Starring:Matt Damon, Joan Allen, Julia Stiles, David Strathairn, Scott Glenn, Paddy Considine, Edgar Ramirez, Albert Finney
Director:
Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy, United 93)
MPAA Rating:
PG-13 for violence and intense sequences of action.
Release Date:
August 2007
Synopsis:
Bourne has reached the end of the line. This time, he will not stop at his former masters' empty promises or even with the killing of those who relentlessly pursue him. With nothing left to lose, he will use each nuance of his training and every finely honed instinct they taught him to come after his creators and finish it all.
My Two Cents:
Spy movies like James Bond and Mission: Impossible are always fun, but they tend to go overboard with the stunts and silly gadgets. That’s why Bourne movies are so refreshing, because they offer intense action while being more realistic. Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is not trying to defuse a nuclear weapon that will destroy the world, he’s just fighting to stay alive and find out why he became a tool of murder for the CIA.
I suggest you watch the first two movies before watching Ultimatum, but even then the movie recaps on what has happened through flashbacks to help you remember, or have a better idea of what is going on if you’re a noob.
Project Treadstone is over, but a new one called Blackbriar has been activated to replace it. Bourne learns about Blackbriar from an English reporter that was making headlines with Bourne’s story without really knowing how sensitive this information really is. The CIA has been tracking the reporter and now they know where Bourne is. They send out two of their top assassin’s to finish him, but you know, this is Jason Bourne we’re talking about. Jason has been getting new flashbacks that lead to his “creation”. He’s closer than ever to uncovering the truth about his identity and he’ll travel to four different continents to do it.
This third chapter is great, but it’s all shot with a handheld, or so it seems. The camera shakes so much sometimes, even in relaxed dialog scenes, that it took me quite a while to get used to it and not hurl all over my couch. There’s also so much information to soak in, with names, addresses, CIA babble, etc, it can get overwhelming, but just when your mind is about to melt, an action sequence starts and you’re all happy again. In other parts there’s no dialog for minutes, but you’re so into the film you’ll start feeling like you’re Bourne and someone going to jump you at any second. You’ll be glad to know Jason’s true identity is finally revealed, and there’s some closure at the end. I already know they’re planning a fourth film, but even if they cancel it you’ll be plenty satisfied with how the trilogy played out.
It’s interesting to note that every Bourne movie has been more successful than the previous one, with Ultimatum grossing over $440 millions worldwide, and that is not seen frequently in cinema. People can’t seem to get enough of the complex storylines, intense action sequences and the Jason Bourne character itself. The Bourne Ultimatum made its way into six different critics’ Top 10 Movies of 2007, including USA Today, Empire, and Rotten Tomatoes.
Score:
6 Comments:
Bleh. I didn't care for the first one nearly as much as almost everyone else apparently does. The second one literally put me to sleep. Seriously. And that never happens with me (it's likely I was already tired when I saw it..). I thought it was awful. And well, I just don't care enough to see this one either.
My mother also doesn't like these movies. She loves Robert Ludlum's old books, and she read all the original Bourne books waaaaaaay back in the day when they were new. The first one became her favorite book ever for a while even. But then she saw the first two movies, and how terrible they are compared to the books... They're not even the same story, basically. That happened with The Lost World, too, a book I did read, and then saw the movie. They're honestly not the same story....So she doesn't care for them either. I'v never read the books, and probably never will, and I care even less for the movies.
But that IS interesting that each movie is more successful than the last. Now, when you think about it, that in itself really isn't necessarily 'weird'. At least, when you're talking about duo movies. It's not that uncommon for a sequel to surpass the original entry. It happened with Spider-Man, X-Men, and Pirates, if I'm not mistaken, for example. But I guess it is more strange that once you start getting to the third movie and beyond, if THOSE start making more money...yeah, that is weird.
Ludlum himself only wrote 3 Bourne books, so this may be the last we see of this series. Now, technically, there are two more books, but written by Eric Van Lustbader, since Ludlum has been dead for several years now. I don't know if we'll see those as movies or not.
And it looks like they ARE thinking about a 4th movie. But...they don't seem to realize that there ARE 2 other books that continue the story of Bourne, but not written by Ludlum. It sounds like they're just going to pull something out of their asses for another movie. But well, it sounds like that's what they did for all the movies they already did, to begin with...
http://www.darkhorizons.com/news08/080310j.php
Well, they changed the plot with Supremacy and Ultimatum, so as long as these movies make money they'll come up with anything to keep the public entertained. Whatever it is they have done so far has worked, so I don't mind.
The second chapter in a trilogy is usually the biggest seller for some reason, as seen in the following trilogies:
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
- Mission: Impossible 2
- The Matrix Reloaded
- Shrek 2
- Rush Hour 2
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Don't forget The Empire Strikes Back! :D
Even though The Empire Strikes Back is the favorite episode of the original trilogy of many, many Star Wars fans, it was the weakest in sales. Don't fail me again, Admiral.
That is true.
...from a certain point of view.
Check boxofficemojo.com for all the breakdowns.
Post a Comment