You could not possibly ask for a better wrap up to any series, and one of the action greats of all time!!

Rating: 10/10 (6 August 2007)

This has been one heck of a summer for Action films, and trilogies, some good, some not so good. Live Free or Die Hard still stands out as the best action film I have seen in years and yet now The Bourne Ultimatum comes along and once again blows me through the back of the theater. If you've followed this series from the first installment then you can understand the absolute desire to closure in the series but still keep that element of mystery and that is precisely what the Bourne film makers did including Paul Greengrass, who has this distinct and often talked about format for his films that really works for a film like Bourne Supremacy and Ultimatum. He took over from Doug Liman (who stayed on board as executive producer for the latter films) and Greengrass flawlessly and perfectly picked up the story without missing a beat and followed through all the continuity, all the mystery and then packed a wallop with this final installment. His sporadic and crazed filming style (the constant shaking of the camera) works really well for Bourne because it's that kind of hectic and crazy action and it's not overdone to the point where you're desperately trying to see what's going on. Greengrass knows how to send the story in the direction he wants and then to unfold brilliant action scenes when necessary.
Matt Damon is just down right brilliant as the quiet, intense, depressive Jason Bourne who has had everything taken from him and is now getting closer to ever to figuring out his identity. Bourne's brilliance is as top notch as ever and he's honed his skills beyond what they originally taught him so he's even more himself. Damon embraces that so well and performs this role with no ego, he's not Matt Damon impressing us all as Bourne, he IS Bourne and he is perfect at it pulling off the fighting, the killing, the eluding and still a very sympathetic character. Joan Allen returns from Supremacy as Pamela Landy, the anti-heroine for Bourne who wants to help him find his identity and uncover the truth of project Treadstone. Allen is appropriately intense for this role, and a great female lead to Damon's intense male role. I might even say she would do well in a bigger role but still her performance is great. Julia Stiles also returns as logistics agent Nicky Parsons. While never a big role in any of the three films, she's been a presence and her presence in this new installment opens up a new mystery in the Bourne history. Stiles is a terrific addition to the cast and the only one to return for all three films except Damon. Amazing character actor David Strathairn joins the cast as cold blooded head of the 'new' Treadstone Noah Vosen. Strathairn is an amazing follow up to the character of Alexander Conklin played by Chris Cooper who was an incredible nemesis for Bourne. Straithairn valiantly takes over that role and is amazing. Add in a supporting cast of the amazing Albert Finney (in a sadly very small role), Joey Ansah (in one of the most amazing fight scenes in movie history), and Colin Stinton.
What is the best part of The Bourne Ultimatum? Easy. If the Bourne films have been anything...they've been story driven...one of the best, if not THEE best stories from an action film in history. Amnesia, love, killers, assassins, government agencies, a cover up...all of this has been heaped on in two movies and these films have been so story driven and they have done such an incredible job of doing this story that there isn't anything to do in Ultimatum but wrap everything up. The best part of that is it leaves it wide open for some of the most incredible action scenes, and absolute non stop action that will leave you completely breathless. A car chase that rivals any film, a brutal hand to hand fight that leaves your jaw dropped onto the floor, brilliant roof top escapes and gun fights, and constant chaos everywhere. I will only say one minor flaw was I thought one particular chase went on a little long, it wasn't varied enough to really keep you riveted as long as it continued but it climaxed in a spectacular hand to hand fight so it was all worth while. Ultimatum also continues Bourne's amazing and exotic location shooting while still bringing Bourne home back to the door step of the United States and the C.I.A. The Bourne Ultimatum is an incredible end to the trilogy and I PRAY they change their minds and bring Bourne back for another round because this series has truly only gotten better from one film to the next. 10/10