The Bourne Ultimatum

The beginning gets going in just the way we expect from the director. Greengrass "only" continues the ride kicked off by the second installment, but more observant viewers will realize this by a third of the way through at the latest. Yet the mix of feelings about a flywheel that perhaps has nothing to offer is swept away by the action in Morocco, which turns it up to 120%, moving furiously across continents to nail the viewer into their seat in breathtaking action and plot twists revealing Jason's past. The whole world was expecting it, but the result pushes all expectations beyond imagination. And while we will all (deservedly) praise Greengrass for the fact that action thrillers will have their most synonymous character in Jason Bourne for a few years to come, let's finally kneel before Matt Damon. After all, it's only during the third time that we can fully realize that he’s the one who actually "made" the role. (2007-08-17)

A complete and unrivaled ride, which does take ideas from the previous two films, but it tightens everything ad absurdum. Greengrass could lecture on dynamic and civilian directing, and Matt Damon is DEFINITIVELY Jason Bourne. Without a doubt, he blended in perfectly with his torn figure, and here and there is the uneven feeling from Liman's "pilot". If we are talking about what a modern and intelligent thriller of the present should be, then all we have to do is play The Bourne Ultimatum from start to finish. It's a film where a) you won’t exhale, and b) you won't remember that you have already seen all this before. Simply because it's so great, it’s not a good idea to take into account the previous attempts at all. (2008-03-17)

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. (2007-10-07)

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. (2007-08-30)

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. (2007-10-22)