THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM post release

That is so great to hear. In a year of horrible third films, it's nice to know that this delivers.

Great news. How's the shaky cam?

Like, totally ruins the movie.

It occurred to me when I read this that I have never been worried about a let down with this movie, which is very odd but also very nice. It's a great feeling to be able to be confident in the quality of any movie these days.

Same here, I haven't had a doubt with this series. It's really cool that the stories have stayed intriguing even though they wildly deviate from the book where the details are concerned. Glad to hear "Ultimatum" works, thanks Devin.

I would say that the series got progressively better and that this is one of the most satisfying conclusions to a film trilogy I've ever seen. Still, every time I see a Bourne movie from now on, no matter what, the words of Paul Rudd will echo in my head...

"Y'know, I always thought that Matt Damon was like a Streisand, but he's rocking the shit in this one."

Seeing ths Tuesday.

Like Owen, this is probably the only series I've never even been vaguely worried of a fuckup. So, I only have one question:

Does Extreme Ways close the film?

After seeing the first 2 in the theaters, I didn't really think much of them, until this winter when I purchased the dvds, and realized that they're brilliant spy movies. Count me in as someone who's not even worried about the 3rd one screwing up. Glad to hear it owns up.

I'm wondering that as well, but I'm much more interested to learn how John Powell's score turned out. Only Clint Mansell's Fountain score has gotten more play from me than Powell's Supremacy score...

His score for Identity was good, but Supremacy was great. I may be hoping for too much in wondering if the Ultimatum score did the same type of leap.

Extreme Ways does close the film. It works wonderfully.

how's the NY car chase ?

Not that I expected otherwise, but thank Christ.

Good but short. It's a foot-chase in Tangier that's the film's big action scene.

It's an understated end to the series, but more satisfying than just about every trilogy ender this decade that isn't Return of the King. Extreme Ways is, indeed, used to great effect, and just overall, everything that was great about the other two films is amplified just to the right degree here, as well as put to good use, namely, the way Supremacy's ending is incorporated into the plot, and the bookend closing shot.

Excellent work all around.

Also, on the shallow end of things: Julia Stiles needs to stay raven-haired.

Flipping through the channels today, I caught a behind the scenes segment on this part. They showed the stuntman (or Damon, who knows) jumping through the window, and the guy holding the camera running right behind him and then jumping through the window.

I don't know why, but I never thought for a second that someone was holding the camera - I just assumed it was attached to a cable or something. It looked really cool to see it shot that way...

Seen it for a second time (sorry). Boy, not only does this hold up, but I think it has just surpassed Supremacy in my awesomeness-meter. In fact, another guy and I noticed that the first breathing moment this movie has might be at the 1:15 hour mark, right after the Tangiers setpiece.

Seriously, this movie is so tightly edited that its almost two hours feel like one. I would kill to see this with a US audience, you know, the type of people that "feel" the punches (or a book to the throat) and groan and scream whenever a car rushes backwards over a parking lot's roof.


PS: on John Powell's score, as much as he recycles most of his previous cues for the action beats, I think my favorite themes in this must be the quieter ones, in the two or three single moments in the movie Bourne (and us) pause to breathe.

Two More Days. Damn It.

One.

And whoever says that Julia Stiles' smile in this flick isn't pure magic deserves to perish in Levy-land.

I called that the first time I saw it in the trailer. None of my friends believed a cameraman would be crazy enough to get convinced to do, or that the producers would let him (with all that equipment). That shot gets me psyched every time I see it, because I would LOVE to have been that camera guy...you know he got a round of drinks bought for him after pulling that off.

Loved the first two and already have tickets for the third this Friday. I'm not a fan of spy thrillers, but the Bourne flicks have been the exception. Ever since I saw the first in the theater, I've been hooked. Glad to hear the third kicks ass. Can't wait til tomorrow night.

It definitely looked cool, especially from the angle they were shooting the stunt from, you could easily see everything - it was from a higher rooftop to the left of the stunt.

I have noticed that there seems to be some CG glass that he crashes through in some of the commercials I've seen lately. Maybe it just looked weird, but the glass really seemed like it was edited in, taking away a little from an awesome shot...

Yeah, in front of Harry Potter, they had that brief behind the scenes for that shot. I loved it in the trailer and when you see the motherfucker jump after him...it's awesome. They show the rigging and everything he was wearing but I don't care. That camerman is a hero to me.

Well I have to break the illusion a little. The cameraman doesn't follow the stuntman all the through the window. He (and the gear) is fitted with wires and ends up dangling in midair halfway through. You can see it in one of the latest features.

It looks awsome though and I really took notice the first time I saw the trailer.

That stunt is overall pretty damn impressive. I noticed they CG'd in a window recently.

My rave: http://www.chud.com/index.php?type=reviews&id=11282

Ok, now this is weird. I also saw the clip with the CG window - but then I just recently saw another commercial without it. Anyone who's seen the film - is there a window or no window?

Nice review, Beaks. I have yet to read a negative review for this. Can't wait to check it tomorrow afternoon....

Dammit, the closest place doing a midnight show is an hour and 15 minutes away. This is not MY America!

I went with a friend to see The Simpsons again tonight and saw they had a 12:01 screening of this. I was very tempted, but I've got work in the morning, so it'll have to wait. On the bright side, that means I get to check reviews all day and get even more excited.

Awesome, awesome, awesome. And awesome. I don't think it's as good overall as Supremacy, but it does beat it in pure awesomeness. I can't wait to watch this and Supremacy back to back on DVD.

Also, I must note that the film's narrative focus is like a laser. I seriously cannot think of any extraneous material.

There's a window, yep. A CGI one, but what the fuck do you care? Especially after what happens next, one of the best and most brutal fights I've ever seen, including The Bourne Identity's one, which I thought could hardly be topped. Curiously enough, I thought this flick had surpassed it in every which way imaginable when Bourne faces off FOUR Grab Team guys at Waterloo, and then comes this...

Really, I can't wait to discuss this flick with you, guys.

David Strathairn is fucking awesome.

Apart from that, all I can do is add to the ever-growing chorus of positivity towards this movie. It's absolutely relentless, and while I still prefer Supremacy as well, I can't imagine anyone walking away from this disappointed at all.

Very good stuff. Fight scene was phenomenal. But I must say that the Julia Stiles love freaks me the fuck out. Yucky yuck!

Huh? She's super cute.

Alllriiiiight... ghey!

Anyway, this movie rocks the shit. A great franchise ender, if they stop here, of course. Or have I already said too much???

So did I, until a second helping of TBU followed a thousandth rewatch of TBS the morning after, and they switched steps at the podium.

And she looks... weird, yes indeed (and she shouldn't stay raven-haired for me, thanks). But that final smile of hers just destroyed me as a moviegoer and male heterosexual with an affection for pretty females.

I never understood the fascination with her either. She has a frying pan face.

Oh, I'll be rewatching the entire series very soon. So we'll see how it shakes out then.

I didn't think I could be looking forward to this film any more than I already was, but Devin's review elevated my expectations even further. Great review. Can't wait 'til tonight!

Both reviews are fantastic.

As is the fight scene between Bourne and the Asset -- we've seen Bourne quickly jacking up guys who are no match for him, and this fight feels like what Greengrass has been building to with a movie and a half of those encounters. It's supremely visceral.

As is the 'origin' sequence. Great, great stuff.

Awesome review, Devin. You wrote everything I was hoping to hear...
I like your comparison of this movie to a shark... this is great news.

I have to agree that this is one of the most consistent trilogies ever. And in my case, that means this whole entire trilogy is just "ok".

I don't see anything that is near masterwork level of praise in any of the movies. They're just ok.

However, my beef with this movie is the beef that I had with all of these movies and that's the atrocious action direction and editing. Paul Greengrass and Christopher Nolan are very good dramatic directors. I do think they are great directors indeed. But.....they are worth shit when it comes to visualizing action.

And that half-baked excuse about it being about the "intensity" and "feeling" of the action is all bull. There are ways to make a fight gritty and down to earth that doesn't involve shaking the camera and doing random edits like if it were done on a monkey on crack. Those are the signs of an inept action director and editor that does not understand action.

The main credit should be given to the sound people because that is what is cueing you in on the fight and what audiences are really reacting to. There is nothing to see other than maybe the occasional time when the movie got hit with a miracle and you can make something out.

I can understand the average viewer being fooled into thinking these sequences are well done, but it shocks me to the bone how supposed film experts think these sequences are masterful. You see next to shit. How is that great action direction?

That's what really bothers me about someone like Devin, who criticizes the action in Fearless, yet praises Paul Greengrass' pretentious mess as if he knows anything about translating movement onto the screen. Which says to me that Devin doesn't know what he was talking about.

That's like getting a four star dish and complain about the lack of salt, but give the highest compliments to his beer gut body Joe for slapping together some half ass sandwich with it's expired ham and cheese.

If action sequences like this are the future of action cinema, then action film making in Hollywood has taken a gigantic leap backwards past the stone age. Funny how the introduction of HK talent in Hollywood made me think that there were greener pastures ahead for proper action film making. Instead, Hollywood restricts their artistic freedom on set and in post (cause their just useless Chinaman after all) while giving 100% freedom to action hacks like Greengrass and Nolan.

By the way, you gotta just love the complete waste of martial arts performer Scott Adkins in the film. He has amazing physical skill and was brought into the film to do a role that a best boy grip could have done. Check him out in Special Forces and Undisputed 2 to see what a missed opportunity Greengrass caused.

It's a traffic jam when you're already late
It's a no-smoking sign on your cigarette break
It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife
It's meeting the man of my dreams
And then meeting his beautiful wife
And isn't it ironic... don't you think
A little too ironic... and yeah I really do think...


Wait....What were we talking about?

The point of the action in these films is that it's awful.

(See the point about CASINO ROYALE's reliance on SUPREMACY; look at Bond's bathroom fight and 'not well' dialogue for an on-the-nose take.)

If you walk out of ULTIMATUM lamenting the lack of a Hong Kong 'biceps and flip kicks' circle jerk, you've utterly missed the point of the film.

The editing of the SUPREMACY fight was sloppy and disorienting; the ULTIMATUM brawl is much cleaner. I had no problem following the action or appreciating the choreography (and I'm a stickler for both).

What the hell does Nolan have to do with this? Are you thinking of Liman?

Just a terrific movie. Everybody's right about the unflagging energy. Greengrass does a fantastic job yet again. The editing in Supremacy was rough at times, like the above-mentioned fight scene. The editing here is no problem at all. Greengrass and his editor could probably get real suspense out of a man ordering pizza.

The Waterloo scene was very cool, but for me, the highpoint was the entire Tangier sequence. That got me by the balls. Bourne jumping through the windows, ending in a truly kick-ass fight scene which has got to be the best filmed in a long time.

Great stuff and I can't wait to see it again.

I have absolutely no reasons, but I think I hated this movie.

There isn't anything that jumps out as bad. The action was solid, Strathairn was great, and Damon was consistent as usual.

I need to re-watch Supremacy, and give this another shot. Something just didn't click. I don't know. I haven't really had this feeling about a movie before.