A "Nice" Way to End the Story

Rating: 9/10 (3 August 2007)

I'm a huge Jason Bourne fan. I read the books as they came out, enjoyed the attempted TV Movie in 1988 even though it was mostly because of Jaclyn Smith. This third in the Matt Damon/Bourn film is very welcomed and unexpected. Some of the ending of the Bourne Supremacy was re-worked into Ultimatum with changes. No matter, the story is promising from the very beginning. I knew that however it was going to end, it will be good and I would be satisfied. There is a great deal of updating from the book simply because we are in a totally different world with technology than in 1980 when the first Bourne book was published. All that matters to me in respect to the story is that Jason keeps his character and spirit and drive he has in the books while the events and action shots in the movie are no where to be found in the books. Damon plays Bourn with the same finesse as he has the other two movies but I think he is less frightened, less confused and less timid in Ultimatium - he has matured and that is good for what happens in this movie. The action is good, varied and creative. Just about when I thought it was going to be just another clichÃ©, it takes enough of a twist to keep me fixed. The more intense fast paced scenes are broken up with intense but more deliberative scenes. Bourne very rarely loses control of himself even though he is stymied again. The action is very much in your face and might be over-the-top and would be unbelievable if it were anyone other than a Treadstone trained asset. If you watch Identity and Supremacy, just before viewing Ultimatium, realize that it was not planned as a three set. Much of the ending of Untimatum was injected into the end of Supremacy which was going to be the end...but thankfully it was not and that does not in any way spoil Ultimatum...It still has wonderful surprises for those who do not know the story and love a good spy action movie.