2-4-1 Review! A Conversation About Universal’s Bourne Stuntacular

The Bourne Stuntacular is the newest attraction in Orlando. Officially opened on June 30, this show blends live actors, pyrotechnics, video technology, and even trackless vehicles for an immersive stunt show experience. This show replaced the T2 Terminator 3-D show that closed in 2017.

**This post includes opinions by special guest Jonathan Berrier from the Hung Up On Theme Parks podcast and YouTube channel.**

With the recent surges in Florida’s COVID-19 cases, I hadn’t immediately felt safe enough to visit the parks and experience the attraction. I was finally able to see the show earlier this week, and, of course, had to share my thoughts and ultimate review – BUT we’re going to do something a little different this time. 

I’m sure you don’t want to hear just my opinion, so we’ve invited Jonathan Berrier from the Hung Up On Theme Parks podcast to share his thoughts and impressions as well. We have pretty diametrically opposing viewpoints on this show, so ENJOY! 🙂

To keep the review easy to follow and navigate, we’ll break it up into 5 distinct categories (facade, queue theming, pre-show, Bourne Stuntacular, and final thoughts). 

Facade

Hung Up On Theme Parks: Little has changed in the facade between the old attraction, Terminator 2, and its replacement Bourne Stuntacular. The Bourne attraction is a bit more blue with two large posters on each side. As with both iterations of this facade, it perfectly blends into the area in which it’s located, Hollywood Blvd. My only complaint is that it doesn’t give any hints to the actual story of the attraction.. 

Orlando Decoded: I don’t hate the facade, but I’m not overly impressed by it either. It’s extremely similar to the Terminator building. They just refreshed the paint job and gave it a slightly updated look. As Jonathon pointed out, using the same generic facade helps the attraction blend into the overall themed area, and to be fair, this is a strategy used by another attraction in the Universal Studios park. 

Revenge of the Mummy’s facade (in the New York area) features a reference to the Museum of Antiquities. While this doesn’t necessarily align with the actual attraction (except in a vague reference to the general idea of mummies), it is reminiscent of something you’d see in New York. 

Orlando Decoded: In much the same way, the Bourne Stuntacular facade is reminiscent of something you’d see on the real Hollywood Blvd: a random, nondescript building with a large “movie” poster on it. Here’s another look: 

Orlando Decoded: In short, the facade is nothing special, but it’s not horrible. A perfectly adequate entrance to the attraction.

Queue Theming 

Hung Up On Theme Parks: ​ I was borderline offended by this queue. Let me explain. I believe that the queue is the beginning of an attraction’s story. Once you pass the greeter out front and enter the building, you should be immersed in that world. The key word here is SHOULD. Instead, we are greeted with a photo op with the poster of the attraction that also has the words “The Bourne Stuntacular” imprinted on it. If we are in the world of Bourne, why the heck would there be a stunt show about him? 

Hung Up On Theme Parks: The rest of the queue doesn’t get any better. Walking farther in, we are met with multiple TV clips and pictures shown with the purpose of getting you to buy the DVD’s at the gift shop. Don’t believe me? Don’t worry, Universal makes sure to tell you. That’s right, after every clip and on almost every wall there’s a reminder that you can purchase these movies upon exiting the show. 

Hung Up On Theme Parks: You can also find two “movie props” in the queue: a car and a motorcycle. Both were featured in the films, but I struggle to find a purpose for them in this queue. This is, without a doubt, the WORST queue in the entire Universal Orlando Resort.  

Orlando Decoded: On this, I completely disagree with Jonathan. I thought the queue had a sleek, futuristic feel that put me in the mood for an action-packed, spy-filled experience. As someone who’s never seen the Bourne movies, having the picture collages and TV-screens helped give me a sense of the property before experiencing the show. ​

I personally thought the car was a neat addition to the queue decor. We had already seen a picture of the car in the collage, so I was aware that this was a part of the movie. Also, the windows of the car act as extra screens, which I found entertaining. 

I understand that the queue didn’t necessarily transport us into the attraction’s storyline, but it did get me in a more “Bourne-type” mindset. Since Bourne is an arguably outdated property, I think it worked. While it’s definitely not an intricately themed queue, such as Men In Black or Gringott’s, I disagree that it’s the worst one at Universal Orlando. At the VERY least, the queue is mostly (if not completely) indoors, so I got to enjoy air conditioning during my entire 30 minute wait.

No, the worst queue at Universal Orlando HAS to be Shrek (all outdoors and unnecessarily loud playing of the “Welcome to Duloc” song) …. but I digress…. 

Bourne Stuntacular Pre-Show

Hung Up On Theme Parks: In order to enter the pre-show, we have to go through some neat looking scanners. This is the first indication of the attraction’s story (high tech scanning means we are in a highly confidential facility).

Hung Up On Theme Parks: Instead of using live actors like its predecessor, The Bourne Stuntacular pre-show uses a giant screen in an even more giant room to set up the story.  ​

Hung Up On Theme Parks: Nicky Parsons, one of the characters of the Bourne films, invites us to partake on a secret mission. We need to monitor Bourne’s movements through “enhanced virtual surveillance” by entering into an “observation room” (the theater). And here is my first problem with the show itself… 

Bourne Stuntacular Merchandise Appearing at Universal Orlando

Unlike most stunt shows, one of this attraction’s goals is to immerse the audience in the world of Bourne. We just saw it through Nicky’s insinuation that she needs our help to “monitor” Jason. However, since none of these things is actually happening in front of us (it’s all surveillance of far away events), how are we supposed to feel like we are in the world the attraction creates? It just seems like we are watching a movie. After experiencing other immersive attractions in the park, it really is lackluster. 

Getting back to the pre-show, Nicky basically has to summarize the plot of the Bourne movies. While the Bourne series certainly has a fan base, it’s not as popular as some of Universal’s other Intellectual Properties. On top of that, Bourne doesn’t have the luxury of an easily identifiable theme (like Revenge of the Mummy – We all understand mummies, even if we haven’t seen the film). 

Orlando Decoded: I was honestly shocked to hear that Universal was REALLY going to make a stunt show centered around the Bourne Identity. Seriously? Are they even making those movies anymore? BUT the WaterWorld Stunt Show at Universal Hollywood remains very popular (even though I’m sure even fewer people have seen that movie). Maybe it will ultimately work? 

The bottom line is that a well-done theme park show should be enjoyable whether or not you’re familiar with the property. It is possible to communicate enough information that even those unfamiliar with the property can enjoy the attraction (for example – Avatar’s Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom). This pre-show was able to accomplish that goal. Having little to no understanding of Bourne before viewing the pre-show video, I now understood enough that I walked into the theater ready to see some action! 

I did miss seeing live actors in the pre-show, but I wasn’t expecting it to be a carbon copy of Terminator. It was an element I would have appreciated, but I didn’t need it. 

Hung Up On Theme Parks: In my opinion, this property wasn’t really a smart choice for an attraction since I really don’t see people connecting with it as much as others. At least people understand what Avatar is, even if they haven’t seen the movie. Bourne is a different beast because most people barely even recognize the property.

In any case, it’s time to move into the theater… 

The Bourne Stuntacular

Hung Up On Theme Parks: The show opens with a fist fighting scene, complete with large audience cheering them on.  Right off the bat, these stunt actors are PHENOMENAL. Every punch, kick, and hit feels real. As you can see in the picture below, an incredibly detailed background is created using high-tech screens. What you might not notice right away is that a large portion of the “actors” in this scene are actually part of the video background. If it wasn’t for the real stunt actors wearing masks during my viewing (which isn’t fairly representing how this attraction will look after the pandemic), you would not be able to tell what was real and what wasn’t. This was a perfect introduction to the show and the technology showcased within it. 

Orlando Decoded: These screens are AMAZING! Like Jonathan mentioned, many of the on-screen actors look and move like they are live in the theater. IN FACT, I (might be ashamed to) admit that I didn’t realize some of the actors in this first scene weren’t really there until much later. I honestly had to take a few beats to try to figure out why some were wearing masks and some weren’t. (To be fair, I was sitting in the back of the theater — but STILL!!) ​​

Hung Up On Theme Parks: Another thing this show does very well, however, is its use of trackless technology. While trackless technology isn’t new, (countless attractions have used it before: Rise of the Resistance, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, even SeaWorld with its Antarctica: Empire Of The Penguin attraction) the implementation of this technology with the high definition screen hasn’t been done in Orlando theme parks. When these two work together in sync, it’s a breathtaking sight to see. 

​Orlando Decoded: The trackless technology in the Bourne show is used for a variety of physical set pieces. These include vehicles (like Bourne’s motorcycle and cars) and buildings that blend into the digital background seamlessly. It was often difficult to tell where the screen ended and the set piece began, which added to the illusion and “wow” factor in the show. 

The screens are also used to enhance scenes with the live actors. In the picture above, you can see a giant apartment building used in one of the fight scenes. During this fight, one actor “dunks” another actor’s head into the pool, and it is reflected in the screen. 

Hung Up On Theme Parks: Unfortunately, as much as I enjoyed the above aspects of the show, I found the show’s plot very hard to follow. We know that Jason Bourne is looking for information on the agency’s Project Rubicon, but what is it? We aren’t told until the very end. It makes it difficult to care about Bourne’s journey and mission when we don’t understand what he is trying to accomplish. Additionally, each scene seems to follow a familiar pattern: Bourne arrives somewhere; the agency tries to kill/capture him; a fight ensues; Bourne escapes. Without giving away too many spoilers, I’ll summarize my other problems with this attraction: 

1. Some scenes use trackless vehicles and the screen to simulate driving. While this is an interesting use of technology, the effect is unconvincing. 
2. While I was impressed by the screen graphics at the beginning of the show, the quality seemed to dwindle as the story progressed. 
3. Assuming we are supposed to observe Bourne in real time, it bothers me that he jumps from country to country in a matter of minutes. 
4. Many of the stunts involve Bourne hanging from an object and flying around the room. This stunt was overused and became boring. 

Orlando Decoded: I also found it difficult to care about the plot. There was the basic bad guy/good guy set up, and that was as compelling as I found the material. BUT, this is a stunt show. I don’t go into a stunt show expecting to see a well-developed plot line. 

I do, however, expect to see a variety of STUNTS in a stunt show. To my untrained eye, it appeared they used a series of three stunts on repeat (stage fighting, “flying” through a scene, and free falls). I got bored after seeing these stunts multiple times and was ready for the show to end long before it actually did. 

Final Thoughts

Hung Up On Theme Parks: At this point, you probably won’t be surprised to learn that I really do not care for this show. I didn’t care about the plot. While the technology is fine, the effects and stunts did not impress me enough to make up for the lack of exciting storyline. I will not willingly visit this attraction again. I would rather enjoy the other great attractions at the Universal parks. 

Orlando Decoded: I’ve already admitted that I was ultimately ready for the show to end before being allowed to leave the theater. However, I found the combination of digital screens, physical set pieces, and live actors stunning, and I would definitely visit this attraction again. 

Also, when you compare this attraction to some of Universal’s other recent additions (Fast and Furious and Jimmy Fallon specifically), it’s definitely an improvement in quality and thrill factor. While it’s far from my favorite or most impressive attraction at Universal Orlando, it isn’t totally awful. Unfortunately, that’s a big upgrade over most of the rides Universal has released in recent years (with the notable exception being Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure). 

If you want to check out Jonathan’s YouTube channel and social media accounts, the links are down below. 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm6VHTlw5UeoA8gCHW3OYMg
Instagram: @hunguponthemeparks
Twitter: @huotp_pod