An Action Film that has a Heart and a Brain

Rating: 9/10 (20 August 2007)

I want you to name me the last great action flick. Die Hard 4.0? Nah, it lost all credibility when The Bruce single-handedly beat a jet. Casino Royal? Nope, too much talking for my liking. MI3? Anti-climactic. The Bourne Supremacy? Oh yes, that was a magnificent picture. So, I guess it's not really surprising that The Bourne Ultimatum, the sequel to Supremacy, is arguably the best film of the year so far. We went in with extremely high expectations, and I'm happy to say that those expectations were met, and then some.
When we last met Jason Bourne (Damon), his girlfriend had just been killed, so he was out for revenge. This time though, it's back to basics. Bourne is being hunted by CIA officials, led by Strathairn's Noah Vosen, as he's still searching for his unknown past. Also unlike the last film, Deputy Director Pamela Landy (Allen) and series regular Nicky Parsons (Stiles) are on Bourne's side.
I'm quite sure no other film this year will give you the Adrenaline rush Ultimatum gave us. To cut to the chase, I'll just quote US critic Todd McCarthy: "If they could bottle what gives The Bourne Ultimatum its rush, it would probably be illegal". Basically, the film is one massive action scene. The chases in London and in Tangier in particular took my breath away and had me on the edge of my seat. But if you think Ultimatum is just a loud & dumb action flick, well, think again. The film's got big a heart; Bourne is still the sympathetic spy who wants to atone for his previous sins. And even better, Ultimatum has a brain too. The story is complex and gripping and believe or not, but Ultimatum is probably the most anti-American film since Syriana, Damon's 2005 political thriller (I haven't seen Sicko yet)
After helming Supremacy, United 93, and Ultimatum in a row, I think Greengrass has firmly established himself as one of the best directors working today; the film has an excellent gritty look, innovative fight scenes, and an outstanding score. The English filmmaker still uses the shaky cam excessively, but because the editing is phenomenal, the shots hold long enough that you can actually tell what's going on. Greengrass got the best out of his cast as well. Damon excels as Bourne, Allen is amazing as usual (she should get an Oscar like, now!), Stiles finally gets to do something other than listening to her earpiece, and Strathairn is good, but somehow underused.
So, I'd definitely recommend seeing The Bourne Ultimatum. It's a fitting end to an amazing trilogy, and it's one of (if not) the best films of the year