Redefining edge-of-your-seat

Rating: 9/10 (30 December 2007)

How refreshing it is to sit in a theater and be thoroughly engrossed and excited by an intelligent, brave, adult thriller that actually makes the audience think. Forget "Star Wars," "Indiana Jones" or even the over-hyped "The Lord of the Rings" trilogies, the "Bourne" films might very well be the most entertaining and thrilling trilogy made.
"The Bourne Ultimatum" begins a few minutes after "The Bourne Supremacy" (2004) ended. And from the opening foot chase through the streets of Moscow (with the former East Berlin substituting for Moscow), "The Bourne Ultimatum" turns into a relentless and smart thrill ride as Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) tries to figure out what happened to him.
True, "The Bourne Ultimatum" is essentially a chase picture. But thanks to director Paul Greengrass - what a brilliant move it was to bring him back for this film - Damon and some crackingly good editing by Christopher Rouse, the film is never dumbed-down. Some of it does seem preposterous, but the filmmakers and the actors - and there are some good ones here, including the always wonderful Joan Allen, David Strathairn and Julia Stiles - we are drawn into Bourne's predicament and find ourselves taken for one delightfully, pulse-pounding ride. The New York chase and the scene at Waterloo Station are two of the most tense, exciting sequences I've seen in a long time.
Damon truly has grown into this role and has quietly turned into a fine actor. Greengrass seems to get the best out of him. So it isn't surprising that the two are teaming up for "Imperial Life in the Emerald City," about our illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq. I've always been a huge fan of Strathairn's - see some of his terrific work in John Salyes' movies - and in "The Bourne Ultimatum," he brings such quiet venom to Noah Vosen that you can just imagine the menace lurking under his persona. As for Allen, someday she'll win an Oscar, and it would be a well-deserved award. She is truly one of the best out there. And, this time, Stiles gets a juicier bit, but proves worthy of her expanded role.
As for the cinematography. I realize there are countless complaints about the use of hand-held shots and Greengrass certainly loves dong that. In fact, he seems to specialize in that. I didn't think it caused motion sickness. And I didn't find it distracting in the least. Greengrass' approach actually works very well for the story he's telling. It worked well on "The Bourne Supremacy" and it does even better here.
What's ultimately most satisfying about the "Bourne" movies - and especially "The Bourne Ultimatum" - is that it shows that you can make an adrenaline-rushed action film, but still make it clever, snappy and entertaining. In an age when Hollywood likes to turn pro wrestlers into stars and give them action films with dumb dialogue, films such as the "Bourne" movies are rare and should be appreciated. Here's hoping we get more of this kind and less of, say, "The Condemned" (2007) or "The Rundown" (2003).