Bourne to be Wild!

Rating: Null/10 (14 October 2007)

"You listen very carefully to what I'm about to tell you. I remember. I remember everything. I'm no longer Jason Bourne."
Lock, stock, and thrills galore, 'The Bourne Ultimatum' is undoubtedly the summer's most anticipated and well-received film, casting a long shadow over other recent performances such as 'Atonement' and 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'. Reprising Matt Damon in his role as amnesiac CIA assassin Jason Bourne, on the run from the people who trained him; this non-stop and adrenaline pumping film culminates into one of the finest espionage 'flick's' in recent memory.
In this, the third film of the Bourne Trilogy, we find Jason brought out of hiding by a newspaper reporter who is trying to unveil the CIA based 'Operation Blackbriar'; the program which effectively trained Bourne to become the proficient killing machine that he is. Seeing the reporter as his last chance of finding out his true identity, Jason sets out in pursuit, only to find himself embroiled in a constant battle with 'Blackbriar,' which is also in pursuit of the reporter and his sources, who have blown the operations cover. From London, to Tangier, to Paris, to New York; the cat and mouse game of assassinations, lies and deceit provides a thrilling and tense battle wits, and an ending that is guaranteed not to disappoint any Jason Bourne fan.
Following the successes of its two prequels, 'The Bourne Identity' and 'The Bourne Supremacy', 'The Bourne Ultimatum' always had much to live up to, and more importantly had to retain the interest of its domestic and worldwide audiences. To this respect, the 'Ultimatum' has done amply well in securing its viewers interests and fulfilling the great expectations that were laid upon it. The film itself has all the basic components of your typical espionage movie, but with the exception of an added pinch of special effects, a splattering of brilliant storyline, and a dash of the 'Bourne factor', that makes the trilogy as a whole such a magnificent 'movie fest'. That said, the film has its underdone features as well, most notably the shaky camera work and panning, which is guaranteed to incur motion sickness from the outset of the movie. Nevertheless, this third (and purportedly) final installment could well be considered the pièce de résistance of the entire trilogy.
At first I was dubious about the 'Ultimatum'. Espionage films are notorious for degenerating further into disappointing pulp-fictions with every sequel that's released, and although the first and second films could only be described as thrilling, I still felt that this film was bound to disappoint the media-hype it had been given. (After all, 2007 has become infamous for this movie phenomenon; especially in regards to films that concern snakes, planes, and motherrelated expletives!) Yet despite all my fears, I was pleasantly surprised. It's not often that a sequel can claim to be even better than its original predecessor, but in regards to 'The Bourne Ultimatum' this is most certainly the case. The film's clever plot ties, 'über-suave' presentation, and brutal 'blood and guts' style action scenes never failed to impress and importantly, unlike most Hollywood movies, it doesn't forget its roots.
The ever-dependable Mat Damon again proves his ability to portray Robert Ludlum's most famous creation in a decisive, cold, and calculating way that is very much in key with this film's impersonal, technophillic, and paranoid feel. Although well known to the role, Damon's greatest achievement is to portray Bourne in a brilliantly fresh yet constant way that is very akin to Ludlum's original portrayal, and is guaranteed to keep you guessing till the end. The film also hosts a convincing co-starring cast, most of whom appeared in the prequels, with Julia Stiles, David Strathairn, Edgar Ramirez, and Joan Allen all being well suited to their pivotal roles. Performances particularly worthy of note are that of Julia Styles as Nicky Parsons, Bourne's former colleague and accomplice, and Joan Allen who portrays the Deputy CIA'S chief, Pamela Landy, who is also a sympathizer of Bourne's.
However, due praise must also go the film's director, Paul Greengrass, who it appears has managed to bring together all the ingredients to create a highly noteworthy performance, which is set to become one of the best blockbusters of 2007. The artistic style of the film, although described as 'clumsy' by some, is inspired in my belief, as it provides a kinetic clarity that fits into Greengrass' own style of jerky, hand-held-camera intrusiveness that doesn't seem so documentary-like, so much as it gives you the sense that you're following Bourne and eavesdropping on his conversations; providing a subtle mirror to Bourne's own actions.
All in all, the film is a genuine success that is bound to thrill some moviegoers and maybe pass over the heads of some others. With the minimalistic yet brilliant roles portrayed by its cast, the awesome special effects, and an ending that is guaranteed to put a wry smile on even the most austere critics face; 'The Bourne Ultimatum' is a 'spy-tacular' film that will ignite the secret agent within every moviegoer!