Bourne Ultimatum

Long time since i had a movie review! Was waiting for a movie which really made me sit up all night and then write its review with the enthusiasm still in me. I hadn't had the pleasure to watch The Bourne Ultimatum in a theatre thanks to on-time Kerala theatre's that have english movies always months after they are released. The ONLY movie i've seen in Trivandrum on the day the world saw it 1st was Matrix Revolutions and that wasn't worth the money.

Like many of my pals, i too downloaded the movie. Fake cam prints were available online even before the official release and i was waiting to get my hands on a DVD rip, which is how i like watching movies(even while watching them pirated, watch them in style). Now lets come to the FILM:

The first word to come too mind as I sat in my seat & watched this was "AWESOME". The movie took me away from my comfy couch and made me sit on the edge of the seat. Ultimatum is the last of the Bourne trilogy films. Here Jason is back on the search for his past that began in the depths of the ocean five years back. I had seen the 1st two movies and was totally surprised the way the movie was made. It had relatively no gadgets that are usually present in a spy movie. But what set Bourne apart are the story, direction and of course Matt Damon. He's the perfect guy to play the silent, swift assassin that Jason Bourne is.


Ultimatum starts from where Supremacy left off. Bourne is being chased and he's totally out of his mind trying to recollect his past. He's being chased by none other than CIA Deputy Director Noah Vosen, which is skilfully enacted by David Strathairn. Vosen is after Bourne with more resources and people that Pamela Tandy(Joan Allen) ever had. It all begins when a journalist traces the path of Jason Bourne and the scene where Bourne meets the journalist @ the crowded Waterloo Station at London is too good. The precision, the way Bourne takes over and lets nothing be left to chance is too good to watch. From then on each and every moment Bourne is being chased all over Europe by Vosen and his boys.

Ultimatum may be the best serious action movie I've ever seen. From the moment that the opening title appeared, I knew i was in for a ride. Paul Greengrass has done it again. Everything i loved from the previous Bourne films is here once again: the action, the dialogue, and of course the shaky camera. However for me, that last one was never a problem. I think it adds to the suspense. The camera shakes, but remains steady enough for you to see everything and feel like you're there with Bourne as he tries to elude his pursuers, and the performances are so good that these guys seem as though they are the characters they're portraying, instead of just being actors performing well-written roles.

It doesn't ruin the story line and doesn't take the audience on break-neck action sequences, rather it has the naturalistic docu-drama style which is inspired from Director Paul Greengrass. He's used camera's which zoom in and out of the situation as if its been played real-time, like in a news channel or some live show. That's the beauty of the camera work, it takes you right INTO the action. You feel you're being pursued by Vosen and his vast network. The movie makes us feel that Matt Damon has the conviction and swelling desire of the troubled assassin. Kudos to Damon and Greengrass for getting the real essence of the identity that is Jason Bourne.

If you are a fan of the first two Bourne movies, you will not be disappointed by the third instalment. It sticks to what worked in the previous films and adds a little more. I was very pleased to see how well all the information we obtain in 'Identity' and 'Supremacy' all mesh in 'Ultimatum' to finally paint the full picture of Jason Bourne's troubled past.

The action scenes are so brutally fast-paced and well choreographed that they seem instinctive instead of planned to the minutest movement; the stunt-work is nothing short of amazing. The Bourne Ultimatum does not rely on gimmicks, CG effects, or razzle dazzle. Even its chase scenes seem mostly tame compared to the one near the beginning of 'Casino Royale', for example. This is because you are watching a psychological drama--- Jason Bourne is searching for his true identity, by trying to remember his past. Matt Damon plays his part to the hilt and deserves a nomination for best actor for his cumulative performances in these three films. We sense his anguish, his anger, his animosity, his angst, his ambivalence.

Ultimatum is, without doubt, the best of Bourne ever. Highly Recommended.