How One Movie Trilogy Ruined Action Films Forever | The Art Of Film

[@PhantomSavage]

This is why John Wick was such an amazing breath of fresh air. "Gritty" action movies have been copying bourne for years and failing miserably, John Wick actually pulled the camera back and used a lot of wide shots, focusing a lot on gunplay and it kicked total ass. I'm not even slightly afraid of Liam Neeson in Taken 3 or James Bond, but I'm absolutely terrified of Jason Bourne and John Wick.

[@shotgunshawzy]

John Wick was pish.

[@micmacha]

I was thinking the same; moreover, Wick's choreography is legendary. I can easily argue that the music drives the entire film. I would argue that John Wick is going to pull us out of this; but like the narrator said, it wasn't Bourne's fault directly; it was the lackluster talent of the imitating directors; and I'm sure we'll see more of the same for Wick. (In fact, you could argue that we already have.)

[@SnoopyDoofie]

Keanu Reeves is one of the worst actors out there. Worse than Nicholas Cage. In every film, Keanu plays...Keanu - a wooden plank without change in emotion.

[@EcchiRevenge]

Except Keanu Reeves only needed to play Keanu Reeves in John Wick anyway. When the film is basically written for him, it works.

[@jingledell1]

I would agree that Keanu Reeves has a pretty limited range, and the results are generally laughable when he isn't used properly. But I would argue that, as an action star, he's arguably the best that the US has produced. There's a reason John Wick was able to use so few jump cuts. Keanu works hard enough to actually pull off the ninety percent of his own stunts. He has more love for the genre than just about anyone out there. He's not just the star of John Wick, he was involved from the very beginning. He literally brought in the directors. There is not another actor alive who could have been John Wick. Add to that Point Break, Speed, and The Matrix. He's been in more of the best American action films than any other actor I can name. And his directorial debut, Man of Tai Chi is a really good Kung Fu movie. But Jesus he sure did suck in Devil's Advocate.

[@LushynFilmmaking]

This: «Bourne can’t be blamed for how bad action films are these days, but the blame is on the filmmakers who trying to replicate it’s technique and failing miserably.”

[@dcgunadi]

Lushyn Filmmaking ya im agree, we still can see wich the original greengrass style and failed copy style

[@JohnKruse]

Well played!

[@LeeGinSing]

Well said, sir.

[@Leprutz]

Actually the title is a bit confusing. But he doesn't really blame the Bourne trilogy as he explains that Greengrass really does take care of how he shoots his scenes. It's all those replicas that came afterwards that think they can manage the same thing and completely fail at the attempt. I think the poster blames that the succes of the bourne trilogy lead to this nonsense.

[@josephbourne4078]

exactly what i was thinking....why blame the genius idea of Greengrass, when it was the copycats who ruined it? blame them...this video should be re-titled to "How Greengrass copycats ruined action films forever."

[@birajsingha9879]

Actual title: How the other filmmakers copied Greengrass's technique and failed miserably.

[@sgtmonkeypirate]

@Amadeus Eisenberg it worked in the Jason Bourne movie. Don’t blame him. Blame the losers that couldn’t do it right.

[@goodgamewill6790]

@@sgtmonkeypirate ?? No way Jason bourne action scenes is pure trash

[@Riri-oj1zs]

@@goodgamewill6790 Says who? You? A random trash from KZbin? 🤣

[@lowres96]

The action in Jason Bourne is garbage. It uses it's editing wrong and it's way too dark.

[@Flaming_penguin]

@@lowres96 the first film isn’t even shaky cam it’s just quick cut edits. Greengrass directed all the others after (except Legacy) and he used shaky cam. But as to your point, it’s more of an opinion it’s not objectively bad. The action is all choreographed and isn’t filmed that way to hide poor fighting technique, it was an attempt at gritty realism. It’s like saying all found footage films are bad; sure you can’t see everything going on all that easy, but it’s part of the technique when done correctly. It might not be your cup of tea but it’s not inherently bad or poorly made, it’s meant to have a realistic look where not everything is seen and flashes before your eyes with no time to take it all in.

[@Riri-oj1zs]

When Bourne came out, every action film wanted to be like Bourne. It is because of its incredible action scenes and realism that were never seen before (and since) in mainstream films. I mean, you will never find a fight that is cooler, more realistic, and better than those in Bourne, even today. It is indeed a game changing movie.

[@lewislongiv208]

lol I think the raid movies surpass the coolness in bourne and are almost as realistic in fight forms and sequences

[@jipke]

Which is annoying, since after having rewatched the series recently I am aching for more but alternatives are scarce (and often disappointing).

[@kafa6580]

Before The Raid, there is Ong Bag, check your classic

[@kafa6580]

@@lewislongiv208 there are a lot of cgi in the Raid

[@heisenberg5766]

@@kafa6580 Isn't it Ong Bak?

[@Trazynn]

It works in the Bourne trilogy because the trilogy isn't about martial arts and action. The movie tries to convey frantic desperation rather than show off some action guy beating people to a pulp. Bourne improvises his way through chaos, but he doesn't try to control it, he only needs to get away from it. When action movies then try to replicate the chaos while at the same time putting the emphasis on the action itself they compromise both.

[@josephleece682]

decentradical this

[@reinotsurugi]

Exactly. The action was perfect for the mood. Love it.

[@clayongunzelle9555]

decentradical very interesting, but just to add to that I think the story you're telling should be your main influence. These days I think it's more about the fad that's in rather telling a compelling and entertaining story

[@cocaburra]

Nice observation

[@Bustaperizm]

The copy cat films don't understand this.

[@romansampo]

Jackie Chan was already pointing out this tendency in Hollywood action films way before Bourne. Most of the films you show to exemplify good camerawork in action films are from HK and China...

[@DreadNawght]

Jackie destroyed his body.

[@dabreakdown1172]

Because he is a real action hero just like an professional athlete

[@josephbae8804]

romansampo The writing is the problem. In the case of Bourne movies, the shakiness of the film is to show the Bourne’s mental state as well as his perspective. Shake is one of its plot devices. Handheld in movies like Taken 1 worked due to its plot. It added the main character’s paranoia due to his kidnapped daughter. And the audience bought the movie. Later versions of Taken movies suck hard b/c of shitty writing. It has nothing to do with the nationality. In fact, Chinese movies, except Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon, tend to focus way too much emphasis on action instead of plot. For instance, the Dark Knight Trilogy’s action bits are shitty, but the movie is good due to its profound storyline.

[@Rondo2ooo]

@@josephbae8804 total bs to give a deep whatever interpretation to the shaky cuts. Scripts have even less to do, what are you talking about? Nobody moves like this unless you are drunk. The 2002 Bourne was great but more and more the sequels action scenes became unwatchable to hide poor action. The Asian action scenes are mostly far superior nowadays.

[@dhariwalgaming7525]

The Bourne Trilogy is probably one of the better ‘modern’ action films. I like the way the fight scenes are so intense yet so clear which is credit to Greengrass. Great video too, good analysis of cinematography. 👍

[@MarkHicks326]

Bourne Identity (1) isn't Greengrass

[@johncrosley1]

They are impossible to follow. Very few action films that use this technique are watchable. I’m sorry but you are talking rubbish.

[@ig-kun1475]

@@johncrosley1 lol, surely bourne's action is more coherent than all the rest, the guys take other movies as an example to be able to speak ill of Bourne, but Bourne, there are choppy and coherent scenes, something the Hollywood filmmaker couldn't do, so, man, who is talking nonsense is you

[@juanitajones6900]

I like the Bourne movies - at least the four between 2002 and 2012 - despite Greengrass' introduction of the crappy quick shots.

[@TheAlps36]

It gave the film series an identity. It's what made it different from Mission Impossible and James Bond. Unfortunately other directors just copied it without properly understanding it

[@MMAli-rq8kd]

Liam Neeson needed 17 cuts to create that fence jump start till landing. That has to be some kind of record! Right?!

[@mafia2872]

Liam Neeson is old, his role in taken series is iconic cause of his mannerism and his voice. If we wanted some action star at his prime we had to let go that menacing yet aristocratic charm of Neeson.

[@ResidentReveler]

Resident Evil Final Chapter broke that record.

[@AnimalsAndReports]

Anyone else feel whoozy after watching this?!

[@xiaomusmash1494]

AnimalsAndReports yeah…

[@cologist]

Almost vomited

[@wmf-]

me.. i get the same feeling like playing a 1st-person pov game for too long (1-2hrs) just by watching scenes on the video

[@fakuri913]

try watch Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, the movie is litellary almost make me throw up. One of the worst movie I ever watch

[@ultraboy99x]

make me wanna vomit

[@ttystikkrocks1042]

And that's why the Bourne films are classics

[@ttystikkrocks1042]

@Amadeus Eisenberg they were really good movies.

[@leohaddad9225]

Amadeus Eisenberg yeah they are fantastic

[@ngockhoahuynh4052]

@Amadeus Eisenberg your comment iz overrated

[@leohaddad9225]

Man Without Fear did you even watch the video

[@manchesthairpukenited2962]

Good story, but nauseous cinema

[@tony7287]

Liam "10 Cut" Neeson.....

[@arielmalsireal5453]

Tony C. Lol.

[@IamPatrickStar]

You can literally still experience tension while being able to see what's going on in a movie scene

[@curtygriff6636]

That fight scene in the Bourne ultimatum is one of my favorites ever.

[@leohaddad9225]

It’s not shit

[@ngockhoahuynh4052]

@Amadeus Eisenberg you sound like you'r good at pulling out shit from your mouth

[@WanH80]

@Amadeus Eisenberg What does a shit like you doing here commenting?

[@josuepena269]

I remember noticing the camera go down with book then up again. Blew my little mind.

[@mstrikesback168]

Rocky IV fight

[@Crashed131963]

Shaky cam hides mistakes and lack of fighting talent. Simple as that.

[@renx81]

Not "simple as that"... It CAN be used for that purpose though, and sadly is way too often these days.

[@ravinduwijayarathna6238]

yeah I really wanted those fighting scenes to end in bourne ultimatum.. they were very confusing to look at and most of the time i missed a lot of things thag the movie wanted me to see..

[@paulvincentnicha9796]

Totally agree with yah mate! I hate watching movies with shaky cam, same with found footage style. That is why John Wick movies are great and fun to watch, you can see what is happening.

[@cerromeceo]

Facts

[@visceraeyes525]

@@paulvincentnicha9796 because the actors are actually trained in fighting in john wick and have good fight choreographers, therefore the fighting looks good, therefore they want to avoid quick cuts in order to show off all the hard work they trained for...that is the opposite of the bourne movies

[@supermansbrother]

My mind is like milkshake now!

[@RaytheonNublinski]

Zakir Sheriff Haha that is so accurate. I was like what is happening to me? And that’s exactly it!

[@darthXreven]

yes, I'll have 1 Zakir Sheriff milkshake to go.....LOLZ

[@professoroak3411]

Zakir Sheriff that's the point

[@alidohorizonte]

Zakir Sheriff And does it bring all the boys to the yard? Lol

[@justanoob111]

chocolatey and delicious?

[@benjaminhackett8896]

The Bourne movies are some of my all time favorites. The shaky action was a brilliant touch and I love how all the action in the movies is organic and pulls the audience into it. Everyone (well, most) who disliked this video didn't watch it through.

[@sameerahmed-gx8js]

Benjamin Hackett it clearly shows that actor don’t know how to fight

[@sr.little2128]

@@sameerahmed-gx8js he doesn't know, but at least Damon tries, Joey knows capoeira movements, In the behind scenes Bourne ultimatum fight, he made a spin in the start, telling us that maybe that cool spin in the fight was real, at least all of the movies of Bourne, tried to do coreography

[@taserface8147]

Watched all three. Love the movie overall but still hate the super shaky incoherent fight scenes.

[@manchesterunitedno7]

Yeah, but you failed to mention Action movies actually veered away from that dreadful quick cut shots in the last couple of years. Look at The Raid, John Wick, or even Atomic Blonde for example. The actions are all clear and precise. That terrible gimmick of quick shot cuts just to show 1 scene is slowly dying down. I do agree with all your points though, that gimmick is terrible, without proper context. Well, it's common occurrence since it was a trend, the followers always less than exemplary than the originator. Remember The Matrix? How many times we have seen action movies with similar template in the following years after that movie.

[@700Harry007]

Mad Max was really good too. There were moments of fast cuts but with beautiful clarity.

[@clubbering32]

i would love to agree with you however it is important to remember the entire john wick series and atomic blonde was directed by either David Leitch or Chad Stahelski who were both the creators of John Wick intially. My point is only to say the good action direction is still contained to a very small pool of individuals in the grand scale of Hollywood.

[@700Harry007]

clubbering32 ah of course. Nobody is undermining their efforts. Have yet to watch Atomic Blonde but I enjoyed both John Wick films very much. Can't imagine how they're going to top themselves for the 3rd one.

[@crozraven]

700Harry007 Mad max is an "orchestrated chaos." It's just full on awesomeness. Also, the movie mostly told the story based from storyboards more than the script itself.

[@mopslikvonstein]

Often times shaky cam is done to hide that the actors can't really fight. The Raid had fighters, John Wick had Keanu Reeves who is amazing with choreography, and Charlize Theron worked her ass off for Atomic Blonde. When you cast Liam Neeson in your action movie, you're going to need shaky cam no matter what.

[@NuclearSavety]

fast cut + shaky cam also hides that today 'action stars' are untrained and cant fight for shlt...

[@Jashtvorak]

That + every female leads in action movies is not believable for me. The only one that has passed is Gina Carano in Haywire, because she can kick ass in real life and you can see that she can do what she do because of her body. Gal Gadot has a pretty face but her body is nothing like Amazon warrior and i can't get pass that. I can not enjoy movies where skinny runner smashes heavy killer machine. But the shaky cam had purpose in Bourne, other directors adopt it just to hyde bad action scenes.

[@redsabreanakin]

agree totally Peter. I guess that makes me a chauvinist ass, but so be it. I have only ever believed Jennifer Garner in "Alias"..

[@Ayaforshort]

Peter Jakubik Gal Gadot did a pretty good job training up and to me she's not just a warrior she's also got devine powers. I'm a straight woman and even I appreciate that she kicks ass and looks sexy while doing so.

[@lampham5525]

@dbkml94 but Liam Neeson can fight.

[@theBabyDead]

I was coming here like "OH NO YOU DIDN'T", about to speak up for bourne, but then you explained how it's just other directors failing at recreating bourne and i was like... Cool

[@jedaaa]

exactly what i was thinking before i watched it haha

[@f5tornadeau]

theBabyDead nah...the 3rd Bourne movie was bad with the style.

[@Jo-chilin]

Same haha

[@arnoldrivers9666]

Bourne sucks as well.

[@K0m30ng]

Same, why blame Greengrass? He's like the teacher of shaky cam with his students kept failing of what he does at his best

[@stormdavis3178]

The franchise raised the bar for cerebral, action thrillers, which is why I never tire of watching them. If anything, the success of the Bourne films gave birth to modern classics like Taken, John Wick and The Accountant. We should be so lucky.

[@Vishal6969]

True

[@spngirl55]

I KNEW there was a reason why the The Bourne movies had THE BEST action movie fight scenes and my ALL time favorite fight scenes ever. I always found myself rewatching them and being completely amazed every time but I couldn't really pin point it the reason why the Bourne movies did it differently and better but you describe it perfectly in this video!

[@lewislongiv208]

Shaky cam hides mistakes and lack of fighting talent. But I do agree that Bourne did it better than all the others. For me the raid fight scenes are better because of the actual realistic choreography, and talent you can see being used.

[@syndrome3215]

@@lewislongiv208 The thing is, Bourne is a mix of good action set pieces and good action story/character arcs. This technique works in this setting because Bourne's story is chaotic, his methods are improvised, and he's always stressed out of his mind. This context is crucial for Bourne's action.

[@MalaysianChopsticks]

I guess why John Wick put me back to when I watch Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan. I can actually see everything.

[@fernandoa.2579]

In my opinion, Bourne's movies are really awesome. The story by itself makes the viewer feel that kind of tension during the whole movie, and that is what I liked the most. For me, there is no moment in which you are actually bored.

[@taserface8147]

Thats a fact.

[@GibbzStream]

"Bourne can't be blamed for how bad action films are these days." In a video titled 'How One Movie Trilogy Ruined Actions Films Forever' Cool clickbait, bro.

[@vitalmotivation0]

yea

[@ADifferentVibe]

To be fair, Bourne wasn't blamed. Others misused their techniques.

[@K0m30ng]

Bourne cannot be blamed, it's not Paul Greengrass' fault, many filmmakers tried to copied off his technique and failed miserably

[@Wyzzkyd]

The Equalizer was one I enjoyed even with the quick cuts. While they were fast, at least they were coherent and progressive, not using repetitive angles like Taken's. And Denzel's presence seemed to slow things down.

[@hectorresendez6280]

Yeah and it was so satisfying in the brutal scenes and the actor is top of the line also.

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

Agreed, Zenzi. The first Equalizer was fantastic. I saw it on Netflix and loved it so much I immediately bought the blu-ray. The second one, however, just didn't measure up in my opinion. The scene in the Russian Mob's penthouse in the first Equalizer was just amazing, as was the scene where Denzel has the "bad cop" take him to the factory where the bad guys are. Great scenes.

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

@Timothy Two Gun Thompson Meh. It just didn't grab me like the first one did. Not a terrible movie, but just didn't have the same awesomeness (in my opinion) as the first one. There are so many really great scenes in the first one that are just not equaled - again, in my opinion - in the second one.

[@interamnia7943]

@@JustWasted3HoursHere What the 2nd one did better in my opinion was, that Denzel didn't commit that many unnecessary crimes. Unlike the first one, he only killed when it was necessary.

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

@@interamnia7943 I suppose, but it just wasn't as exciting for me as the first one.

[@_Ike]

The final fight scene in Jack Reacher was incredible for the very reason of lack of music. It added incredible amounts of depth to the fight.

[@dawudyelton1392]

so bourne didn't f$%k it up, just copiers can't re-do it; trilogy is a master-piece(well, maybe that's a reach, but they are good)

[@HsenagNarawseramap]

Dawud Yelton clickbait

[@mitzmanuel]

Exactly. Paul Greengrass has it down to a science in which he has a PhD in it. Most other people who try it haven't graduated high school compared to him.

[@tremplearsen9938]

GimpyTheSpaceman Just because it makes you nauseous does NOT mean everyone has the same small amount of tolerance like you. Just because it doesn't work for you does NOT mean it doesn't for everyone else. For one, it DEFINITELY DOES have finesse and everything about its action sequence is built on finesse, you just don't know what finesse means and how it applies to aspects of cinematography. Hell, you don't even know what you're talking about. And While I do agree that shaky cam should not be always be praised, it's Paul Greengrass' expertise that makes it unique. And being tense? that's what's ACTION scenes are SUPPOSED to be. It builds up adrenaline, awareness, and confusion all at the same time. the problem with you is you JUST DON'T GET IT. You're hating on things you don't understand. Greengrass' work is fine, it's the wannabes that destroys its reputation.

[@The_Antiquary]

No, shitty shaky cam is still shitty, it's a technique Greengrass brought from his TV days - it's less noticeable and easier to tolerate on TV, which this video reviewer should consider, and was a cheap way to appear edgy - it's an absolute nightmare on a cinema screen where the effect is magnified; Greengrass couldn't even keep the camera still during slow talking scenes. Shaky cam doesn't give you an experience, it takes you out of the situation and makes you painfully conscious of the camera.

[@loynjuryllgulpany4778]

@@The_Antiquary so shaky cam in The Winter Soldier made you dizzy evem if it's done well?

[@SamCheb]

You should’ve mentioned The Raid series. Both movies are a perfect blend of capturing hand to hand combat in close quarters without losing focus

[@BolasDaGrk]

You picked the best trilogy, described amazing effects derived from it, and proved an amazing point that I did not even know was started by this trilogy... Well done! I would like to add though, that your title doesn't give the trilogy the justice it deserves. Just because other film makers cant mimic its genius, doesn't mean it is this film "that ruined" films.

[@kleberson777]

The Raid 1 in 2012 really bring back the greatness of action genre. Therefore, born action series like Kingsman and John Wick

[@codelessunlimited7701]

The realism fight scenes of Jason Bourne was solid and epitome of what fight scenes about. The director wanted to make sure the audience feels what Jason Bourne had to deal the hardship, capabilities, and the mindsets of Bourne. The amazing scorings too, was very perfect for Jason Bourne.

[@narutofan9tf]

Also consider the talent behind the action scenes. Before they usually had people/actors who actually knew what they were doing and had experience. Nowadays you have an old dude in his 60s or a "petite looking person" taking out someone who is clearly physically superior to them, which is why trickery with the camera is necessary to hide their awkward lack of real skill and real world expectations.

[@mickesmanymovies]

I was seriously going to come in here, guns blazing, scolding you for trying to pass blame for mediocre action films onto the Bourne-trilogy... But, as one SHOULD, I watched the clip, and must say: GOOD ON YOU! You actually GET IT! There is a distict difference between shaky cam and shaky cam, Greengrass uses this, for the most part annoying, way of shooting in JUST the right way, whereas many other filmmakers cannot handle it, but oh boy do they ever try! Thank you for not dumping on Bourne, those first three first three films are often unjustly scolded! Also, clever way of using a clickbait-type headline to lure people in. :)

[@jedaaa]

My thoughts exactly hahaha

[@NwaEgo]

Lol Same

[@lustre12]

It's called 'clickbait.' The title is meant to raise eyebrows through controversy. I was in the same boat as you coming into this video. Crappy tactics, but I guess it worked for this channel.

[@MilkCalf]

No it's not clickbait when it isn't misleading. The answer to how Jason Bourne ruined action movies is by being something that producers wanted to replicate while not being easily replicable. If he would have put blame on the movie he could have asked "why" instead.

[@Andrew_Price]

Agreed. Hated the clickbait thought. Came in here with the same mindset to blast his ass for talking down on the trilogy :)

[@farifairis7388]

This is why I still love Jackie Chan.. LOL xD

[@leohaddad9225]

The original drunken master from 1978. When they fight they have the camera sit on a tripod and not move and it’s awesome

[@manchesthairpukenited2962]

@Amadeus Eisenberg blah blah blah repeating the same bs over and over

[@crozraven]

Hollywood action movie nightmare: a combination of bad choreography & shaky cams & fast cuts & cookie cutter story.

[@defenstrator4660]

It hasn’t ruined them forever. The John Wick franchise is doing well and Hollywood is taking notice.

[@manchesthairpukenited2962]

@Amadeus Eisenberg yo momma and opinion is shit. Hold your opinions because they’re absolute trash like your life.

[@swallowedinthesea11]

The Bourne trilogy is still the amazing series!

[@wolfura]

Overrated.

[@swallowedinthesea11]

Kris Reported! Have a safe weekend!

[@gbeachy2010]

The key to Bourne, IMO, is the characters. Of course Ludlum made lots of page turners, but without the relationships Bourne is just another juvenile exercise. The acting of Damon, Franka Potente and rest of the cast brought you into the mystery and the believable action carried you along. No magic tricks like MI, Avengers, Potter. Each action Bourne takes makes you think, yeah, with training a very smart recruit could do that.

[@jixxytrix1705]

Given your name you should do it tomorrow. Or the day after. Or the day after. Or the day after Or the....

[@apollo4657]

Major Procrastinator reported. Have a safe weekend!

[@HalfSight88]

two examples of this is resident evil final chapter and hands of stone i really almost had a siezure watching them

[@mish375]

That final Resident Evil film had some of the worst shaky cam I've ever seen put to film. I couldn't even tell what was happening in the fight scenes, who was hitting who, and even who died in some cases. Normally this kind of thing makes me nauseous (prone to motion sickness), but that one added headache level confusion to it.

[@tordroesstad5894]

Which is why John Wick was such a success, their clean action scenes was a delight to sore eyes

[@adeswandana24]

Best scene editor vs best fight coreographer.

[@rodrigobento4570]

Swandanade watch both "the raid" movies. Really good stuff.

[@topshonuff]

How can I admire the technique if I can’t see it. It’s like a magician, trying not to show you what he did. It’s why it sucks. Shoutouts to Bruce Lee, John Wick, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Tony Jaa, Matrix, And Kill Bill Movies from not doing all that shaky Camera.

[@arrrowuwu]

For a second I thought I was watching a Vox video

[@doubledollarman2727]

One name to save them all... John Wick

[@SuperMurray2009]

Raid is better

[@straypaper]

Battle Rifle Preach brother

[@jasonbourne7190]

Doubt he can beat me.

[@jrsmoots]

Tripod! Buy them a tripod!

[@targetdreamer257]

jrsmoots completely agree. Shot I think I would get them a tripod for Christmas or their birthday if it’d only stop the shaky cam infestation.

[@lazaros23]

i love the Bourne trilogy, it set the bar!

[@visceraeyes525]

for crappy quick cut action movies? yeah

[@Vishal6969]

@@visceraeyes525 Wtf dumbass. Bourne trilogy is one of the best action movie trilogies ever. Every Bourne movie (first 3) is rated higher than every John Wick's movie on Imdb. Bourne movies has better story unlike John Wick. Oh no... his dog is killed, now he must kill everyone. Lame. He's (JW) also a retired assassin who's also a badass (a plot we've seen countless times in Hollywood). As for the shaky cam. It worked for Bourne because it wasn't trying to hide any bad action choreography (unlike its copycats), shaky cam made those action sequences more thrilling and intense.

[@K0m30ng]

@@visceraeyes525 Atleast it doesn't try to hide any stunt work or mistakes the actors made on screen. Many filmmakers tried to copied off his technique and failed miserably. I mean The Bourne Ultimatum won an Oscar for Best Film Editing for god sakes lol, he does it with considerable style. There was only one scene in Supremacy where he overused a little bit but after that he has done it considerably better. Even in his other movies like Captain Phillips and United 93, he used shaky cam and quick cut editing for sure but in a way to not hide anything

[@dinitis]

Jackies action scenes are the best.

[@ln7929]

He does what most fail to do Combine action and Comedy at the same time

[@mafia2872]

Jackie chan is as gifted as a comedy action star as Gary Old man as a method actor. Both are far different from each other but both types are legendary.

[@huaiwei]

And also because he is genuinely martial arts trained and does the sequences himself.

[@Marcaureleotto]

My favorite one: Jackie against Benny 'the Jet' !

[@filmnobelpreis]

Everyone who liked this is a man of honor

[@jjochems]

This video cheapens itself by tacking "forever" at the end of the title. It's pretentious to assume that whatever bad trends that we are seeing now are never going to be improved on or abandoned completely. As if we haven't seen the death of bad trends before.

[@paxwallacejazz]

I was wondering why I prefer the Bourne Identity. I just like Doug Limans style better. Plus it's honestly hopefull.

[@kalsolarUK]

Same reason I also like the Bourne Lagacy more, different director and the camera work is easier on the eye and the brain.

[@jamesward3859]

Greengrass style is supposes to be a mix of documentary realism and a fast pace kinetic experience he doesn’t do just to hide bad Stuntwork he has a purpose doing it

[@v-trigger6137]

I mean i do appreciate Greengrass's direction. his idea of using the shaky cam to make audiences see through Bourne's perspective and making the movie look fast pace is intelligent. but I just don't like shaky cam at all, it's makes very hard to understand what is happening in the screen, and you start to lose the focus on the narrative. I highly prefer wider shots, and it's one of the reasons why Identity is my favorite movie in the trilogy. it's a personal preference though

[@siddharthsahu2101]

I think the Bourne films were made to be watched on the big screen. On a smaller screen, it's difficult to watch out for those little details in each scene. But, yeah, I still liked the Bourne Identity the most; simply, because it focuses more on the characters to build them up for the next 2 films.

[@Riri-oj1zs]

@@v-trigger6137 Identity is quite shaky as well.

[@blind6144]

This is the reason I love Captain America vs Winter Soldier hand to hand combat!

[@financeminister1084]

strange mozo one of the best fight scenes of recent times

[@leminhduc3588]

Marvel series superheroes are sh1t

[@doremon-rk3dl]

@@leminhduc3588 dc kid

[@LLawliet-tv9ig]

Unfortunately, that fight was the last great hand to hand combat fight in MCU. Civil War's hand to hand combat fights were nowhere as good as the ones in Captain America: Winter Soldier

[@williamchamberlain2263]

@@LLawliet-tv9ig true, but Civil War _did_ do a good job with the separate confrontations within the airport fight scene.

[@jaycroix8729]

In hollywood, most action stars started their career on just acting, not stunts whatsoever. They just got famous because of 1 action film they got involved in and then they change path. Stars like Keanu reeves, Tom cruise, Angelina jolie, to name a few that are really dedicated in doing their own stunts makes goddamn good action movie. All they need are good directors.

[@aberizal8022]

but they are nothing compared to jackie chan, jet li, tony jaa, donnie yen. this guy all of them are real stuntmen and martial artist.

[@PersephonevanderWaard]

I prefer the days of zero, or at least minimal editing: Bruce Lee

[@teehundeart]

Nicholas van der Waard Jackie Chan was really great as well

[@vincasvosylius6045]

Well, you can easily show the whole fight sequence when actors are Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee... but how many of today's action stars are real martial artists...? This is now actually just about the single way to imitate good fights.. :/

[@arnoldrivers9666]

Hell yeah!!! Same here.

[@chaosgyro]

Vincas Vosylius The number of martial artists who are passable actors is similarly low. Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee were good, but I would shudder to see them in Les Miserables or Schindler's List. Neeson was great in Taken, really making us feel his need to find his daughter, but turning the sequels into "action first", run of the mill crap is the real crime. (Well, making those movies AT ALL was a bad idea)

[@hewdelfewijfe]

And this is one of the reasons I love John Wick.

[@ihavenonamehi813]

This video gave me a headache

[@MrZyphR]

IHaveNoName hi already had a headache before i started now i have epilepsy

[@ihavenonamehi813]

MrZyphR loool 😂😂

[@baloog8]

Why would you watch it all the way through? I just mostly scrolled down into comments and listened to it. I couldnt stamd it for more than 10 seconds.

[@ihavenonamehi813]

Gooper Loper who said I didn't do that 😂😂

[@baloog8]

IHaveNoName hi hahha!

[@zackmont437]

I like the shaky cam style as long as it's not over the top. I don't mind it. But I tend to like longer fight takes with the wide angle lens. Minimum shaky cam or none at all. Such as the Undisputed movies or the Daredevil hallway fight scene. Fight scenes like those impress me the most imo.

[@julietferreira9031]

Ya Season 2 daredevil where he beats up the biker gang is one my favorites

[@EricJacobusOfficial]

Your analysis of the film compared to the knockoffs is correct, but don't blame Bourne. You're ignoring (or avoiding) the elephant in the room, a global catastrophe just the year before the film's release, which underlines the PTSD we still feel in that we're reluctant to talk about it. The terror attacks of 9/11/2001 were on everyone's mind when they watched Bourne Identity (2002). No matter your political views on the event's origin, it's no coincidence that Bourne's action reflected the trauma that the West felt after 9/11. Before 9/11 you had domestic action terrorism thrillers like Blown Away, Speed, and Collateral Damage, when the audience wanted to see the hero fighting terrorism, because terrorism was confined to Timothy McVeigh, Ted Kaczynski, and a few others. It was still relatively contained. But when 9/11 hits, the massive trauma means the rules of war are out the window, and the PTSD felt by the West (and globally) necessitated a new kind of cathartic match, so the action code-making in Bourne Identity is "experiential, lawless violence". The code is abused by Batman Begins and the later Taken films, but this is because filmmakers are always desperately searching for the cathartic match. Fast 7 has some fight scenes that have the same problem. tl;dr part: Your other flaw here is equating the Bourne genre with the martial arts genre. The two have totally different codes of action. In America, most martial art films were shot coverage-style, the way TV shows were shot. Action was taken in a master, then over-the-shoulder front and reverse, some inserts, and then edited together mostly for dramatic effect. There was no attempt to integrate the filmmaking departments into the action, so the fights in Dragon the Bruce Lee Story were all-American. Compare these with Hong Kong action films, which have camera and editing integrated into the choreography, so the action is totally coherent. Throughout the 80s and 90s we have countless American martial art films with wide camera angles and all that, but without the integration of Hong Kong films, except for films like No Retreat No Surrender 2, Superfights, Bloodmoon, and all those Godfrey Ho ninja films, all shot by Hong Kong teams. Then in 1997-2000 you have all these Hong Kong filmmakers coming to the USA to escape the handover of Hong Kong to China and we get Rush Hour and The Matrix, along with the cosmopolitan Crouching Tiger. The Matrix was the moment when Hong Kong filmmaking became an accepted code of action for martial art films in the West. The code was not just visibility, but integration of the camera and editing into the action. Equilibrium tried to do something like this but it was sort of niche. Chad Stahelski, Keanu's double in The Matrix, learned all this while working on the trilogy and became the American master of this action code, which is why he made John Wick the way he did, and his stunt coordinator JJ Perry pushed the same code with Gina Carano in Haywire in the diner and hotel fights.

[@adhityabhaskaran4093]

U have one like bruh underrated af do sumn do get this to insider

[@compoflask6262]

this is a shallow observation of me, but I just love that the tl;dr is longer than the first paragraph

[@Jayskiallthewayski]

You're full of shit.

[@wowmilo5029]

History Class be like:

[@mojojojo4601]

John wick

[@ashram7936]

the only movie with realistic reloads ,, the 2nd movie to teach me that u can go full melee with bullets

[@ROCKSTAR3291]

close combat with guns

[@LeeGinSing]

John Wick is a refreshing return to form. :D

[@fran991213]

but it's fun isn't it ?

[@Jeffreelz]

Thang Nguyen John Wick introduces the fusion of martial arts and gunfight named "Gun Fu"

[@AbuZain19]

Finally I see an explanation of the reason why I cannot find an action movie that is better than Bourne's! Thanks for the great effort to explain that to us.

[@jascrandom9855]

Have you seen The Raid: Redemption and The Raid 2: Berandal?

[@FabledGentleman]

There are a few action movies that are as good or better than bourne. Aliens, Die Hard, Terminator 2, The Matrix and Kill Bill vol 1. If you have missed any of those, you better watch them. They are all really great.

[@tmtchannel3685]

Waleed Ibrahim i hate the action scenes in bourne

[@josharntt]

John Wick

[@jjryan1352]

Entertainment train.....no one cares!

[@snowdjagha]

Two of the best fighting scenes in the last years were in Daredevil's season 1 and 2, with the hall scene and the staircase scene, respectively. Gorgeous lighting atmospheres coupled with amazing and realistic choreographies. Top notch!

[@manchesterunitedno7]

The Raid say hi.

[@snowdjagha]

I said "realistic". The Raid has amazing choreography, but it does not resemble real fight, at all. I love both Raid movies, don't get me wrong.

[@manchesterunitedno7]

The Raid is not realistic enough? Daredevil is no more realistic than The Raid, or Bourne, or John Wick. Beside, all of them based on actual martial arts from respective countries. The Raid (Indonesia's Pencak Silat), Bourne (Israel's Krav Maga + Philippines Arnis/Kali), an John Wick (Gunkatta + Krav Maga). While Daredevil based on what, Ninjutsu?

[@snowdjagha]

Ninjutsu? Did you even saw the scenes I'm talking about, or any episode of Daredevil?

[@snowdjagha]

Then I'm crazy.

[@a-k2985]

The Caption is confusing. Most people think Bourne is so bad that it ruined action scenes but actually it means that Bourne has the best action scenes ever that it ruined other movies dull action scenes.

[@stormwings3236]

Nah, it introduced a filming technique that is misused everywhere. Think of like Bourne directors trained a cobra to do trick then everyone and their dog buy cobras, havoc ensures. It's different from the cobra is so cool that every other pet feels lame.

[@Kiev-in-3-days]

Most people draw conclusions too fast.

[@maryclaremayo6157]

It's using the expression ruined as in "Flying first class has ruined flying for me forever" or once you've had really good food, you don't want KD anymore.

[@ubayyd]

It's fine as long as it feels real and you know what's going on and the Bourne series is one of the finest examples of this kind of direction and choreography.

[@mumble_jumbo]

This is why any shitty movie can now be on the big screens; quality, plot and story can be hidden by shaky cams.

[@harsyakiarraathallah2222]

Greengrass: did it Right. Others: did it Wrong.

[@max_497]

I was studying in class 10 when i was first saw the bourne trilogy and at that moment i knew i witnessed something amazing which i have never seen before...a cinematic action at its best. I have never seen a movie like Bourne ever since

[@iloveyou-sf4sw]

When I was watching this kinda movie I'm like wha am I supposed to focus at

[@wieneckem]

I was always a fan of fight scenes without music. They do feel so much more intense.

[@BuMMasUmmA]

I hate shaky cam and quick cuts

[@TheJudoJoker]

The Bourne Trilogy was like the Far Cry 2 of action movies. Using polarizing mechanics/cinematography to create a more visceral feel

[@ReaLifeHDchannel]

"How Others Misused Bourne's Fight Sequences". I recommend this title because you go against the current video's title in 7:17. Otherwise, this is a really great observation!

[@markf6829]

I hated Bourne Ultimatum. The shaky camera gave me a headache. It was worse then a bad 3D film. I knew I was going to agree with this article. They basically take any actor who can't fight and cut and paste it so it looks like they can. What an insult to the Jet Li's, Jackie Chan's, Bruce Lee's who spent a lifetime cultivating their skills to have to be in the same category of a guy who is photoshoped into a fight scene.

[@gumaming]

Best fight ever, was Jacky Chan and Benny ”The Jet” Urquidez in the movie Wheels on Meals. True martial art skills. One week of choreographed fighting (actual contact fighting), sleeping on set for a 5 min. screen fight.

[@inthebag84]

Cool, I really enjoyed this little video. I always noticed how Bourne 2 and 3 had shakier cameras with more cuts than the first, which is why I prefer the action scenes in the first one than the others. But watching this, gives me a new found respect for 2 and 3 that I didn't have before. Good on ya.

[@AmanSingh-nw7lw]

Only Raid : Redemption, Raid 2 and 'The night comes for us' had same level of cinematography

[@ajinurfajri1952]

So. Basically every indonesian action films thats been made after The Raid series. Im glad that those indonesian filmakers actually taking notes from Gareth Evans.

[@nartouzumaki8232]

hate this shaky camera stuff .. i want to relax watching a movie and enjoy it .. not to get a headache from 100 different angles in one minute ...

[@timothy098-b4f]

It’s like everything else-a new tool becomes available and people overuse it; then the pendulum swings back. It would be almost impossible to have thousands of cuts in a movie shot on film, because every cut and splice has to be done with physical pieces of film. Digital editing makes cutting and splicing so easy that people went a little crazy with it.

[@jascrandom9855]

I think The Raid Movies, John Wick franchise, Kingsman movies, Deadpool and the Russo Brothers are bringing good Action back.

[@deadjuice3745]

the Russo brothers use this cheap gimmick very often,its not that intense as other movies do

[@jascrandom9855]

They use it correctly. They don't hide the action. That's why their MCU movies are so much better than most of the others.

[@meurer13daniel]

The Russo brothers uses the "3 action set/cut/three action set" and so on. It's a very common technique. What they are good at is the camera movement and the coragraphy. There is some real creativity there. That scene of the Captain America vs Winter Soldier in the streets are a perfect exemple. Also the elevator scene in the same movie. They are not the best of Hollywood now, but DEFINITLY a good adition to the MCU in an action standard

[@NomadFlow]

The Raid movies and John Wick were HEAVILY inspired by Hong Kong action cinema. The fight choreographers for Winter Soldier were also HEAVILY inspired by Hong Kong action cinema. The fact that Hong Kong action cinema is always ignored despite being the standard of action cinema and what has influenced the most in action cinema all over the world is absolutely disgusting.

[@bizgaru1771]

Thank goodness MCU movies aren't directed by Micheal Bay.

[@delavalmilker]

One thing I've gotten out of shaky cam, is that I now realize how important it is to have good cinematographers in movies!

[@plasticage2085]

even watching this is confused, i've got a headhache thanks to shaky cam! now i need some John Wick or The Raid things

[@YBbedul]

kingsman also improving..the fight was pleasing to the eye..

[@ravinduwijayarathna6238]

yeah they show so much that you can almost feel the pain of the person whose getting beaten

[@jordansweet8054]

Matthew Vaughn is one of the greats.

[@blackblurable]

It’s really hit and miss honestly but lots fail to impress. I miss Jackie Chan, Jet li and the late great Bruce Lee for their movies had the best action. Music was an emphasis is Hero though when the action was going on. Ong Bak was a great movie also with Tony Ja doing awesome fight choreography. Donnie Yen has great action flicks too. Trying to make an actor or actress who isn’t limber enough or much or less trained makes for more cuts. That’s on top of what direction the director takes as well. Too many cuts in places like moving or running i.e Taken is a great example. It’s very unnecessary and way to make the film more unrealistic. I love the Matrix but it’s not banking on that shit. You know it’s fake but you let it slide in certain movies or aspects of a film if you will. Too many try to hard and what is in, is what people do or go for. That’s the culture and society when more should innovate. Have to take risks and that’s why superhero movies are growing stale (more than they already are). You have the superhero for example get pummeled or tossed and it’s apparent he’s messed up but takes more of a beating. Then the other hero jumps in, no powers or nothing. Basically a regular person who in turn gets either beaten but walks away or actually defeats the bad guy. This is all normal? No, have some semblance of balance where it would make sense. The other problem with not just hero films but others too is heavy cgi. It’s great but sometimes it’s too much or obviously bad that it ruins the immersive nature it’s trying to convey.

[@diniatika48]

Prince of Darkness have you watch the raid?

[@manjulanilsson6011]

Actually all fighting-moves in matrix is real and done by the actors, very little CGI in it, but to get the bullet-time they had to use Cgi effects etc.

[@ArlanKels]

I think it was jackie chan who said that he hated how hollywood was directing action scenes, how they would cut prior to the impact and that it made the overall impact of the hit itself worse and basically ruin the fight itself. When the guy crazy enough to almost lose his hands doing his own stunts can call you out for being stupid you know you've done screwed up.

[@SuperMurray2009]

Yeah it literally feels insulting

[@sarjanaalam]

try The Raid

[@zhobz8583]

I’m pissing my pants right now. As I’m watching the literally fight scene of Taken 2 on my tv when I clicked the video on my iPad. Having the scenes almost line up by coincidence makes me feel as I won the lottery.

[@rozieredz]

I recently watched the first two Bourne movies for the first time. I found it brutal and intense, and kind of knew why but didn't know how to put it into words - you did it excellently! Thank you.

[@kendo5862]

Can we please get a stabilised bourne edit ... loved the earlier films but the lazy camera gimmick left me spewy

[@CarsSupercars]

Biggest influence is *when action star couldn't perform action and director moves camera🤣😂😂🤣😂😂* *true action is full view* ☯️☯️👍

[@deivamgaming8097]

Dude wtf are you saying and why are you laughing

[@testikuskitestdrivr6012]

So shaky cam is just an effect like CGi and when used inappropriately it just fucks up the whole picture, feel, flow everything. Good study man, great video.

[@joshferris4196]

I've always loved the Bourne trilogy because of how it was filmed, so thank you for making this video!

[@अंशुमानअवस्थी]

Thank God someone said what I wanted to say for years

[@maganatalia8432]

Finally someone put into words what I was never able to articulate properly about my favourite action movie series, ever since Bourne Identity first came out. Especially love the first one! ❤️

[@ericdebord]

It was so shaky I quit watching. I HATE shaky action movie view

[@JamJim]

Search: THE RAID 2

[@wonhyuk86]

I lovee the Bourne movies, and I didn't actually notice about the shaky camera thing until.. I think when I read a comment about it, or after I saw this video (not sure).. For me, it just felt natural (probably why I didn't notice it), and it makes me feel like I'm there in the scene. I also like when they don't use music during some action scenes coz it's not that necessary, and I feel like I just hear my heart beat during those breathtaking action scenes. In my opinion, there's no action movies as good as the Bourne movies are. Loved this video btw! 💗

[@Biskawow]

only thing I experience when watching this crap is a headache. Last movie that gave me massive headache was the one in the oil rig. Edit: Deepwater Horizon.

[@arx117]

Mario D. Zmaj atleast we still can follow it because its not fight scene. Go watch taken, it basically jump cut every fight scene

[@khaler21]

It's been said that the audience is getting dumber with each decade as much as they are getting smarter. That's why every movie finds its audience.

[@penhdog2207]

Makes me wanna watch Bourne trilogy again. Thanks, this just sorted my weekend.

[@charlieangel9705]

Jason Bourne can never be played by anyone other than Matt Damon.

[@wiseguychampia6647]

Jason Bourne ruined Action Films John Wick saved Action Films

[@theunanimous5081]

JESUS CHRIST, THATS JASON BOURNE.

[@magno_ytb]

People are complaining in the comments that the Bourne fast shot cuts are nauseating even though the video tells us that the director wanted to give us the experience of the action. As if Bourne wasn't nauseated doing all that stuff. Get your shit together, people! Being nauseated is part of the experience of the movie!

[@newtypealpha]

This is a very generous take on Bourne Supremacy to be honest. I got what they were trying to do but the quick cut shaky cam still makes every fight scene feel like you’re watching a Loony Toons style fight cloud and six quick cuts into it I’m thinking “wake me when its over so I can figure out who the hell hes even fighting.”

[@supahtyp]

5:38 Wow I can't belief they actually did this lmao

[@pirateattack1293]

Just watch the opening fight scene in Avengers Civil War it is completely awful I actually thought there was somthing wrong with my streaming. Small cuts suck big time

[@arx117]

Llavi Kastiyo because they want to create panic scene but failed at it. I'm surprise because that director were the same from winter soldier which has much more smooth camerawork. The only superhero movie that did a better job at Shaky cam is man of steel.

[@MichaelBabcock]

One area I'll agree -- modern video compression does not handle short cuts well. This needs to be improved in the algorithms, not the way the movie is shot.

[@vladstr100]

Llavi Kastiyo I had no such problems with it in Captain America Civil War

[@SuperMurray2009]

Yeah Black Panther sorta had this same problem. They had a one take action scen in the casino and I was like why couldn't they film all the action like this? But you know CGI?

[@mlo51987]

agreed, that scene was terrible.

[@XxDyneXxFreeEnergyx]

Bourne movies release Die hard: I finally pass the torch to the Bourne movies.

[@dhwdhhskcbfusbsmsss]

great dissection. and it reminds me of Every Frame A Painting in the structure and cadence.

[@Wuffman]

I was wondering if anyone else thought the same thing. I looked at the credits to see if Tony Zhou was involved somehow.