Extreme Ways are Bourne Again!

Rating: 9/10 (15 August 2007)

What cumulative set of infidelities are now committed against Ludlum's books now that the movie series has come full circle? I suppose it doesn't matter. I don't think setting a story around present day would have warranted a premise where they could include Carlos the Jackal and the original era that concerned the novels. Nonetheless the Bourne trilogy films will remain to be one of the most solid action-thrillers around.
Except that the later 2 films have the fault and problem of dense camera-work, where you can't appreciate the action fully most of the time! Ultimatum has a lot of its moments. Most memorable are Bourne guiding the targeted journalist with his superskills and wit in intelligence and evasion, or the rooftop jumping sequences that ends in a brawl with Desh (?) the assassin. As in Ludlum books, even outside the Bourne series, a trademark of characters is hand-to-hand grappling and disarming, much of these are used in Ultimatum and we become habitutated to them, but nonetheless we can not be in awe with much of the action because of Greengrass's decisions in cinematography.
Like the previous 3 films, Ultimatum not only features an exceptional script, but some of the best acting in an act-tion film, the woman Pamela Landy switches roles to being Bourne's protector as her role as antagonist was absolved and is replaced by David Strathairn. Those who have seen the 2nd film by the way will appreciate how parts of it were INTEGRATED into Ultimatum, such as the last scene of Supremacy, which turns out to be one of the major turning points in this film after all!
If the sins of Greengrass on camera-work can be redeemed, perhaps it is with the final scenes, the last shot that perfectly adds a sense of cohesion, closure and symmetry as it is a visual parallel to the opening of IDENTITY, if you watch the film you'll know what I mean when I say it harbingers Bourne's very essence as a trapped and tragic character, and after Nikki Parson's character smiles and Moby's song plays - the visuals shift to symbolizing Bourne's freedom from it all at last. (?)
4/5, because of very good direction, script, acting and I guess the lousy photography won't be so scathing after all because of those good points.
Extreme Ways are gone at last!!!