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The Bourne Ultimatum

I actually missed this one while it was in theaters, which is unfortunate because there are some amazing sequences that I'm sure would have been even more all encompassing when seen on the big screen. That being said, The Bourne Ultimatum also has its advantages on DVD because you get to immediately rewind those faster than light, 'what-the-hell-just-happened,' action moments. And believe me, there are plenty.

In this the third and final installment of the uber successful Bourne series, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) comes back home where it all began and finally uncovers the truth behind his origins which have eluded him for over three years! In actuality, fans have been waiting for these answers for more than five years since the first film, The Bourne Identity exploded onto screens across the world.

There really couldn't have been a better action role for an actor like Matt Damon than the rouge secret agent struggling to regain his memory while simultaneously fighting to stay alive! He's always been far smarter and more talented then your average Hollywood heart throb and his entrance into this genre as Jason Bourne reflected that. There's an intelligence to the story telling that always comes through that makes it more than a spy movie and as the lead he definitely adds to the films overall gravitas.

When we spoke with Matt a year before this films release for The Good Shepherd he told us that he really felt kind of like a sequel whore having both this film and Ocean's 13 coming out in the same year; and while there is a chance at an Ocean's Fourteen he assured us that Bourne would most likely end here.

If in fact this is the last film they have definitely gone out on a high note. Spanning the globe from Russia to Morocco, to Madrid, to Paris and finally New York City the Ultimatum comes in loud and clear in many different languages. The car chases and fight scenes seem refreshingly original delivering some knock out blows that even I didn't see coming. There is one chase in particular that takes place on Moroccan rooftops that really gets the blood pumping but turns out to only be a warm up for what happens when Bourne gets behind the wheel of an NYPD Cruiser.

This movie most certainly does not disappoint when it comes to the action, the story telling and even the acting. Joan Allen is wonderful reprising her role as Pamela Landy the CIA officer who was in charge of his manhunt in the last film and I just love Julia Stiles as the computer wiz agent who may have had more of a

relationship with Bourne than even the audience knows about. Also fantastic in just about anything he does is David Strathairn as the head of the group tracking Bourne this time, Deputy Director Noah Vosen.

This DVD is packed with bonus features. First up are the coveted Deleted Scenes, which I normally agree deserved to be cut, but not this time. It's pretty clear that the reason these things were taken out had to do with the overall pace of the movie which is obviously very fast, but I think there was some important character development and background here, particularly with Joan Allen's character that should have been kept in. It's no secret that I'm not a big fan of director Paul Greengrass, I thought his obvious attempt to make money from the tragedy of 9/11 with the horrifically bad film United 93 was not only disgraceful, but just really poorly executed. These scenes that were cut were obviously directors' choice and I think it's the one time I noticed his involvement in the film. Sometimes directors' choices stand out to you usually in a very good or very bad way, with his two Bourne films, (he also directed The Bourne Supremacy) however, I never really noticed him. That is, until now.

Other special features include a lot of on the set stuff in all the different countries where they filmed and some great, great stunt coordination material. If you have any interest in filmmaking whatsoever you are going to want to check out these features. The afore mentioned rooftop chase sequence and the car chase in New York were such incredible undertakings they warranted their own individual featurettes explaining how all of that stuff was possible. There's also a Driving School feature which isn't as interesting but worth a look and top on the list is the Planning the Punches featurette that shows Matt and his opponent working through these incredibly elaborate fight sequences. It's fun to watch these mega star actors truly working hard to make all of this believable for the audience. And it's quite the eye opener when you get to see if before the magic of editing.

All in all, there is no reason to dislike this film. If you were a fan of the first two movies then you will definitely enjoy this one as well. Unlike most film series, the overall quality of these pictures has not been steadily deteriorating. It has stayed true to its original vision and continues to make good on its promise to entertain in a higher brow fashion than most action flicks.

Movie Grade: B+

DVD Features Grade: A-

Overall Grade: A-