A Comparison Of James Bond And Jason Bourne

The term “Hero” has been used and advertised in films since before cinema even existed. Though the definition of a hero varies widely depending on the subject, most heroes are often praised for their bravery, strength, intelligence, and their will to stand up to evil and corruption.

Two well recognized movie heroes are James Bond and Jason Bourne. James Bond, also known as “007’, is a fictional character created by writer Ian Fleming in 1952 and first appeared in the film “Dr. No” in 1962. Portrayed by the actor Sean Connery, James Bond is a British secret agent. Bond is known for his charm, wit, dominant personality, as well as his skills in marksmanship and unarmed combat. In the film “Dr. No”, James Bond is sent to Jamaica in order to solve the murder of a fellow agent. (9) He finds that the person responsible for the crime is the evil “Dr. No” a scientist “who has been disrupting American Rocket launches and is out for world domination”. (12) The 1962 film grossed over 16 million dollars. James Bond has since appeared in 25 films and have grossed a total of over 1 billion, 9 hundred dollars worldwide. (5)

Jason Bourne, a character created by novelist Robert Ludlum in 1980, first appeared in the film “Bourne Identity” in 2002. Bourne was originally named David Webb, but picked up the alias Jason Bourne and was ultimately transformed into a CIA special agent for the U.S. Bourne is known for his vast intelligence, serious personality, and expertise with martial arts and firearms. The film “Bourne Identity” depicts Bourne struggling to regain his conscience and trying to find his true identity after an apparent failed mission to assassinate a corrupt dictator. The action packed film follows the agent as he realizes he is being h...

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...ifferences than they do similarities. Ranging from their character, to their core values, to their overall public perception, these differences are due to our ever changing culture, our evolving ideas, and our general understanding of who really is a hero in our life today. In many ways, Jason Bourne evolved into a sort of “Anti – Bond” like being, avoiding an egocentric personality, with a tux and a martini, and simply sticking to what really matters which is truth and justice. While in 1960, movie makers felt it was necessary to add many superficial traits to a hero in order to appeal to people, the new generation of audiences feel it is no longer mandatory to include so many fantasies and illusions. As long as they still hold the key traits of bravery, strength, intelligence, and the will to stand up to evil and corruption, they will always be heroes in our eyes.