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Strike Back Below!

With JUMPER arriving on DVD this month, director Doug Liman has unfortunately concluded his ongoing streak of greatness, which started with SWINGERS just ten years ago and most recently ended with MR. AND MRS. SMITH, which most people don't give its fair due.

Doug Liman

Genre of choice:
Action

Filmography:
Getting In (1994)
Swingers (1996)
Go (1999)
The Bourne Identity (2002)
Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005)
Jumper (2008)

The Best

1. SWINGERS - Chock full of quotable one-liners, indie hipster style, and a rockin' soundtrack, this two-man show featuring Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn in their prime is so "money" and it totally knows it.

2. GO - A perfect follow-up to SWINGERS, GO explores the events after a drug deal from three varying perspectives with a frenetic pacing that keeps you fully immersed and entertained alongside the snappy dialogue. Perfect for the Tarantino-loving crowd.

3. THE BOURNE IDENTITY - A slick, energetic old-school espionage thriller loaded with great action set pieces and a simplistic yet engaging premise. I think some people tend to exaggerate this film's greatness, but it's an insanely fun ride nonetheless, and a great start to a fine trilogy.

The Worst

JUMPER - Doug Liman's first misstep as a director is a big one. Some people complained about MR. AND MRS. SMITH having its problems, but those minor flaws are nothing compared to this horribly scripted and poorly cobbled together piece of crap, which has quite possibly the worst protagonist of any film ever made. Even the action and special effects are weak.

Hidden Gem(s)

GETTING IN - A lot of people think Doug Liman started off with SWINGERS, but he actually got going with this minor comedy, which hasn't yet been made available on DVD but can sometimes be found on TV. The plot deals with a kid who's trying to get into med school becoming a murder suspect when the five candidates ahead of him start dying. It's not a great movie, per se, but it's entertaining, and it's also interesting to see some of the star power behind it (Dave Chappelle, Matthew Perry, Calista Flockhart, Christine Baranski).

Style/Trademarks

Doug Liman's films all feature an energetic pace and his own brand of hip style, coupled with cool soundtracks and numerous steadicam shots. While he started with more dialogue-heavy pictures, he moved onto the action genre with THE BOURNE IDENTITY and has stayed there since.

Behind the Camera

Liman first became attached to SWINGERS after screenwriter Jon Favreau turned down studio offers to make it with more established Hollywood names. They made the picture for $250,000.

Liman has also worked on commercials and TV shows, including spots for Nike and Chrysler, and executive producing and directing the first two episodes of The O.C.

Liman rejected the script for MR. AND MRS. SMITH while filming THE BOURNE IDENTITY, but Brad Pitt gave it to him again after the film wrapped and he changed his mind.

Upcoming Projects

Potentially in the works for Liman is a sequel to JUMPER (set for a tentative 2011 release), which will hopefully fix a lot of the first film's problems and start taking full advantage of the possibilities that come with teleporting.

Before that though, we can expect another action flick from Liman, this one centering around a moon expedition during a time of frenzied interest in lunar colonization. It's currently untitled (simply going by Untitled Moon Project), but is set to star Jake Gyllenhaal, and is from Mark Bowden, the writer of the book Black Hawk Down.

Overall

Doug Liman undoubtedly has talent behind the camera, and from the looks of it his career will continue to flourish for years to come. Let's hope the lackluster JUMPER was just a fluke.

What are your favorite/least favorite Doug Liman films? Submit your choices in the Strike Back section below!