The Bourne Ultimatum

Some time ago, I wrote in my review of Supremacy that I hope that Ultimatum would be at least as good, if not better. It was better. This is basically one movie split into two. The last part of Bourne’s or, if you prefer, Webb’s adventures has a slightly more lively tempo than its two younger brothers. And all it’s really doing is filling in some gaps in time. The action is top-notch, shaky camera (some people don’t like it, I’m beginning to think I’m its only fan) and the choreography gets full marks. The whole part taking place in Tangiers is breathtaking. And New York is almost as good (the chase in the trilogy) and the cat and mouse in Waterloo station also has a special magic. Paul Greengrass has brought Bourne to proverbial perfection. He pushed hard in all the places where it was still possible after part 2. Nothing better for ending the series. Applause and satisfaction. (22/10/2007)

So let's summarize: agent Jason Bourne speaks several world languages perfectly and without hesitation, he drives better than a professional Formula One pilot, he can handle four highly trained agents on a few square meters without batting an eye, he knows all possible places and locations perfectly, so not only does he never get lost, but he is always several thousand steps ahead of the local police and the entire FBI and CIA combined (Moscow, London, Berlin, Turin, unspecified places in India, New York, Tangier, among others). Nothing ever catches him off guard, and he always thinks with a cool head, even when there are thousand of people with guns behind him, and he can sneak into the office of the CIA Deputy Director without being seen – don’t forget that it is a high-rise building where one office is next to another, and there are about 165,811,877 people everywhere. And on top of all that, he dares to make bold and ironic remarks. This is just a rough list of all the qualities of this elite agent. So where is the realism in that? And yet they say Bond and Hunt are over-the-top. (07/10/2007)

The tense atmosphere, the unstoppable Bourne, and Greengrass's direction at its wildest pace. The chase on motorcycles and the subsequent rooftop pursuit, culminating in a suffocating hand-to-hand fight, is probably the best action moment of the entire series. Additionally, my favorite character Nicky is finally developed to an adequate depth, and the ending is exactly what a spy thriller finale should be. Those who don't have the previous installments fresh in their memory will get lost, but those who love them will be thrilled. Darkness, a man swaying on the waves, the viewer guessing, and the circle closes. (30/08/2007)

Well, let's not mince words, there hasn't been such a dynamic and smart action film for many years. If with Die Hard 4 we were talking about "inventive action", compared to the final part of the Bourne trilogy Len Wiseman, it looks like a small town geezer talking about the perpetual motion machine with a rabbit poop drive, while Paul Greengrass is an elegant and sophisticated Thomas Alva Edison. I may have missed a more sophisticated script, as with the first two episodes, but I was still fascinated with Bourne's thoughtful actions, always one step ahead of his pursuers. I have no doubt that the Bourne trilogy will go down in the Hall of Fame of cinema history. (19/09/2007)

Excellent conlusion to Jason’s story. It has the most thrilling action of all the Bourne series, Greengrass has made one of the best action films ever. With his frantic but well arranged style he would be able to turn a conversation with an old man over a cup of tea into a monumental action sequence. The Bourne Ultimatum moves forward at very high speed and without a single quiet moment, demanding a lot of focus from the viewer. It’s not very intellectual stuff, but if you stop paying attention for only a moment, you won’t know who is doing what and why, this is how fast this film is. I’m fully satisfied. (05/09/2008)