The Bourne Films Summary
So thanks to Avengers I have a friend that wants to see The Bourne Legacy but hasn't seen the three previous films. This is a spoiler filled recap of the universe for her. Not a humorous recap, meta or fangirly reaction - although all of that is bound to slip in.
Welcome to your new fandom. As with all established fandoms, you will need to watch your step or suffer n00b bombings.
The Old Guard: The entire movie franchise is based off a series of spy novels that began in 1980 written by Robert Ludlam. He wrote a trilogy. They were so popular that after Ludlam's death in 2001 - the publisher hired/allowed another writer to continue the series. There are major, MAJOR, differences between book and movie verse. This has gone over just as well as you think it has. Do not poke the book fans.
The NewOld Guard: Then there is the movie franchise. People have been trying to make a Bourne movie (I think they actually got it onto TV at one point) since the first book was published. It finally got there with Matt Damon. Resulting backlash from the book fans has made the movie fans as possessive as you'd expect, and the idea of the Renner movie - without the actor and director from the first three films has gone over as well as you think it has. Do not poke the original movie fans.
Scared yet? You probably should be, but what the hell, you've read this far!
Canon Mindfucks (CMFs): aka this universe lives on the idea that nothing is as it seems - and we will only be dealing with movieverse as it is the only one relevant to the Renner Fangirl. Apologies to the Old Guard.
CMF#1: There is no such person as Jason Bourne. Yeah, there are over a dozen books and soon to be four movies all named "Bourne" but there is no Jason Bourne. The core premise of the series is like a bigbang for cliche bingo's amnesia square. There is a world class assassin - we're talking full on ninjas-have-nothing-on-me, I-exude-badassery spyman. This guy's aliases have aliases. (No, literally. His aliases have fucking aliases.)
And he gets complete amnesia.
That's the first book and film. A man is found floating in the Mediterranean Sea by fishermen who are all "Dude. We want nothing to do with this shit. Have a sweater and disappear." His instincts and reflexes freak him out and he quickly figures out that EVERYONE EVER wants to kill him. He finds a couple of aliases but then figures out they are just aliases for a guy named "Jason Bourne" - only that's yet another alias.
His reaction is hilariously: Fuck you all. I'm going to just leave now. If anyone ever tries to breathe the same air as me, I will just come back and kill you all. Again.
This is almost verbatum what he actually says. It doesn't work for reasons I'll get into below and there are two other movies as a result. "Jason Bourne" is actually David Webb. At the end of the last movie, he was really, really tired from all the CMFs and beginning to realize that the EVERYONE EVER was not far off. So instead of killing them, he lets another ninjas-have-nothing-on-me, I-exude-badassery assassin kill him. Kinda. He then is shown swimming away.
CMF#2: The Bad is never the BadGuy. In these films, there are always 3 sides at play. The US Intelligence Community vs Other Government/Terrorist Super Organization Of the Moment. Bourne is actually the wild card that is fucking up both their days. As a result, people rotate from wanting to kill him, to questioning what the fuck just happened, to wanting to help him/bring him in.
That last option is probably the best for all concerned, but as stated, Bourne gets amnesia, and not knowing who to trust, just keeps killing people and running away.
But because these are MOVIES - you can't just not have a BadGuy. So every movie, someone sends a ninjas-have-nothing-on-me, I-exude-badassery assassin to kill him. This guy chases him all movie and is sometimes a bona fide US hero - and he is always hot. This is just a device for the movie. The actual BigBad is:
CMF#3: Project Treadstone So the CIA looks at terrorists groups and their ability to create converts so dedicated they will suicide bomb for the cause and thinks, "We could do that better."
They take special forces volunteers, torture them to their mental breaking point and enroll them in "The Program" at which point it gets worse.
Treadstone is mildly successful from the CIA's perspective; they don't get squads as the Treadstones are notorious for not doing well in groups, so the Treadstone "assets" are scattered throughout Europe. The assets report to local controllers, who not only pass out assignments but serve as psych profilers on them.
This is because, oddly enough, creating ninjas-have-nothing-on-me, I-exude-badassery assassins is not particularly conducive to mental stability. All the assets have several quirks: they develop OCD and can become depressive if they have too much down time - manifesting physically as headaches and light sensitivity.
But hey, covert super assassins are always valuable and get used in increasingly dubious ways, culminating with Bourne floating in the Mediterranean and proceeding to bring the entire house of cards down.
CMF#4: Project Blackbriar Even as the CIA is mopping up and pinning all of Treadstone on Bourne's supervisor, they convert what they learned to Blackbriar.
Blackbriar is Treadstone married to the Patriot Act. Its operatives are used against US citizens. Bourne ends up with all the evidence of this and turns it over to Pam Landry (a CIA director I'll get to in a minute.)
CMF#5 Operation: Outcome - aka none of this might matter to the Renner film. Judging from the trailer - Outcome and Blackbriar are very, very similar and Outcome may just be a rename. Whichever the case, the black ops folks are apparently adding gene therapy to it all to allievate those "quirks" experienced by Bourne. Per the trailer, they succeed and get ninjas-have-nothing-on-me, I-exude-badassery assassins that will work well with others.
This is what Renner is in the new film - Bourne Legacy.
This would be awesome beyond belief and they should freeze them for the day we need Space Marines to go fight alien invaders.
Instead, the events of the last film seem to make the CIA baddies panic and order Outcome to be burned (i.e. everyone killed). Because, you know, trying to kill the ninjas-have-nothing-on-me, I-exude-badassery assassins always ends well for these people.
Characters You Need To Know: These are optional. I don't know how much of filmverse they're keeping (they say all, but...) and they tend to do a very good job catching you up. The CIA setting gives them the perfect excuse to literally bring the new guy into a room, sit at a round table and pass around pictures of everyone and tell you everything you need to know to follow the plot. They call them briefings or read ins - but they are exposition dumps at their finest.
Jason Bourne: As previously mentioned, Matt Damon is not in the Renner film. The only reason you need to know about him is that it appears that the beginning of Bourne Legacy will overlap with the ending of Bourne Ultimatum and we will probably hear all about him.
CIA Deputy Director Pamela Landry: She is the CIA director that comes in during the second film and is the only one in authority that has a moral issue with the Treadstone premise. As a result, she is the closest thing to a Genuine Good Guy that we have to date. She only goes after Bourne when he's framed for killing two of her agents. As she is awesome, she quickly realizes that she is being fed bullshit and kinda parts on good terms with Bourne in the second film.
In the third film, Bourne's resurfacing and exposure of Treadstone finally leads Landry to even deeper investigations. When the CIA immediately decides to kill Bourne on sight, she questions it. There is a fabulous deleted scene where she points out that shoot-to-kill is a mistake.
"One, he's very good at staying alive, and two, when you try to kill him and fail, it just pisses him off."
Eventually realizing that not only is the shit about to hit the fan, they're setting her up to take the fall for it, Landy gets her gameface on and single handedly ends the trilogy within 20 minutes. Damn near in real time. Like the mother fucking boss she is. (Guess who's my favorite.)
She openly contacts Bourne, tells him his real name and the address of the training facility. In return, he hands over all the files he's collected from dead reporters and the dirty director's safe. She walks directly to the nearest fax machine and sends it en masse to several media outlets (making killing her a moot point - something NO ONE ELSE was able to realize up to this point.)
She was last seen testifying against her former cronies. (See below.)
Ezra Kramer, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency: He's EvilScottGlenn. He ordered everything and is now facing exposure due to Pam's Awesome Fax Power.
Noah Vosen, the former director of Operation Blackbriar: He's the idiot that gave the shoot-to-kill order in the third film when it looked like Bourne was going to expose Blackbriar along with Treadstone. To be fair, there really wasn't anything else he could have done - believing that Bourne was looking to expose him. He's played by the leader of Syfy's Alphas. This makes my mom laugh.
He was also arrested thanks to Pam's Awesome Fax Power and had the keys to all those skeleton filled closets. I suspect panic over what he knows about Outcome will drive parts of the Renner movie.
Dr. Albert Hirsch: Doctor Frankenstein of the Treadstone Monsters - he's the one who developed the brainwashing techniques to turn soldiers into ninjas-have-nothing-on-me, I-exude-badassery assassins who do not question orders. He considers himself a patriot and is a True Believer. I am hoping they are bringing him back to kill him. Slowly.
And that should be just enough to get you through whatever the Renner movie has in store for us. I hope it helps. I do consider myself a fan of the movies and do recommend them if you ever have the opportunity to check them out.
Here, have a mix to make up for the babbling confusion.
Down and Dirty Quickie Mix.
Couple of dupes in artists and songs, which I normally try to avoid.
1. Extreme Ways by Moby
The Bourne films anthem, it's appeared in all three films.
Think Carry On, Wayward Son for spies.
Extreme ways are back again
[snip]
Oh babe then it fell apart.
2. Leave You Far Behind by Lunatic Calm
Bourne's desperation to get his memory back and get out.
Also the movies in general.
I wanna take you on a roller coaster
I wanna tell ya that I'm feeling closer
I wanna push it right over the line
[snip]
I want to leave you far behind
3. There's No Home For You Here by The White Stripes
Everyone would be better off leaving him alone, but no one wants to take him in.
Each simple gesture done by me is counteracted
And leaves me standing here with nothing else to say
4. Seven Nation Army (the Glitch Mob remix) by The White Stripes
No matter what they throw at him, Jason Bourne never dies.
Ever.
And if I catch you comin' back my way
I'm gonna sell it to you
And that ain't what you want to hear
But that's what I'll do
And the feeling coming from my bones says mind your own
5. Show Me How To Live by Audioslave
Bourne and his girlfriend Marie.
No, I didn't mention the girlfriend in the above.
There's a reason.
*sob*
Built with stolen parts
A telephone in my heart
Someone get me a priest
To put my mind to bed
This ringing in my head
Is this a cure or is this a disease
6. Somebody That I Used To Know by Ingrid Michaelson
*sob*
Also - in hilarious ways, it reminds me of Bourne's relationship
with the other ninjas-have-nothing-on-me, I-exude-badassery assassins
They always seems so... insulted when they try to kill each other
with random household items.
But you didn't have to cut me off
Make out like it never happened
And that we were nothing
And I don't even need your love
7. Inertia Creeps by Massive Attack
Marie and Bourne *sob*
Marie does the impossible between the first two films
She keeps him still for over a year and a half.
Moving up slowly
She comes moving up slowly
Inertia creeps moving up slowly
8. Spybreak by Propellerheads
Everyone's plans have plans.
Instrumental
9. Cochise by Audioslave
Landry and Bourne vs the CIA
And put the blame on me
So you don't feel a thing
Go on and save yourself
And take it out on me
10. This Fire by Franz Fernandez
Bourne in the third film, declaring war on the CIA
Like a boss
This fire is out of control
I'm going to burn this city
Burn this city
11. Leave You Far Behind (Mortal Kombat Mix) by Lunatic Calm and the Internet
A build up to the next film.
Download
Original post at my dreamwidth
Welcome to your new fandom. As with all established fandoms, you will need to watch your step or suffer n00b bombings.
The Old Guard: The entire movie franchise is based off a series of spy novels that began in 1980 written by Robert Ludlam. He wrote a trilogy. They were so popular that after Ludlam's death in 2001 - the publisher hired/allowed another writer to continue the series. There are major, MAJOR, differences between book and movie verse. This has gone over just as well as you think it has. Do not poke the book fans.
The NewOld Guard: Then there is the movie franchise. People have been trying to make a Bourne movie (I think they actually got it onto TV at one point) since the first book was published. It finally got there with Matt Damon. Resulting backlash from the book fans has made the movie fans as possessive as you'd expect, and the idea of the Renner movie - without the actor and director from the first three films has gone over as well as you think it has. Do not poke the original movie fans.
Scared yet? You probably should be, but what the hell, you've read this far!
Canon Mindfucks (CMFs): aka this universe lives on the idea that nothing is as it seems - and we will only be dealing with movieverse as it is the only one relevant to the Renner Fangirl. Apologies to the Old Guard.
CMF#1: There is no such person as Jason Bourne. Yeah, there are over a dozen books and soon to be four movies all named "Bourne" but there is no Jason Bourne. The core premise of the series is like a bigbang for cliche bingo's amnesia square. There is a world class assassin - we're talking full on ninjas-have-nothing-on-me, I-exude-badassery spyman. This guy's aliases have aliases. (No, literally. His aliases have fucking aliases.)
And he gets complete amnesia.
That's the first book and film. A man is found floating in the Mediterranean Sea by fishermen who are all "Dude. We want nothing to do with this shit. Have a sweater and disappear." His instincts and reflexes freak him out and he quickly figures out that EVERYONE EVER wants to kill him. He finds a couple of aliases but then figures out they are just aliases for a guy named "Jason Bourne" - only that's yet another alias.
His reaction is hilariously: Fuck you all. I'm going to just leave now. If anyone ever tries to breathe the same air as me, I will just come back and kill you all. Again.
This is almost verbatum what he actually says. It doesn't work for reasons I'll get into below and there are two other movies as a result. "Jason Bourne" is actually David Webb. At the end of the last movie, he was really, really tired from all the CMFs and beginning to realize that the EVERYONE EVER was not far off. So instead of killing them, he lets another ninjas-have-nothing-on-me, I-exude-badassery assassin kill him. Kinda. He then is shown swimming away.
CMF#2: The Bad is never the BadGuy. In these films, there are always 3 sides at play. The US Intelligence Community vs Other Government/Terrorist Super Organization Of the Moment. Bourne is actually the wild card that is fucking up both their days. As a result, people rotate from wanting to kill him, to questioning what the fuck just happened, to wanting to help him/bring him in.
That last option is probably the best for all concerned, but as stated, Bourne gets amnesia, and not knowing who to trust, just keeps killing people and running away.
But because these are MOVIES - you can't just not have a BadGuy. So every movie, someone sends a ninjas-have-nothing-on-me, I-exude-badassery assassin to kill him. This guy chases him all movie and is sometimes a bona fide US hero - and he is always hot. This is just a device for the movie. The actual BigBad is:
CMF#3: Project Treadstone So the CIA looks at terrorists groups and their ability to create converts so dedicated they will suicide bomb for the cause and thinks, "We could do that better."
They take special forces volunteers, torture them to their mental breaking point and enroll them in "The Program" at which point it gets worse.
Treadstone is mildly successful from the CIA's perspective; they don't get squads as the Treadstones are notorious for not doing well in groups, so the Treadstone "assets" are scattered throughout Europe. The assets report to local controllers, who not only pass out assignments but serve as psych profilers on them.
This is because, oddly enough, creating ninjas-have-nothing-on-me, I-exude-badassery assassins is not particularly conducive to mental stability. All the assets have several quirks: they develop OCD and can become depressive if they have too much down time - manifesting physically as headaches and light sensitivity.
But hey, covert super assassins are always valuable and get used in increasingly dubious ways, culminating with Bourne floating in the Mediterranean and proceeding to bring the entire house of cards down.
CMF#4: Project Blackbriar Even as the CIA is mopping up and pinning all of Treadstone on Bourne's supervisor, they convert what they learned to Blackbriar.
Blackbriar is Treadstone married to the Patriot Act. Its operatives are used against US citizens. Bourne ends up with all the evidence of this and turns it over to Pam Landry (a CIA director I'll get to in a minute.)
CMF#5 Operation: Outcome - aka none of this might matter to the Renner film. Judging from the trailer - Outcome and Blackbriar are very, very similar and Outcome may just be a rename. Whichever the case, the black ops folks are apparently adding gene therapy to it all to allievate those "quirks" experienced by Bourne. Per the trailer, they succeed and get ninjas-have-nothing-on-me, I-exude-badassery assassins that will work well with others.
This is what Renner is in the new film - Bourne Legacy.
This would be awesome beyond belief and they should freeze them for the day we need Space Marines to go fight alien invaders.
Instead, the events of the last film seem to make the CIA baddies panic and order Outcome to be burned (i.e. everyone killed). Because, you know, trying to kill the ninjas-have-nothing-on-me, I-exude-badassery assassins always ends well for these people.
Characters You Need To Know: These are optional. I don't know how much of filmverse they're keeping (they say all, but...) and they tend to do a very good job catching you up. The CIA setting gives them the perfect excuse to literally bring the new guy into a room, sit at a round table and pass around pictures of everyone and tell you everything you need to know to follow the plot. They call them briefings or read ins - but they are exposition dumps at their finest.
Jason Bourne: As previously mentioned, Matt Damon is not in the Renner film. The only reason you need to know about him is that it appears that the beginning of Bourne Legacy will overlap with the ending of Bourne Ultimatum and we will probably hear all about him.
CIA Deputy Director Pamela Landry: She is the CIA director that comes in during the second film and is the only one in authority that has a moral issue with the Treadstone premise. As a result, she is the closest thing to a Genuine Good Guy that we have to date. She only goes after Bourne when he's framed for killing two of her agents. As she is awesome, she quickly realizes that she is being fed bullshit and kinda parts on good terms with Bourne in the second film.
In the third film, Bourne's resurfacing and exposure of Treadstone finally leads Landry to even deeper investigations. When the CIA immediately decides to kill Bourne on sight, she questions it. There is a fabulous deleted scene where she points out that shoot-to-kill is a mistake.
"One, he's very good at staying alive, and two, when you try to kill him and fail, it just pisses him off."
Eventually realizing that not only is the shit about to hit the fan, they're setting her up to take the fall for it, Landy gets her gameface on and single handedly ends the trilogy within 20 minutes. Damn near in real time. Like the mother fucking boss she is. (Guess who's my favorite.)
She openly contacts Bourne, tells him his real name and the address of the training facility. In return, he hands over all the files he's collected from dead reporters and the dirty director's safe. She walks directly to the nearest fax machine and sends it en masse to several media outlets (making killing her a moot point - something NO ONE ELSE was able to realize up to this point.)
She was last seen testifying against her former cronies. (See below.)
Ezra Kramer, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency: He's EvilScottGlenn. He ordered everything and is now facing exposure due to Pam's Awesome Fax Power.
Noah Vosen, the former director of Operation Blackbriar: He's the idiot that gave the shoot-to-kill order in the third film when it looked like Bourne was going to expose Blackbriar along with Treadstone. To be fair, there really wasn't anything else he could have done - believing that Bourne was looking to expose him. He's played by the leader of Syfy's Alphas. This makes my mom laugh.
He was also arrested thanks to Pam's Awesome Fax Power and had the keys to all those skeleton filled closets. I suspect panic over what he knows about Outcome will drive parts of the Renner movie.
Dr. Albert Hirsch: Doctor Frankenstein of the Treadstone Monsters - he's the one who developed the brainwashing techniques to turn soldiers into ninjas-have-nothing-on-me, I-exude-badassery assassins who do not question orders. He considers himself a patriot and is a True Believer. I am hoping they are bringing him back to kill him. Slowly.
And that should be just enough to get you through whatever the Renner movie has in store for us. I hope it helps. I do consider myself a fan of the movies and do recommend them if you ever have the opportunity to check them out.
Here, have a mix to make up for the babbling confusion.
Down and Dirty Quickie Mix.
Couple of dupes in artists and songs, which I normally try to avoid.
1. Extreme Ways by Moby
The Bourne films anthem, it's appeared in all three films.
Think Carry On, Wayward Son for spies.
Extreme ways are back again
[snip]
Oh babe then it fell apart.
2. Leave You Far Behind by Lunatic Calm
Bourne's desperation to get his memory back and get out.
Also the movies in general.
I wanna take you on a roller coaster
I wanna tell ya that I'm feeling closer
I wanna push it right over the line
[snip]
I want to leave you far behind
3. There's No Home For You Here by The White Stripes
Everyone would be better off leaving him alone, but no one wants to take him in.
Each simple gesture done by me is counteracted
And leaves me standing here with nothing else to say
4. Seven Nation Army (the Glitch Mob remix) by The White Stripes
No matter what they throw at him, Jason Bourne never dies.
Ever.
And if I catch you comin' back my way
I'm gonna sell it to you
And that ain't what you want to hear
But that's what I'll do
And the feeling coming from my bones says mind your own
5. Show Me How To Live by Audioslave
Bourne and his girlfriend Marie.
No, I didn't mention the girlfriend in the above.
There's a reason.
*sob*
Built with stolen parts
A telephone in my heart
Someone get me a priest
To put my mind to bed
This ringing in my head
Is this a cure or is this a disease
6. Somebody That I Used To Know by Ingrid Michaelson
*sob*
Also - in hilarious ways, it reminds me of Bourne's relationship
with the other ninjas-have-nothing-on-me, I-exude-badassery assassins
They always seems so... insulted when they try to kill each other
with random household items.
But you didn't have to cut me off
Make out like it never happened
And that we were nothing
And I don't even need your love
7. Inertia Creeps by Massive Attack
Marie and Bourne *sob*
Marie does the impossible between the first two films
She keeps him still for over a year and a half.
Moving up slowly
She comes moving up slowly
Inertia creeps moving up slowly
8. Spybreak by Propellerheads
Everyone's plans have plans.
Instrumental
9. Cochise by Audioslave
Landry and Bourne vs the CIA
And put the blame on me
So you don't feel a thing
Go on and save yourself
And take it out on me
10. This Fire by Franz Fernandez
Bourne in the third film, declaring war on the CIA
Like a boss
This fire is out of control
I'm going to burn this city
Burn this city
11. Leave You Far Behind (Mortal Kombat Mix) by Lunatic Calm and the Internet
A build up to the next film.
Download
Original post at my dreamwidth