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The Bourne Ultimatum The third segment of the Jason Bourne trilogy starts off in high gear right away with an action packed chase that is the signature of the Bourne films. There is no intro of sorts. The assumption is that, by now, you know Bourne's story. Which, if you don't, is as follows. Bourne is a U.S. agent, trained as an assassin, who is a part of a super covert operation that trains agents by first erasing their memory. Bourne slowly begins to recall his past mercenary life and attempts to leave it all behind. But people keep trying to kill him. Finally, he goes on the offensive. In this final segment, he finds out who the source of all of his problems is and goes after him with a determination heretofore the province of super heroes.
If you missed the first two Bourne installations, don't worry. To its detriment, viewers are zealously bombarded with numerous hefty flashbacks used to bring us up to speed in a hurry. The flashbacks are clumsy but as a time saving technique, make room for the action packed chase and fight scenes.
As good as the action scenes are, the writing suffers by equal measure and appears transparent at times. This is not the thinking man's spy thriller. Gimmicky, begging lines abound such as when Pamela Landy (Joan Allen), who has been ordered to kill or capture Bourne arrives in London and orders the agents to strap in. Or the scenario they keep punishing us with where Bourne calls Landy from across the street while he's looking at her through the window. It was clever the first time only. Now it's just annoying.
Equally irritating are inconsistencies that make you want to shout to the screen, "hey, wait a minute!" Such as when Paz (Edgar Ramirez) suddenly reappears in the second to last scene, not a trace of blood on him. Or when Bourne appears physically unscathed by events that would have shattered a small nation. At least in the other two films, he sustained substantial wounds, reaffirming his vulnerability.
The scenes are cool and darkly toned, with the exception of the bright scenes in Tangiers, where everyone is moist with sweat. Everyone except Bourne. Bourne is always cool but never cold. We see his vulnerabilities. This is what is attractive about the way Damon plays Bourne. An intolerant, though sensitive chap menaced by blinding flashbacks, who may kill you or apologize to you, depending on what he's feeling at that moment. We are rooting for him and are riveted every time he rises, like a phoenix, having cheated death one more time.
Bourne is ably played by Matt Damon. These three movies are his signature and have made him. He has you in his pocket from the word go. But the star of the movie is the movie itself. No individual actor is able to outshine it. Joan Allen makes a go at it nonetheless. She plays a sensitive agent superior to Bourne who wants to find him but also wants to protect him. Julia Stiles is Nicky Parsons, another agent who offers the film a surprising, though expected twist.
The Bourne series has held up. It's difficult to keep the public's interest once it has been determined that the sequels are trash. That was not the case here. In fact, it's generally agreed that The Bourne Supremacy was better than the first one, The Bourne Identity. However, the first film was more intriguing because we see Bourne awakening to his capabilities. There was more room for character development and a slightly slower pace.
In The Bourne Ultimatum, the pace is super fast and frenetic. The camera tells the story, most of the time right on top of the action. Oscar nominated director Paul Greengrass directed the Bourne Ultimatum and its prequel. He, along with cinematographer Oliver Wood work well together to bring the viewers frenzied fight and chase scenes that have your eyeballs jumping. We are running right behind Bourne as he jumps and leaps over roof tops, over fences, and in and out of cars. We feel every impact, every blow, every pane of glass Bourne jumps through at an impossibly vertical angle.
Make no mistake. The film is an Action film with a capital "A". So if it's thrills you're after, you'll get your money's worth. There is no well developed unwinding plot. There is a finish line and the film unabashedly goes for it causing the film to suffer slightly from the weight of viewer expectation. However, The Bourne Ultimatum still gets an overall good rating because there is tremendous effort in making the action scenes the best they can be. It's almost like we're cheering for the filmmakers as well as Bourne. If that is so, well then, good job boys.
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