Extreme Places I Had Gone

[elspeth_vimes]

Or: Why I actually like the Bourne movies better than at least the first book.
I did warn you this was coming.

Of course, while in the Bourne vs. Bourne post I was at least trying to be objective, this is totally subjective. And I am totally biased from the start.

Oh, yeah, spoilers ahead.

Comments

[fruitsgrow]

Last of the Mohicans. I haven't read the book yet, but I remember it being described as awful, boring, and very packed in language. Whereas the movie is considered to be really well done.

...wtf icons.

[elspeth_vimes]

...I should probably see that movie again. We watched it in 8th grade history. Probably not the best venue. And yeah, I think I've heard that about the book too.

*slaps lj*

[fruitsgrow]

I was raised on it, so. I kinda love it, and it was my first taste of history. XD It is a good movie, though, and I'm kinda dreading picking up the book.

[another slap for good measure >/]

[elspeth_vimes]

Well, it does star Daniel Day Lewis, doesn't it?

OH, I JUST THOUGHT- any movie of Frankenstien is better than the book. Because the man never whines as much in an adaptation.

*slap slap slap*

[rocknload]

I liked the first Bourne movie a lot! I've heard that from then on out the books and movies diverge a lot. I haven't read the books because I don't like that genre of fiction--I don't mind it on screen, but I hate the writing style generally employed in those books.

I like American Psycho the movie way more than the book.

[elspeth_vimes]

I looove those movies. You should totally watch the second two~ *is shot*
Yeah, I've read about the plots of the second two books, there is no similarity to the second two movies. The first movie and the first book are extremely different, but you can tell they kind of come from the same root? Not so with the later stuff.

Aheh, I read tons of fiction, I admit. And I tend towards being a book purist.
But I was definitely not entirely happy with Ludlum's writing. Coming to it after Le Carre did not help, either.

[rocknload]

Aha, I've seen the second two. Couldn't stand them. Okay, I could stand the third one, but it bored me so much I pulled a book out of my purse and started reading it in the theater.

I just don't like, hm, Tom Clancy/John Grisham/mainstream action-adventure style of written fiction, something about it ... bothers me, and I assume it's kind of in that vein. I could probably articulate a better reason as to why I don't like it, if I'd read any of it recently, but alas. And I often don't mind film version of books, really--I see the two as very different mediums which require much different storytelling techniques. I actually usually cannot stand incredibly faithful movie versions of books, because I don't think they usually work.

[elspeth_vimes]

Ah, well, difference in taste then. (The third's actually my favorite.) But the second two really are sort of a different kind of movie than the first, so I can understand.

Yeah, you'd probably be right. I stick mostly to fantasy, so I don't really know much about mainstream action-adventure, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like it either. (Le Carre is...different.)
I guess for me it depends on how well the spirit of the book and its characters translate. I mean, as a purist I should really have a lot more problems with the LotR movies, but I love them. You really feel that Jackson wanted to do everything he could for the books, that he got a lot of Tolkien's themes. On the other hand I have extremely mixed feeling tending towards negative about The Golden Compass movie, mainly over the treatment of a few minor characters and the fact that they cut off at the wrong point, which totally changes the story, and in my mind lessens it.

[captainlilith]

I really loved the Bourne movies, but the only thing that I didn't like, and after a while couldn't stand, was the filming style. Lately so many cinematographers have been using the shaky camera, as if someone is walking around documenting the whole thing as it's happening, and while that does make it more... I don't know... in the moment, it get so freaking old after a while. And it makes my eyes tired and just makes me want to stop watching.

Other than that, I really did enjoy them. And I love your analysis.

[elspeth_vimes]

I hear that. The first time I saw Ultimatum, I was dizzy when I came out of the theatre. The cinematography doesn't actually end up detracting from the films for me, and I do admire some of what Greengrass manages, but I can fully understand getting annoyed by it.

I'm really flattered that someone is actually interested.

(Also, that icon never fails to crack me up. XD)

[captainlilith]

The icon is actually based on an actual panel in the comics where Batman bitch-slaps someone and screams "MY PARENTS ARE DEAAADD" at them. It's hilarious.

Or, at least, I think it's an actual panel. I have an icon of it somewhere.

[elspeth_vimes]

Hahaha, oh Batman. So emo.

The little "D:" makes the icon even better.