Still relevant post-911

Rating: 8/10 (4 August 2007)

When The Bourne Identity hit the screen in 2002, the Cold War was decidedly over and spy movies had lost their relevance in the post-911 aftermath. The Bourne Identity masterfully resonated with our psyches: here was a man, despite all his abilities, unable to answer a basic question: "who is my enemy and why are they after me?" The next installment took a different turn, Doug Liman was replaced by Paul Greengrass, and while Brian Cox was brought back as Ward Abbott, the electric performance of Chris Cooper was missing. The Bourne Ultimatum not surprisingly shares more with the second than the first. Joan Allen returns as Pamela Landy with more intense action than ever and Bourne traversing more continents than ever.
However, the writers clearly make an effort to tie all three movies together. In fact, do yourself a favor and watch the Bourne Identity before you watch the Bourne Ultimatum. Many minor details from the first become critical plot elements in the third.
While I can watch the Bourne Identity again and again, I am afraid the Bourne Ultimatum has about the same weight as the Bourne Supremacy. Not that it isn't any good. Rather, it lacks the intensity of the first and the electric exchanges between Cooper and Cox.
4 out of 5