretty good. I believed Daniel Craig was a bad ass more than i can Matt Damon as a bad ass. Maybe i’ll give the Bourne Identity another go around just to make sure. Everybody deserves a second chance.
February 25th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
Hi JayMike,
Good, glad you liked it. Was just curious because I view Casino Royale as a reaction to the Bourne movies – of course, Casino Royale rocked in its own right, and still has more “extravagant” action scenes in some respects.
I’m so pumped for the new Bond coming out this fall…
Erik
February 25th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
It was kinda like watching Anakin turn to the darkside. We got to see how Bond learn to lock his heart away. Women will do that to you. LOL
March 13th, 2008 at 8:34 am
I must say that I do find all of the Bourne films far better than any of the James Bond film !!
A statement I know, but I’m willing to put my neck on the line.
I think it mostly comes down to believable action.
March 26th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
i’m glad that paul greengrass is going to be directing this new bourne movie. there was a big difference between “identity” and the other two, since doug liman directed it instead. my only thought is that this 4th movie better be as good or better than the others or there’s no point in them making it
May 4th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
the bourne series and the bond series are both righteous movies….I have been a bond fan for many years and was skeptcal about Casino Royale…..I didn’t think anyone could compete with the likes of connery, moore, and brosnan, but I saw Craig in LayerCake and decided to watch casino royale and am glad I did….I was extremely impressed with the mix of drama and action…..although I was disappointed by the lack of a really good car chase…….the airport truck was a good action sequence though….all in all the movie was great….typical bond flick!!!!!
the bourne series just really speaks for itself…..although I do have to agree that the supremacy was a better movie than ultimatum…….the story line and the action were both better…..I felt like some Exec in hollywood ordered damon and greengrass to make a movie for the ladies before they started ultimatum!!!!!
May 4th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
BTW: the new bourne movie will most likely be called BOURNE LAGACY!!!!
May 4th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
* LEGACY
May 4th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
Hey Bondbourne fan, thanks for agreeing with me on Supremacy vs. Ultimatum. Is Bourne Legacy one of the books written by that other guy? I just want Carlos…
May 13th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
after the book of ultimatum comes legacy and then betrayal, both written by eric van lustbader. i’m pretty sure the next movie (if it actually ever exists) will probably be legacy.
May 24th, 2008 at 5:25 am
I’ve really enjoyed the Bourne movies they are definitely the best action adventure movies produced in a long time. To me one of the best features of the series is Matt as Jason Bourne. If I were to pass Bourne in the mall I wouldn’t pay any attention to him at all. He doesn’t look like he should be playing linebacker in the NFL all appearances are that he’s just your average Joe but obviously he can be bad when he needs too. I guess it all boils down we me to the fact that there is certain believability to them. I know it’s Hollywood fiction but still I have to somehow be sold on the believability of the character and story line. That’s another great feature of the series there is a definite story line it’s so much more then just one action scene after another with a bunch of killing for no real apparent reason. If they can keep the future movies at the quality level as the previous ones then I do hope they make many more in the series. I love them!
May 31st, 2008 at 7:22 pm
The Bourne movies are the BEST! They are edge of your seat action and I love them!! Hope there is a 4th and 5th movie in the series. There are 2 more Bourne books, Bourne Legacy, and Bourne Betrayal. These are better than Bond movies!
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:05 am
hell to the fuck ya fucking new jason movie bad ass!!!!!!!!!!!
June 14th, 2008 at 1:55 am
The Bourne films were developed from the modern terrorism problem with the CIA bringing in programs to combat it (”Come on Pam, you’ve seen the raw intel”). To bring in Carlos, or any “super villain”, would be to reduce the film to just another Bond like movie. I don’t think Bob Ludlum (exec. producer of Identity) ever intended them to go in that direction.
June 14th, 2008 at 8:29 am
Eddy, I’m not looking for a super villain, but Carlos could easily be a mastermind of terrorist attacks/assassinations, a la Osama bin laden, and Jason Bourne would be the answer to that. In the books, Carlos is almost always a background figure, not some strong presence who spouts out one-liners or captures Bourne and plays games with him; I don’t see how keeping the only true villain in the books out of the movies would be making them a James Bond flick.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
they could bring carlos into the story and the CIA will realize that jason is the only person capable of stopping him and they’ll be forced to bring him in and use him
June 19th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
and maybe paz (the other assassin who talked to jason on the roof just before he jumped) will realize that jason is right and start helping him and they can both go after carlos……although that kinda defeats the purpose
July 25th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
The best action movie everrrrrrrr.
July 28th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
Ya know, Carlos is a real guy and he got arrested like 14 years ago. I guess they could have him bust out or something, but he pretty old now and I heard he’s not such a bad ass anyway.
July 30th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Hi Jimbo, yes, Carlos is a real guy, but that doesn’t mean Carlos in the Bourne franchise has to be directly related. There’s no reason to have him break out at the beginning of the movie; besides, the whole point of the Bourne franchise is that Jason is the only person who can catch him.
October 8th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
I was thinking the exact same thing as you and I hope the big boys at universal read this and realize that it’s the only way that they could continue the story. Besides I know I’m not the only one tired of the silent government assasin that seems like a threat to Jason, but when they finally meet he doesn’t barelly put up a fight. We need an arch enemy that actually talks and has a reason other than money to hunt Jason down.
November 3rd, 2008 at 11:32 am
A 4th bourne, allright, I can agree with Paulie Shore as the villain, everyone would want to see him dead after about 30 seconds, “weeez the juice”, BANG, “applause”
I am assuming that they might work Julia Stiles in there so we can figure out what they hell she meant by “it was hard for me, with you” in the 3rd movie, since we didn’t see that coming in the first two, let’s see if they can make that work without it getting hokey
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:44 pm
They did certainly drop the Julia Stiles relationship hint out of left field. Paulie Shore would be amazing.
November 29th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
I’m a fan of both Bourne and Bond series, but if I had to choose one I think I’d definitely choose Bourne simple because of the thrill of great plots and twists. I’m really excited that there will be a 4th movie. And like many Bourne fans, I don’t want them to mess up the series by introducing a super villain or by putting Bourne and CIA on the same team. I’d much rather see a really surprising twist in the story instead a CGI chase or a bunch of explosions. Surprise even the smartest viewer! Make us think “holly cow, that takes things to a whole new level.” Oh, and please please pleassssee have a Jason-Nicky kissing scene. I think it’s really time he got over Marie.
November 29th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Hi Blueriver, how can they ruin the Bourne series by adding in the supervillain that made the books so popular in the first place?
December 8th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
They could use Ingrid Newkirk. She’d be great for the advocating of killing people (what better bad-guy could you want?)
“Six million Jews died in concentration camps, but six billion broiler chickens will die this year in slaughter houses.” -Ingrid Newkirk, President, PeTA,
January 5th, 2009 at 3:40 am
The Bourne Franchise is possibly the BEST trilogy ever. Before you start recalling LOTR or Star Wars. I say this because unlike some other trilogies.I t got better with each movie and Ultimatum was so brilliant and a hudred time bettr than Identity, which was a great movie.It is quite rare to see a sequel better than the original.
Matt Damon has proved he can be an action star.
Casino Royale was def a reaction to the Bourne movies, but i think they fell short with Quantum, which i felt was a bit pointless(notice his rooftop chase was almost a copuy of the Bourne/Desh chase).
I certainly hope they bring Tony Gilroy back to write the next movie. If not thye should let this Legendary franchise to rest before what happended to Indy happens to Bourne.
January 5th, 2009 at 3:46 am
Bourne Ultimatum, is possibly the best action movie in at least 20 years.
I looked for The Bourne Ultimatum book, before the movie came out, i read half way and i was bored.Maybe watching the first two movies influenced that.I dunno,But after 300 pages or so i just couldn’t take it anymore.
I dunno what they did, butthey brilliantly adapted it . Bourne as the solo man, is better for the screen than the family man.
Whatever they do for the 4th movie, they better not mess it up.Or they would have ruined a Legendary Trilogy.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
@Keyser – Bourne Ultimatum is great, but I’d have to say The Bourne Supremacy is better.
You have to read the three books in order – the third won’t make much sense without the first two. And the movies are nothing like the books in any way. The third Bourne movie… they just took the title, nothing else.
January 7th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
OMG, i definatly think that the movies have been incredible, but i think the next one should go backwards to explain all of the unexplainables. BTW, i have read EVERY book by Ludlum and i have read te 2 by Eric van-whatever. If you look at the covert one series you would notice that Eric Van-whatever is a very good writer and has tried to keep on track with Ludlums imagination and writing style. Also i have read legacy and it wasnt very good.
January 8th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
DD, what’s your favorite book?
January 13th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
I would agree with Orson that the Bourne trilogy is the best ever. I don’t read very many books but the movies forced me to explore the world of paperbacks. I bought the first one, Identity, and even though finished it couldn’t enjoy it like the movie. I think Keyser is definitely right in saying a solo Bourne is better than the family man. I think as long as Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon are involved we will love the fourth installment.
January 23rd, 2009 at 11:29 am
have ANY of you “movie critics” read the Bourne BOOKS?!! there’s ALWAYS less in the movies than the written stories contain. Eric Van Lustbader who continued writing in the Bourne series after Ludlum died is an excellent writer on his own merits – I’ve subsequently read all the books he’s written besides Bourne.
January 28th, 2009 at 8:58 am
I read all the books and I’ve watched all the movies. The movies are great in their own sense and deserved to be watched. The Bourne Supremacy was definetly my favorite but I’l watch all of them. Now, as for the books, I would absolutely and completely recommend reading the books, mostly because the action is so well written but secondly because those books give you a sense of real action. I’m excited if there actually is a fourth Bourne movie! The Bourne Ending would be a good title. Then at least they went out without having to come back.
March 4th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Ultimatum WOULD HAVE been great if they could have done finding “Daniels” a different way. Here is one of the trainers, directors, most experienced operative handlers (note: who supervised getting Bourne and others all their bogus passports) who goes off, under the awareness he’s next in line for a lead breakfast and he uses his own passport…!!! Give me a break!!!!
Hope this same writer thinks more logically for Bourne 4…And anyone who knows firearms knows the sound of racking a slide is used extensively and erroneously to indicate danger…no gunner would do that, he’d just pull that little trigger!
March 6th, 2009 at 6:43 am
mmm… i thought the movie has to be named The Bourne Beggins or The Bourne 0. i hope they show to us the real beggining of all of these proyects, because they didnt show how was the brutal training that Jason Bourne had. How he can drive like that? or shooting, or to see how many people are in somewhere, whose behind or around, a lot of unexplain things. And of course Carlos the assasin has to be in this movie.
March 8th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
I hope they don’t do a prequel.
March 8th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
@barry I didn’t love the ending for Bourne Ultimatum either, though I didn’t hate it as much as you did. In regards to the firearm comment, yeah, that’s a problem in almost any film – but I wouldn’t get worked up over it, either.
April 11th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
i must say Bourne movies are the best in all respects of direction, production, dialogues, storyline, and etc. and much better then the Bond series. though some action scenes from Bond movies seems to be unrealistic and out of the world but mind you Bourne movies gave a realistic approach to the action scenes that one can sense and do in real.
I must say i have never seen such a great movie then Bourne Supremacy……if i had to choose from Casino Royale, Identity, Ultimatum or ANY OTHER MOVIE EVER MADE.
June 4th, 2009 at 6:05 am
I think this new movie would be sooo awesome with some action in it! Im telling you I really think I would like it sooo much!(no kidding) My brother would totally love it a LOT way better than any other movies he has ever seen in his life!
My favorite bourne movie so far: The Bourne Ultimatum.
June 4th, 2009 at 6:08 am
I hope it has perfect graphics.
June 4th, 2009 at 6:11 am
I wonder when the movie comes out.
June 21st, 2009 at 1:57 am
They can’t just make up another title for the bourne series , it’s already a book , that’d be illegal , they must use the book titles.
June 21st, 2009 at 10:22 am
There’s nothing illegal about making up a name for a movie.
June 27th, 2009 at 10:27 am
i would love to see Matt and Julia in a love scene! You can feel it coming from the end of Ultimatum
June 28th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
It did seem like they were going in that direction, though I always thought that Julia Stiles seemed a bit out of place in these movies.
July 5th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
sorry, but like other misguided self-proclaimed purveyors of film you have missed the dynamics that made the bourne identity so great…
the pace, voice and visual tone of the bourne identity was born from the 60’s and 70’s… movies like the french connection and bullitt whose main characters were far from perfect (popeye doyle) yet had all the character traits (guts, intelligence, compassion) that the audience couldn’t get enough of…
characters who were driven by pure will to attain the ultimate resolution… the bourne identity started from this gritty and honest seed and evolved into a hybrid that represents the evolution (killer mood setting music, state-of-the-art editing, brawling fight sequences) of the serious action thriller…
the bourne sumpremacy was an evolution in itself but within the franchise… neither movie was meant to be the other… they are merely siblings in a family tree… all the groundwork that was laid down in the bourne identity allowed the bourne ultimatum to be the kind of movie that it was and so on…
unfortunately you have judged based on your personal taste and not the merits of the films and how they fit together, not only in their storylines but in their, and most importantly, in their execution…
July 5th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
Thanks dnad, but who are you disagreeing with here? I love the books and the movies.
July 19th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Please I hope that Jason gets a new lovelife in Julia Stiles. She is sooooo hot I wish I could see her in more romantic erotic ones she was in with Freddie Prinze Jr. years ago and I agree with the villian. We need someone and more fight scenes to show his abilities Uummmm Julia!!
July 25th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
If George Nolfi comes up with an excellent script, there will be a 4th Bourne Film. After thinking about it for awhile, it seems logical that something has to draw David Webb out of hiding. Maybe something to do with Pamela Landy, after she is named as the new Head of the C.I.A?? David Webb will track down his family, whether they live in Nixa, Missouri or not.
Now that David Webb’s face has been plastered all over the National News, it would make sense to me that he would now be required to take on the skill of jason Bourne from the Ludlum novels, which is a Master of Disguise. He was known as a “Chameleon” in the Bourne novels.
August 21st, 2009 at 8:57 am
@ 60 years of age – i’ve seen all the bond movies, books, etc. BUT THE BOURNE SERIES IS IT. Personally, Hollywood has gone overboard with the women they use. They make these movies ROCK. If only men were that cool.
September 14th, 2009 at 8:51 am
Call it BOURNE AGAIN….after all he looked like he was dead in the end of # 3…
September 14th, 2009 at 8:04 pm
@mike, he’s definitely alive at the end of the third film.