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:
