Maybe you also mistakenly thought that the "Spy Movies" series had come to a successful end. After all, the original trilogy of sharp styles seems to have completely solved the identity of this resourceful agent, who knows that the fourth "legacy" suddenly turned out, but unfortunately not only the box office was not satisfactory, but also accused of ruining the series' signature.
But with Matt Damon returning, it now feels like the more open story of the fifth film has left a greater possibility for more sequels. Maybe we could even see Damon and Jeremy Rayner fighting alongside each other.
Far from being a long-lived commercial film series that is simply guided by the protagonist, the Spy Series revitalizes action movies. It indirectly reinvented the traditional 007 spy genre with a violent style, and its violent and crazy shot editing inspired more genres such as Hurricane Rescue, making secret agent movies fashionable again. The impact of the series cannot be underestimated, and even nearly 15 years later, it can still attract audiences to contribute to the box office.
Here's a ranking of the five films in the series so far...
5. Bourne's legacy
From the moment Jeremy Rayner replaced Matt Damon on a sign for Spy 4, he was faced with a thankless war of words (no matter how stubborn Universal and Damon were at the time, substitutions were not a desirable solution). Spy 4 didn't help Jeremy Rayner's career either, and he wasn't as interesting as a supporting role.
The idea of "Spy 4" is actually not bad, mainly about another unreliable government project that uses other agents as guinea pigs to turn them into super soldiers by taking drugs. But Bourne has already exposed Operation Black Rose and Operation Stepping Stone, which makes Rayner's Aaron Cross dispensable, so it seems to us that this interesting idea ends up with a frustratingly boring ending.
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Although the action scenes are not bad, the overall is too bland, and the film always wants to fully explain everything, but it is not necessary, and it is too much to do. For example, the plot of a pill, whose story development is absurd, thus making the narrative a bit far-fetched.
Although the film is not flattering, it is still happy to see Cross and Bourne on the screen together: there will be friction between them, there will be a lot of action scenes, and we will see Rayner make a comeback.
4. Bourne's identity
Compared with "Spy 4", it can be said that the quality improvement of "Spy Heavy" is quite amazing, so it is not a shame to be fourth.
The first film to kick off the entire series and launch the character, Spy Is Like a Fresh Snack, just right when the 007 movie has become too bloated and stupid, and its streamlined and violent style is shocking and exhilarating.
Obviously, the story of the unidentified man was great too, but in hindsight, the overuse of Doug Liman's directing and shaking photography techniques actually deviated from this simple and effective story. But he resisted the distractions of the producers, which proved that the minimalist action scenes he advocated were the biggest selling point of the film.
3. Jason Byrne
Sequels that take too long to brew tend to make the outlook more uncertain, but this is clearly not the case with Shadow of the Blues 5. After nine years, Matt Damon returned to this role, bringing the same sensationality as ever, and his dialogue was refined but the mystery was not reduced, which perfectly corrected the problem of "Spy 4" being protracted and over-elaborated.
Despite his few lines, Damon completely dominated the film, and with Paul Greengrass's expert guiding eye, he was completely at the heart of a series of stunning action scenes.
While critics generally don't have a good opinion of the film, it's ridiculous to ask too much of such a cleverly crafted action-action movie. In addition, the film aims to eliminate the mistakes of Spy 4, and it is very straightforward and successful, and the thrilling presentation is still excellent, so that you completely ignore the clichés.
2. Bourne's hegemony
The decision to have Paul Greengrass take over as Doug Lieman for the sequel was all too wise, and it was equally wise to introduce a revenge plot that added more emotional resonance to the bursting action scenes.
Bourne in this episode is no longer the more vulnerable look in the first film, feeling that he is now more like an animal that is extremely dangerous after being injured. More skillfully use their own secret agent skills, still clinging to their identity, deeply in the shadows of the past. The final outcome is also more shocking, and the stakes are legitimately elevated to a higher level.
Greengrass's greatest success in this film is the addition of somewhat lacking resonance and intensity from the first film. You can feel Bourne's experience more personally, so the later 007 movie must have stolen from this movie. In short, the film has a very real feeling, so that you only care about the character from beginning to end and don't feel that he is an actor.
1. Bourne's ultimatum
Even without Brian Cox as the archvillain (the third film was played by David Strazern as a roughly similar but distinctly inferior villain), Spy 3 is undoubtedly the best movie in the series. It was a climax, culminating not only in the story, but also in terms of style and feel, and even now it seems to be the most appropriate end point of the original trilogy.
Compared with the previous works, this film is more multi-talented, not only absorbing the emotional resonance of "Spy Heavy 2", but also sharpening the action style of the first two films. The film is meticulously polished, gripping, and wrapped in a dark underlying emotion that makes its above-level action scenes extremely weighty.
Although there is not much objection, given the background of the release of "Spy 3", such a "happy ending" does not seem appropriate or satisfactory. However, since it is not easy to deal with the ending, perhaps it is the right decision to let him escape and disappear.
How do you rank the Bourne series of films? Feel free to leave a message to share your views.
Ranking The Bourne Movie Franchise From Worst To Best [Simon Gallagher]