Solid 2nd sequel to IDENTITY

Rating: 9/10 (9 September 2008)

I loved THE BOURNE IDENTITY and think it's one of the top 10 films of the 2000s. THE BOURNE SUPREMACY: not so much. I thought SUPREMACY was too herky jerky with all that fancy camera stuff and a rather boring story and dull villains, while IDENTITY kept it simple with a fresh, exciting chase story, an engaging hero and well-staged action sequences. Thankfully, THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM returns to that form. It still has some of that fancy camera stuff like in SUPREMACY, but in ULTIMATUM, it works to much better effect. Seems like in SUPREMACY, the camera stuff was just done for show, while in ULTIMATUM, it helps drive the story along. And what a convoluted story it is! Our hero Jason Bourne (Matt Damon in another solid outing) is trying to find out 'where it all began'. He promises Marie's brother (don't remember him from either of the first 2 films) that he will get to the root of all this international intrigue. Bourne stumbles across an article by a British reporter Simon Ross (well played by Paddy Considine of HOT FUZZ fame) who, through an unknown source, outs Bourne and the CIA's covert Treadwell and Blackbriar operations. Bourne realizes that if he contacts Ross and find his source, who obviously is an CIA insider, he can find the men that recruited him to be a relentless assassin.
The Bourne-Ross convergence contains one of the best sustained action sequences I've ever seen in any film, where Bourne constantly eludes his CIA chasers through the London streets, subways, and shops and after putting a prepaid phone in Ross' bag, talks Ross through the chase. Really exciting opening act! The head CIA guy after Bourne here is New York CIA anti-terrorist chief Noah Vosen (played by the great David Strathairn in a slick, lethal performance). In to assist Vosen is of course SUPREMACY's Pamela Landy (the classy Joan Allen in an underused, thankless role). Allen makes the most of what she has to work with here, which isn't much.
Both Bourne and Vosen simultaneously figure out the leak and have separate agendas for wanting to find him: Bourne to find his original tormentors that turned him into a killer and Vosen to eliminate the leak and thus any trace of the torture tactics used by Treadwell/Blackbriar.
Bourne's femme fatale here is Nicky from the previous 2 films (Julia Stiles in a terrific performance). There is a real unspoken attraction between Jason and Nicky that is very stimulating!
Some of the exciting set pieces in this one include the aforementioned labyrithine London chase scene, a fantastic mano-y-mano fight between Bourne and Desh (a CIA strongman tasked to finish off Bourne and Nicky, who is supporting Jason's quest for the truth) in Tangier, and a fast-paced car chase in the streets of NY.
In addition, Scott Glenn has a small, yet effectively commanding role as CIA director Ezra Kramer.
The film moves at a breakneck pace, but never gets stale or tiring to watch. You stay entertained throughout. There is a nifty surprise rather late in the film that will shock the first-time viewer!
ULTIMATUM is a fine 3rd act to the Bourne series and definitely leaves you wanting more. Seems like where they missed with SUPREMACY, they more than made up for with ULTIMATUM!