I am a huge fan of the previous Bourne films, and of Matt Damon, so for the last 3 months I have been anticipating the release of Bourne Ultimatum, the third in the Jason Bourne trilogy, adapted from Robert Ludlum's spy novels. And it does not disappoint. Bourne Ultimatum is again a cat and mouse chase through Europe, and this time New York as well, where Jason Bourne, a super assassin with amnesia, attempts to discover the mysteries of his pre-amnesiac life.
The look of this trilogy is not typically Hollywood. No helicopters being knocked from the sky with taxis, no corny one-liners when the good guy kills a bad guy. Bourne Ultimatum feels real. Every car crash and bullet fired is felt by the audience as though the whole cinema is right there in the back seat of the Audi as Bourne reverses off of a roof top garage to escape his pursuers. “Sir, he drove off the roof…he drove off the roof”. And it is this awesome inventiveness of the writers, and the talent of the director and stunt coordinators that gives Bourne Ultimatum a unique look and feel.
Matt Damon has immense acting talent and has a wide array of characters and genre's under his belt, but 5 years ago for Bourne Identity critics feared this young actor might be hitting a sticking post with an Action film, but he proved everyone wrong and nailed the intensity that was required with the troubled and thoughtful Jason Bourne. The character has developed throughout the series and in Bourne Ultimatum we see a more determined but controlled Bourne, with a softer side that by the end of the film makes us realise that he can move on, settle down and lead a normal life.
Go and see this film. You will come out of the cinema with a rush of adrenalin coursing your veins, and you will want to be Jason Bourne. Take 5 minutes in the car before you set off and remember you're John from London (insert name and place as applicable) and you are not being chased by the CIA.
