I too am sick with the comparisons between the two JBs. What is most disheartening is people kept saying saying how great Bourne is and how not great Bond was, comparing Bourne's 3 movies with Bond's entire list of movies, good and bad. But let's juat stick to Bourne in Bourne movies and Bond in Casino Royale and I feel, I actually feel Casino Royale is a better movie. I likve straight forward type of filming, not thise shaky hands documentary feel with the chiefs saying cliche lines like get them or whatever. And I hate it when I read how the actor and I think the director compared these two characters and what was it they call Bond?" Mysoginist? IMperialist? Womaniser? Liked killing? Cold blooded killer? Wears Prada? And Bourne was what? Loved only ONE woman, trying to find his identity, had more compassion because he refused to kill? More gritty?
People often forget Bond was to entertain. It has a premise all young boys would have in their fantasy and all young girls wished they were in the arms of such a man. I remember my family always said, when they were little they were poor and only a handful could afford to travel abroad. Bond movies provided the gateway to the outside world, they could see how other countries look like, women in bikinis, nice cars, gadgets and stuff. Whilst all these became cliche as the time goes by, Casino Royale managed to maintain what was good with the old movies and gave it a modern perspective as in more edgy, more gritty, more urgent and more dangerous. But even now as I saw that movie I could see the scenery and I marvel at it because I am not in the position to go there yet so Bond movies provided me an opportunity to watch what is a tavelogue within a really entertaining good movie. And a movie that entertains and makes a star of the lead actor is a good movie. I never liked Bourne movies. I laughed when that guy simply simply refused to die in the first movie. Can't remember the 2nd and does not think much of the third.
But if one must compare, if Bourne and Bond are real, in a fight who would win? For one I have the highest respect for what was it? MI6? CIA, I don't think of much. Accent wins for Bond. You must admit he has style. And to criticise him for his fashion sense, you can't exactly walk into a high class casino clad in jeans and t-shirt. I wouldn't mind seeing Daniel Craig in jeans and t-shirt but it is not appropriate. Bourne is involved with finding his own identity, Bond is in a mission again criminals mastermind who so happens to be rich, enjoys being rich and is living rich. So you can't have a poor looking Bond after a guy who almost certainly always attend high class places. On the killing issue, come on....Bond doesn't enjoy killing. He simply had to kill and he doesn't cry about it because it is his job to kill. The difference is whether he is killing a bad guy or a good guy. Of course Bond always kills the bad guy. Bourne is too concerned with his own feelings to kill effectively. he does fight well, he will kill when he had too but a killer with a conscience does not match. It is not to say Bond doesn't care or that he doesn't have a conscience. He cares, he is just involved in a job that caring too much will hurt those he loves most so he prefers to be alone and be cold and ignore his feelings.
Bourne has a lover who died. Ok. Poor man. Does that make Bond any lesser of a human being simply because he is not mourning for his dead lover? Don't forget, Vesper Lynd died for him. The difference is Bourne's woman was killed whilst Vesper killed herself. Let's wait for Bond 22 to see if Bond mourns for her. But let's not forget Bond had a wife who was killed too. I am sure he mourned for her and better yet goes killing those who killed her which is of course more effective than just mourning. Now gadgets... the Bourne teams says Bond had too many gadgets, Bourne had little, so Bourne is more real. Can't disagree with that. But isn't a gun a gadget? From the posters I see bourne is holding a humungous looking gun and Bond? Well let's look at the poster and see how tiny is the gun and yet how deadly? I can't remember Bond using the gun in Casino Royale, mostly fists but in past movies, Bond survives not just by his gadgets, but by his hands and more importantly by his wit. And all those talks about the movie Casino Royale, a revamp thanks to Bourne movies, following the darker gritty style. Anyone who has ever read Casino Royale the book would know this is simple not true. All movies these days are gritty, dark etc. If anything, Bourne movies taught the producers the viewers' taste has changed and so they went back to what's good with the franchise, give it a bit of an update and went back essentially to the essence of the book. And could still be funny. That is quite an achievement. And all these talks about Bond being irrelevant in today's world is simply an optimistic view of what is essential an even more dangerous violent world where people kills by just strapping a bomb onto themselves and they kill indiscriminately and they kill themselves. It used to be about world domination but now is religious fanatics, some unseen unreasonable cause and greed. And it is Bond we need if there was a real Bond; a person capable of putting aside his personal feelings and just kill to protect queen and country. And I can't find any more noble reason to kill than to protect the greater good because if killing is a necssity (when it shouldn't be but let's face it, if some doesn't die, others innocent may be harmed) I want a cold blooded killer who doesn't care about his conscience. His conscience is driven by his need to protect and this is shown in the earlier scenes of Casino Royale where he killed a bombmaker and guess what? M scolded him for killing one bombmaker. He has ideals but sometimes he has to push aside his ideals to complete his task for the greater good. It is lucky that he is on the good side.
Which comes to the favourite question of Bourne Vs Bond. Who is a better fighter? Who can kick whose ass? This is not a US Vs UK type of fight. This is simply who is a better character?
Bourne is a very good fighter, can withstand pain and in top physical condition. I believe Bond is older than Bourne and more experienced since he was a commander, right? Anyway Bond is also physically fit and good with his hands. I mean even Roger Moore's Bond is good in fighting, eventhough back in those days fighting scenes weren't that real but well they were fighting scenes. Back to today, well we all have seen Casino Royale and the fights were brutal. But I believe Bond would win, eventhough he may suffer some injuries. I am not saying this because I am defending Bond or I am frustrated with all these stepping on Bond to make Bourne look good. Who came first? Bond or Bourne? Isn't Jason Bourne's name a good indication that the author may be influenced by James Bond novels? All these talk about the movie getting better reviews (same percentage I believe at rottentomatoes) or that earns more money (so? Bourne is the end. No more movies if you believe the producer. Bond is still going strong, stronger in fact than ever) but let's not forget Bond survived like what? 4 decades and dozens of films and a few actors' in the same role? It will survive this.
Which is great because you know I am just glad people did not compare the acting prowess between Matt Damon and Daniel Craig. That will set me off.
Oh yeah back to my answer, who would win and why? Bond and why?
If a man like Bond could take that kind of torture unleashed upon his ermmm...that part (as per Casino Royale) for a continous period of time (in the book an hour or so) and survive and still could walk, eat, talk AND shoot straight (shoot as in using the gun), that man could beat anyone. Bourne, Batman, Superman, Spiderman, invisible man, Fantastic Four, whoever combined.
Truth is Bourne and Bond are two distinct character. Why do people like to compare them? Do you compare Batman to Superman? Spiderman to Wonderwoman? The hulk with transformers? Indiana Jones with teenage mutant ninja turtles?
And that is my thoughts, thank you very much. I hate this kind of comparisons....urghhhhhh