This (or any) summer's best action flick.

Rating: 9/10 (21 September 2007)

Java Man Reviews " The Bourne Ultimatum" (2007, PG-13). Directed by Paul Greengrass. Written by Tony Gilrooy, Scott Z. Burns & George Nolfi, based upon the Robert Ludlum novel. Starring Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, David Strathairn, Joan Allen, Scott Glenn, Paddy Considine, Edgar Ramirez & Albert Finney. Running Time: 111 minutes
OVERVIEW:
Jason Bourne (Damon) is still on the run from the mysterious government agency that turned him into a black-ops killer and now wants to get rid of him. A London investigative reporter (Considine) unintentionally unmasks Bourne, and the two of them embark on the first of several intriguing and complicated chases. But as the CIA pursues Bourne it is really he who is doing the pursuing, trying to find those responsible for turning him into a killing machine. After London he heads for Madrid, Tangier, Paris, Moscow and, finally, to New York City.
Heading up the quest to eliminate Bourne is Noah Vosen (Strathairn), the hiss-worthy G-Man in charge of the CIA's killer spooks. Reluctantly, he must recruit the assistance of Pamela Landy (Allen), an internal investigator who has also been chasing Bourne, but who has developed a professional respect for him and wants him alive. In Tangier, Bourne encounters field op Nicky Parsons (Stiles), who works for Vosen, but has become disillusioned with her boss's methods. She joins Bourne on the run as he continually beats the agency at its own game, outwitting its surveillance systems and besting its top killers.
REVIEW: 3 1/2 OUT OF 4 JAVA MUGS
It's a simple formula, but it works: Keep Jason Bourne in a state of perpetual motion. But even though the film is one continuous chase, it still manages to create memorable and believable characters. The credit for that must go to director Greengrass, a Brit whose work is a cut above the current crop of crash-it, blow-it-up action hacks. In addition to the Bourne franchise, he has also directed some of the best docudramas ever put on screen, namely Bloody Sunday (2002) about the troubles in Northern Ireland and United 93 (2006), about the passengers who thwarted terrorists from blowing up our nation's capitol. He keeps things moving fast and keeps us involved; we are in on it, as though joining Bourne on the run.
Damon's performance is first-rate as usual, in what now has become his signature role. Pros Allen and Strathairn provide a revealing contrast between the two sides of the espionage coin (the dedicated pro and the sinister spook). Stiles sparkles as the quiet, smart G-woman who helps Bourne. Later in the film, Finney has a few crucial scenes to wrap up the series. Glen, as the Machiavellian mastermind who heads the CIA, will likely play a major role if a fourth Bourne is mounted.
As for the story, there is no real need for a complicated plot, just a reason for Bourne to be in a given city when Greengrass is ready to stage the next set-up. Spectacular cinematography and involving editing, combined with challenging location work, make this by far the summer's best action flick.
Will there be a fourth Bourne? Though Ludlum has passed on, Ian Fleming's death did not stop James Bond from saving the world for nearly half a century now.