FOCUS GROUP: Does ‘Bourne’ cross all barriers?

We've assembled representatives of some of Hollywood's key demographics. Each week, our group members weigh in on the coming weekend's releases, letting us know whether all the script fixes, the re-shoots and the product tie-in campaigns have added up to a movie they are likely to see.
THE CHARACTERS:

The Christian
Keenan Roberts: Senior pastor of New Destiny Christian Center in Northglenn, Colo., and director of the ministries of Hell House Outreach.

The Rapper
GLC: Originally from Chicago, he now lives in Los Angeles, where he is at work on an album.

The College Boy
Justin Scharf: A freshman at Georgia State University. He listens to a lot of music and works at Starbucks.

The Teenage Girl
Elena Roye: An eighth-grader at a middle school in Westchester County, N.Y.

The City Girl
Carol Creighton: Lives in Manhattan's West Village. She is a manager for a pharmaceutical company, volunteers at a women's shelter and enjoys her martinis with a twist.


As we move into the final weeks of summer, Hollywood begins to dump a plethora of movies on an expectant public. This week we have four movies opening in wide release, but only one potential blockbuster. Our rapper was unavailable, but we'd like to give a special shout-out to Pastor Keenan this week because he seems to have put a little extra TLC into his responses. We appreciate it, PK! Keep up the great work!

THE MOVIES:



Hyper-efficient killing machine Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) goes on the run again when the people who trained him attempt to bump him off.

Keenan: All my previews this week will parallel with talk TV. The Bourne series of movies has got to be compared to "Dr Phil." A hit is a hit. Fairly hip, fresh, enticing and not irritating yet. (It's not "Oprah"-worthy though -- who is? "Gone With the Wind"?) I've enjoyed the previous movies, but I have to admit I haven't seen either of the first two at the theater but rather on my couch. Hollywood is going to have to keep measuring the financial viability of films through their DVD life and not just how they open.

Justin: I'm totally going to see this. This is the series that I think had the indirect effect of making the James Bond movies good again. P.S.: I saw "Transformers" and it was awesome.

Elena: Oh, I dunno. Nothing really catches my attention about it. It seems like a good movie, but I'm not like ecstatic to see it.

Carol: I would really like to see this. I have the first two on Netflix lined up so I am prepared. I have to say, this is not my usual genre of film, but really I blame it on my Matt Damon crush! I also get sucked into the storyline easily.


The popular line of fashion-conscious dolls spawns this live-action film about four girls from different economic strata who reject their respective high school cliques and band together.

Keenan: Even though this is the first "Bratz" movie, I'm going to compare it to "Ricki Lake." First of all, you rarely if ever go to her intentionally. But when you do drop by, you don't watch expecting anything with depth to it, you just tune in to see what type of contrived topic can entertain you for the next three minutes before your thumb starts surfing again. The screaming "Bratz" preteen audience will be younger than Ricki's used to be, and I don't plan on dumbing down quite that far. (Don't put it past me to dumb down, though, when I feel like it.)

Justin: Oh, my god. This looks so unbelievably bad that I can't believe it. If it was in the right hands I could see it being good. If Tina Fey was doing it, that could be hilarious.

Elena: That seems retarded ... and not original and I'm sorry, but I really don't think it's going to do well.... Maybe for like fifth-graders, but I don't know if anyone my age would see it.

Carol: I am so annoyed they would make a movie about inappropriate dolls.


"Saturday Night Live's" "Lazy Sunday" star Andy Samberg plays an Evel Knievel-like stuntman who plans to jump 15 buses to save his abusive stepfather's life, so he can then fight him.

Keenan: The obvious "Napoleon Dynamite" cousin/wannabe could draw talk-show comparison to no one other than Jerry Springer. Not the Springer hosting "America's Got Talent," either. The Springer with bouncers, flying chairs and families so dysfunctional that foreign-language audiences can discern their problems. Five-year-old Dude Roberts has pledged his allegiance to "Hot Rod," which gives you an idea of whose rabbit ears are tuning in for this one.

Justin: Yeah. Andy Samberg is weird. I'm impressed with the whole "SNL" cast, but he's not one of my favorites. I don't see him ready to make a movie.

Elena: I want to see that. It seems really funny, and it looks like good acting, funny stunts. It seems exciting.

Carol: Nope, this looks stupid. I like the girl in the movie (from "Wedding Crashers"), but she can't sell me on the plot line or even the title of the film.


An ordinary beagle is given superhuman powers and the voice of Jason Lee in this live-action adaptation of the popular cartoon.

Keenan: "Underdog" is all-American! "Underdog" is classic Americana after you get home from school! "Underdog" should be viewed right after "Speed Racer!" (If you're not old enough, well, sorry.) Which brings me to Johnny Carson. The benchmark of TV talk-show hosts, even if he was late-night. Will anyone ever measure up to Johnny? Highly doubtful. Will this flick measure up to its classic predecessor? Highly doubtful. But its audience won't know and won't care. I will not be able to fend off the advances of my 9-year-old who wants to see the flying dog!

Justin: Jason Lee and Andy Samberg -- those guys don't have any chance with "Bourne Ultimatum" coming out.

Elena: Nah, I don't want to see that really. It seems cute ... but kinda pointless.

Carol: Jason Lee is hysterical, but will it come across as a dog? I think the film looks cute -- not something I will see, but I would not be distraught if I was strong-armed into it by my nieces or nephews.