By Claudia Puig, USA TODAY
Let's just say it now: Paul Greengrass should direct every action thriller. The world of movies would be better for it.
His masterful direction of The Bourne Ultimatum (* * * * out of four) makes this third installment unequivocally the summer's best "threequel." It also is easily the best action thriller of the year.
Directed and edited with virtuosity, it offers two hours of non-stop excitement with not only one but two of the most breathtaking, heart-racing vehicle chase sequences ever. Sure, it's a franchise, but it's one of the rare smart ones. And though it's a genre film, it transcends the limitations and expectations associated with espionage dramas, emerging as the quintessential contemporary spy saga.
Its palpable sense of urgency and rapid-fire pace is bolstered by an intricately plotted story and a strong ensemble cast. Matt Damon plays Jason Bourne, a former CIA operative trained as a killing machine, whose erased memories have come crashing down on him.
Starting with 2002's The Bourne Identity and followed two years later by The Bourne Supremacy, the series has consistently blended intelligence with explosive thrills. Suspense is accomplished without the aid of wizards, robots or comic-book superheroes. This is a thriller for adults. With Joan Allen reprising her role as a principled CIA official and David Strathairn as a corrupt government honcho, it clearly is aimed at sophisticated audiences.
Damon is at his best, having grown further into the role. He is just as convincing as a nimble spy who guides a journalist past a labyrinthine set of stumbling blocks as he is at fending off a rival assassin.
His past may be muddled, but Bourne is always two steps ahead of his pursuers. With an appealing blend of toughness and vulnerability, Damon is ideal for the role. Though trained to terminate lives, Bourne has an underlying decency. In the last film, he was shattered by the murder of his girlfriend, and now he seeks to escape the terrible business he went into as a young man blinded by a sense of duty. Most of all, he is driven to learn his real identity and at whose behest he was taught to kill.
A motorbike chase through the streets of Tangier, Morocco, is relentless and riveting.
Forget those impressive chases you saw in Matrix 3 or Casino Royale— Greengrass' dazzling, adrenaline-surging pursuits rise above the rest. He has made two of the best recent films, his last being the captivating United 93. Wherever he takes his handheld camera next, audiences would be wise to follow.
(Rating: PG-13 for violence and intense action sequences. Running time: 1 hour, 58 minutes. Limited opening tonight and nationwide Friday.)
4 comments:
I am psyched to see this movie! I thought the first two were really fun.
I still haven't seen the second one! This one has been getting a lot of positive buzz.
I watched the first one again last week and loved it. I think I'd actually own these movies. The way Bourne is just so freakin' capable is so much fun to watch. There's two scenes in Bourne Identity in which he's being pursued and he grabs the map of the place in which he's running. So smart.
Yeah - they have rerun the first one on TBS or something like that a bunch of times.
It is infinitely watchable. Very clever. Better see #2 JPX!
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