I am fascinated by Jason Bourne. If that’s the beginning of this article, you may expect what is about to follow. I have read the first two books of Jason Bourne back-to-back and the third one almost half way through. Further, I have seen the three Bourne movies twice over. I love Jason Bourne, even with Amnesia. Now, I have also seen Krrish many times, the three Spiderman movies, bits and pieces of Superman Returns and I liked them too, but only for their special effects and cinematic experience. As a kid, I have read Spiderman and Superman comics but I was never addicted to them. So, I am definitely not a big fan of Spiderman, Krrish or Superman for that matter.
If you ask me why, here’s the answer. In my opinion, Jason Bourne is a real Superhero as compared to the others. All the rest, Spiderman, Superman and Krrish have Super-natural powers. If Spiderman acquired his powers from a deadly spider-bite, and Krrish inherited it from his father, Superman does not even belong to the earth having come all the way from planet Kripto. But, Jason Bourne is as human as you and me. He’s sharp and intelligent, no doubt; but, still very much normal. His ‘skills’ (I would like to use this term instead of ‘powers’) are all acquired through training and practice. He has extensively adapted himself and trained himself to rise above the rest and become extra-ordinary.
It definitely cannot be an easy process of the likes of being bitten by a bug, or being born to a father who was granted special powers by an alien. It involved not just physical training, but changing ones entire mindset, thought-process and lifestyle. It definitely is time and effort consuming. Jason Bourne countered trauma, pressure and depression and still triumphed. To summon ones courage, target ones energies and channelize ones thought-process to constantly be on vigil, to do everything with a motive is impossible. How can one train oneself to perform in an organized manner even in a trance? To alter ones sub-conscious mind to always make you do everything confirming to ones motive. Yes, it’s impossible; but, Jason Bourne made it possible. In the movie “The Bourne Supremacy”, Nicky Parsons (played by Julia Stiles) comments, “That’s not a mistake. They don’t make mistakes. Everything they do has an objective.” This dialogue in itself embodies to what extent, the agent Bourne changed his personality. That’s why they are termed as “assets” and not “agents”. The disguises he assumed in the book then seem lot simpler to assume. To live in the dark alleys of the underworld, assuming the entity of a dreaded criminal Cain for three years with no contact whatsoever with the sane world he actually belongs to; requires some guts, stamina and courage. It’s enough to make any person go into depression, go mad and lose sanity. No doubt it took a toll on Bourne. But, the best part is despite the trauma, he’s at his natural best in dealing with the baddies, both from the CIA and the underworld.
Some may argue that the other Superheroes are more of a Superhero because they are working to save the world. But, heck even Bourne is doing all this to kill the world’s biggest criminal, Carlos the Jackal, and/or for self-defense. It is anyway better than flying down the buildings in New York (Spiderman) or Singapore (Krrish). How does the world savior ensure that the biggest of villains conveniently happen to reside in areas where he lives? At least, Jason Bourne is more realistic – a true Hero.
