Critic's Grade: B

When last audiences left Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), he had just exposed a coverup and in doing so, extacted revenge upon those who killed his girlfriend and hunted him. In the new thriller The Bourne Ultimatum, Bourne is back in a big way, as he becomes unwittingly entangled in a international manhunt, when a reporter gets to close to the truth of a top secret program.

With most of his memory still missing, Boune travels to London to seek out the reporter, in an effort to learn what he knows, hoping it will lead him to the answers he seeks. Things take a turn for the worse when Bourne is discovered, by the powers that created him who are convinced that he is a danger to the program, and may expose everything he knows to the media. Unwilling to take that chance, Bourne is targeted for elimination which sets into motion a frantic series of events that spans seven cities around the world.

Tasked with locating Bourne is Pamela Landy (Joan Allen), who while dedicated to her task, is convinced that Bourne is simply caught up in the mix, and wants nothing more than to get on with his life.

Bourne in the course of tracking the source of the leak eventually meets up with Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles), who not only gets Bourne up to speed, but helps him attempt to locate her boss, as he may very well be the source of the information leak and the key to unlocking Bourne's missing memories.

Between daring action scenes, intrigue, and solid Drama, Bourne begins to unravel the puzzle as he attempts to solve the mystery and stay alive from the myriad of threats that target his every move.

This Bourne is solid and fits very well into the framework of the past two films. Damon has never been stronger his signature role and is able to convincingly transition from action sequences to the dramatic elements the story requires adroitly while never losing his connection with the audience. Bourne while dangerous is in many ways a victim, who simply wants to know the truth, and is easy for the audience to support.

There are numerous action and chase sequences that combine brutality and fluidity in a amazing combination. This is not a CGI fest, this is flesh and bone, metal and glass combining to create one of the best action dramas ever to grace the screen.

The film is well paced and never overstays its welcome thanks to a plot that is intelligent yet not overly complicated.

In a summer of sequels that have mainly not lived up to expectations, Bourne is a film that delivers.

4 stars out of 5.

All Reviews by Gareth Von Kallenbach
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