There are few films on God’s green Earth that deserve certain words that I cannot print here on this family friendly Jesus lovin’ blog. So I will allow you to imagine those words as I write this review. The Bourne Ultimatum is the rockin’ sockin’ mind blowin’ knee shakin’ gut bustin’ edge o’ your seat thriller that absolutely grabs you by the (pardon the language) balls and refuses to let go until the last frame.
I wish that short review would do this movie justice. It couldn’t even begin to try. Matt Damon has perfected this character to precision that defies any kind of microscope comparison. The blockbuster is helped with an array of supporting characters including the return of Pam Landy and the inclusion of another high powered man in the FBI and even takes the story to the Director of the FBI. David Strathaim plays a worthy bad guy to Landy’s idealism and true blue heart.
It also had me scratching my head when the head of the FBI appeared on the screen and only through the miracle of IMDB did I find out it was Scott Glenn. Each of the players (including a Brian Cox looking Albert Finney from Big Fish) exude beyond the paper cut out characters they may have had if someone else had helmed the film. The director from the previous in the series is back and his frenetic camera style (which I loved in the middle film) is back but now it’s with purpose and focus.
The fights are intense. The tension is so tight a pin drop would sound like an earthquake. Julia Stiles (She-Who-Must-Be-My-Girl) is back as well with some possible romantic connections to Jason Bourne that are never fully explained and we are left to wonder what exactly happened between these two spooks. I won’t give away the whole story but this film goes form location to location with wham-bam-thank you officer kind of power that leaves you on the edge of whatever is left of your seat.
The ending of this film is picture perfect. Bourne has been shot and fallen into the water. Several scenes are broken in between as we watch his body in the dark and muddy liquid. And at the last moment it’s reported his body wasn’t found. Cue a shot of Julia Stiles character hearing the news, smiling and then to a shot of Bourne’s body suddenly coming awake and the music hits like it should. It nearly had me on my feet it was that good of a final word in the Jason Bourne anthology.
This movie is perfect from the amazing chase across rooftops to the most amazing car chase I’ve seen in awhile to even the slow character developing moments. They did a good job of taking a blockbuster one step above popcorn status. This year we’ve had some great earth shakin’ flicks. Transformers. Live Free and Die Hard. Pirates of the Caribbean. There’s plenty more to see out there and some good stuff coming out on DVD (Hot Fuzz is the stuff!) so my hope in Hollywood is temporarily restored.
Until they remake Rush Hour 3 in like four months into a horror movie starring Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan.
