The Bourne Ultimatum
So, because I should have been doing something else but didn't feel like it, I decided to watch the third of the Bourne movies again. I've owned The Bourne Ultimatum for a while now, but never really got around to re-watching it for various reasons.
Back in the 80s, when I was in high school, I got on a serious Robert Ludlum kick and devoured most of his books so I've actually read the three Bourne books the three movies are loosely based upon. Obviously, a lot of changes had to be made in order for the movies to work since they were pretty topical at the time. The plot of the first Bourne novel (The Bourne Identity) revolved around the notorious assassin, Carlos the Jackal. Carlos was, in fact, the reason why Bourne was created. Thus, they had to rewrite the plot somewhat.
When I caught the first Bourne movie in the theater, I loved it. There was a bit too much shaky-cam for my tastes (something that has carried over through the two sequels but is, unfortunately, one of those things a modern movie goer has to expect anymore), but it was still a kick ass movie. Matt Damon was totally convincing as a super bad ass who was freaked out when he realized that he was a super bad ass. Contrast him with Arnold in Total Recall; I mean, really, a guy built like Arnold was in the 80s and he's surprised that he can break people? Come on.
The first sequel - The Bourne Supremacy - was a surprisingly good sequel, especially given that it was coming from Hollywood which is notorious for putting out a good first movie and then utterly screwing up the sequel. Honestly, the only exceptions to this rule that come to mind for me are Aliens, The Empire Strikes Back, Wrath of Khan, and this second Bourne movie. Admittedly, I was really disappointed when they killed off Marie in the beginning of Supremacy though that's probably 'cause I've got this thing for Franka Potente. She really reminds me of a girl I knew some years back who I still occasionally lose sleep over because I never told her how I felt about her (blame the fact that I'm an ... emotional cripple, if you will.)
The third Bourne movie is more of the same, so if you didn't like the first two, you'll probably hate this one too. Bourne kicks everyone's ass who comes after him and works his way up the feeding chain to get what information he wants. After three movies, one would think that the bad guys learn ... but in their defense, the ones who do figure it out are generally ignored by the newest group of idiots in charge.
This movie picks up in Moscow, immediately after Bourne interacted with that Russian chick at the end of the second movie and the phone call that served as the denouement of Supremacy is actually incorporated into the action of this movie. Pamela Landy - played by the always good Joan Allen - is a good guy in this one, having figured out that Bourne is not the walking death machine he was claimed to be. Well, actually, he is, but now she knows he just wants to be left alone and, as she states in a scene cut from the movie, trying to kill him and failing just pisses him off.
The lovely Julia Stiles is present again and, while she's as attractive as usual, there seems to be some subtext to her character absent this time. It almost seemed as though the director was trying to imply that she had been involved with David Webb (Bourne's real identity prior to his transformation into Captain Badass), but they never actually explain what her deal with him is. Thus, the scenes where she looks at Bourne (either longingly or not) seem ... off, like we're supposed to know something that we don't. That is, IMO, the only real misstep of this movie which isn't even cleared up with the scenes that were cut. I wonder if the director commentary explains it...
As in the previous movies, the action scenes are just gold. Watching Bourne beat the excrement out of someone is fraking awesome and I love how physical the fights are. They're brutal and kinetically fast, usually resulting in the audience exhaling in relief when Bourne is finished whipping someone's ass. Adding to his repertoire, he kills a guy with a towel in this movie after using a hardback book to smack him around a bit. And the car chase is fantastic as well.
In the past, I've commented about how I like movies about smart people and Bourne is exactly that. I suppose that may be why I like the franchise so much: when Bourne begins doing something, you know it's because he's thinking. That, I think, is the character's greatest weapon and is one that is always being underestimated by the opposition.
I recently saw that Damon had signed on for a fourth Bourne movie and I desperately hope they can maintain the ass whooping momentum that they've achieved thus far in the three movies released.
My grade is Four and a Half Ass Whippings out of Five.
Back in the 80s, when I was in high school, I got on a serious Robert Ludlum kick and devoured most of his books so I've actually read the three Bourne books the three movies are loosely based upon. Obviously, a lot of changes had to be made in order for the movies to work since they were pretty topical at the time. The plot of the first Bourne novel (The Bourne Identity) revolved around the notorious assassin, Carlos the Jackal. Carlos was, in fact, the reason why Bourne was created. Thus, they had to rewrite the plot somewhat.
When I caught the first Bourne movie in the theater, I loved it. There was a bit too much shaky-cam for my tastes (something that has carried over through the two sequels but is, unfortunately, one of those things a modern movie goer has to expect anymore), but it was still a kick ass movie. Matt Damon was totally convincing as a super bad ass who was freaked out when he realized that he was a super bad ass. Contrast him with Arnold in Total Recall; I mean, really, a guy built like Arnold was in the 80s and he's surprised that he can break people? Come on.
The first sequel - The Bourne Supremacy - was a surprisingly good sequel, especially given that it was coming from Hollywood which is notorious for putting out a good first movie and then utterly screwing up the sequel. Honestly, the only exceptions to this rule that come to mind for me are Aliens, The Empire Strikes Back, Wrath of Khan, and this second Bourne movie. Admittedly, I was really disappointed when they killed off Marie in the beginning of Supremacy though that's probably 'cause I've got this thing for Franka Potente. She really reminds me of a girl I knew some years back who I still occasionally lose sleep over because I never told her how I felt about her (blame the fact that I'm an ... emotional cripple, if you will.)
The third Bourne movie is more of the same, so if you didn't like the first two, you'll probably hate this one too. Bourne kicks everyone's ass who comes after him and works his way up the feeding chain to get what information he wants. After three movies, one would think that the bad guys learn ... but in their defense, the ones who do figure it out are generally ignored by the newest group of idiots in charge.
This movie picks up in Moscow, immediately after Bourne interacted with that Russian chick at the end of the second movie and the phone call that served as the denouement of Supremacy is actually incorporated into the action of this movie. Pamela Landy - played by the always good Joan Allen - is a good guy in this one, having figured out that Bourne is not the walking death machine he was claimed to be. Well, actually, he is, but now she knows he just wants to be left alone and, as she states in a scene cut from the movie, trying to kill him and failing just pisses him off.
The lovely Julia Stiles is present again and, while she's as attractive as usual, there seems to be some subtext to her character absent this time. It almost seemed as though the director was trying to imply that she had been involved with David Webb (Bourne's real identity prior to his transformation into Captain Badass), but they never actually explain what her deal with him is. Thus, the scenes where she looks at Bourne (either longingly or not) seem ... off, like we're supposed to know something that we don't. That is, IMO, the only real misstep of this movie which isn't even cleared up with the scenes that were cut. I wonder if the director commentary explains it...
As in the previous movies, the action scenes are just gold. Watching Bourne beat the excrement out of someone is fraking awesome and I love how physical the fights are. They're brutal and kinetically fast, usually resulting in the audience exhaling in relief when Bourne is finished whipping someone's ass. Adding to his repertoire, he kills a guy with a towel in this movie after using a hardback book to smack him around a bit. And the car chase is fantastic as well.
In the past, I've commented about how I like movies about smart people and Bourne is exactly that. I suppose that may be why I like the franchise so much: when Bourne begins doing something, you know it's because he's thinking. That, I think, is the character's greatest weapon and is one that is always being underestimated by the opposition.
I recently saw that Damon had signed on for a fourth Bourne movie and I desperately hope they can maintain the ass whooping momentum that they've achieved thus far in the three movies released.
My grade is Four and a Half Ass Whippings out of Five.