Main cast: Matt Damon (Jason Bourne), Julia Stiles (Nicolette “Nicky” Parsons), David Strathairn (Noah Vosen), Édgar Ramírez (Paz), and Joan Allen (CIA Deputy Director Pamela Landy)
Director: Paul Greengrass
Well, in previous movies our hero Jason Bourne might have recalled details of his past, but his efforts to escape that past were not an easy one. They killed his girlfriend in the previous movie, and he took down his former agency in retaliation. Well, that was then. In The Bourne Ultimatum, he continues to try to escape his past, while the new black ops arm of the CIA, Operation Blackbriar, that replaced the one Bourne took out, want to clean up the mess left by Bourne. This also means taking out those who have helped him in the past, such as the technician Nicky. Their assassin Paz is charged to kill Bourne. Poor guy – is Pam Landy, whom we all know now is the CIA Deputy Director, a potential ally? All these things will soon result in all kinds of crossfire and other shenanigans.
You know, watching this movie, I feel just like I’m Pam Landy – she seems to be the only sane person on the CIA front. She is skeptical that Bourne is still a threat, but she’s a professional who will do her job. However, Vosen is convinced that Bourne is out to kill them all, spinning all kinds of fantasies about the man’s agenda, and he also constantly refuses to listen to her even when she often cleans up his mess in a short time after she is forced to step in each time. She is, also, bemused by how Bourne keeps evading the CIA, who has everything tapped, and I swear the same smile she has plays on my lips as well!
The plot is simple: Bourne wants to get away, the newly improved black ops arm of the CIA wants him out of the picture, and it is a cat and mouse game. Or rather, it’s more like Bourne always being a mile ahead of the others each time, because the CIA dudes seem hopeless compared to Bourne. It’s not a fair fight at all. But I have to say, this slickly paced movie is still a thrilling ride for its entire duration. It’s all about the espionage and fight scenes here, and Matt Damon has eased into his role very nicely indeed. Jason Bourne seems almost… romantic in a tragic hero sort of way, and it’s rather nice of him to try to help others who are drawn into his mess to get to safety too (even if he’s doing it for not-always altruistic reasons). The keyword here is “try”, of course – let’s just say that this is one guy whom you’re better off not getting acquainted with if you want a long life.
Oh, and while they do try to keep things similar, Matt Damon’s stunt double still has a noticeably different haircut.
The Bourne Ultimatum has many things in its script that are not going to stand under scrutiny much, but if you watch this one, I’d suggest doing as I did: don’t think, just sit back and enjoy the ride.
