Catch Him if you Can!!!

My summer movie viewing is finally finished, I have now seen "The Bourne Ultimatum" for that matter I have now seen all the Bourne movies. I have familiarized myself with Jason Bourne this past week viewing both "Identity" and "Supremacy" for the first time only now realizing what I've been missing. I wish someone sat me down and told me I was missing probably the best action movie franchise since Indiana Jones.

The thing I've noticed about all the Bourne movies is all the things that happen whether it has something to do with Bourne forgetting his identity or having his girlfriend killed, it all ends up the same thing, Bourne finding out what happened and having a hell of a time to get to the bottom of this. This usually includes several rather long and inventive car chases that puts us the viewer in the car with him, or sometimes it has some chases on foot in crowded streets, or big fist fights involving Bourne and another professional hit man.

"The Bourne Ultimatum" takes place right at the tail end of where "Supremacy" left off. This time Bourne is starting to remember the place where he was first trained to become an assassin for the government. The film takes us to England first where Bourne must meet up with a journalist who has been writing about who exactly our hero is and may hold the key about where it all began.

The enemy here is played by David Strathairn as CIA Deputy Director Noah Vosen who was involved in the secret program that created Bourne and wants him put down. One of my favorite actresses Joan Allen returns as Pamela Landy another CIA type who is on Bourne's side and wants to get him in. Also returning is Julia Stiles as Nicki the expert pro filer who may know Bourne better than we thought.

The intensity is turned up a notch in this film, I was on pins and needles through every turn. It doesn't seem that Matt Damon does much in this film and that's not an insult to his acting talent. What I mean by that is it takes a certain talented leading man to make a character who's major motive is to run, jump, dive, drive, or punch sympathetic. Damon is the perfect everyman and lets us know as much about Bourne as we are suppose to. Bourne reminds me very much of Keiffer Sutherland's Jack Bauer in that little television show about a hero who runs, jumps, dives, drives, and punches.

The chases here are expertly done by director Paul Greengrass, the master stroke happens in a crowded train station where Bourne is trying to guide his reporter fellow out of harms way, it reminded me of a similar scene in a mall in Spielberg's "Minority Report", the editing is right on.

I can go on and on about another intense chase in the streets of Morocco ending in an intense fist fight or another great climactic car chase but I think people know what they get into when they come to the theatre.

This is the action movie to beat all action movies this year, it is top notch Hollywood entertainment in every sense, I was blown away by how much I love Bourne and root for him. I know this is the third entry but I feel like I'm just getting to know him.

4 stars out of 4