The Bourne Ultimatum

Rating: Null/10 (6 March 2009)

Not quite as good as the first two Bourne pictures, but a thrilling entertainment nonetheless.
The emphasis on action is further escalated (to the detriment of the narrative), the centrepiece being a bloated, poorly-shot chase/fight sequence in Tangier that quickly outstays its welcome, is horribly generic and seems far removed from the realistic, down-and-dirty intentions of Identity, and to a slightly lesser extent Supremacy.
Not all the set-pieces are so familiar though: Ultimatum contains the best scene of the franchise by far, a lengthy sequence that begins with a phone call to a London paper's News Desk and culminates seemingly hours later with a narrow escape on the subway. It's one of the most brilliantly conceived moments of sustained tension I've ever seen, although coming as it does so early in the picture it unfortunately sets a high standard the film can't live up to.
While the films got progressively darker, Ultimatum sharpens that curve and the result is a more adult but overly-serious affair. Given the nature of the story and this chapter in particular the ending is perhaps inevitable, though it's still surprising, and a satisfying way to end the trilogy.