The Blair Wi… uh, Blackbriar Project
Bourne is back, and third time’s the charm. It’s more of the same espionage intrigue, visceral thrills and ever-bopping camera. Essentially, the Bourne series derive its entertainment from its Pandora’s Box-like comedy about the CIA setting loose super-assassins against their enemies, only to have their greatest warrior turned against them to hilarious effect. It’s a glee to watch Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) relentlessly outsmart and outdo security systems, surveillance equipments, policemen, government agents, assassins, and even the head honchos of covert groups, who could only watch agape as Bourne single-handedly pummels four agents in a tight corridor. This guy is like the Terminator of spies, only he prefers to avoid confrontations, but even that resulted in a lot of wide-scale property destruction.
Confusingly, Ultimatum begins with Bourne (Matt Damon) still hiding out in Europe when he’s supposed to be retracing his past in Missouri, USA, based on CIA Deputy Director Pamela Landy’s (Joan Allen) tip-off at the end of The Bourne Supremacy. Nevertheless, a revealing article about the Treadstone project, written by reporter Simon Ross (Paddy Considine) soon lures Bourne out into the sights of an ever-watchful CIA task force headed by the ruthless Noah Vosen (David Strathairn). When Bourne learns from Ross about another Treadstone-like operation called the Blackbriar Project, he sets out to shut it down once and for all, and along the way bring closure to his identity crisis and Marie’s death.
There’s a legitimate reason why Bourne didn’t go back to Missouri, and it’s not a plot hole. (Spoiler) It’s because Landy hasn’t told him about Missouri yet! That’s because two-thirds of Ultimatum is actually set right after the Moscow chase and before Landy’s tip-off in Supremacy. I only realised this once the chain of events in Ultimatum led to the ending from Supremacy where Bourne was spying on Landy from an adjacent building. At first I thought it was déjà vu, but the employment of the exact setting, costumes and dialogue from Supremacy’s finale could only mean that this was the same scene from the last sequel, and not a repeating motif. It’s a really clever Shyamalan-inspired surprise moment. I’m sure someone has done this kind of thing before, but it’s a refreshing take for a sequel, which in normal circumstances would only just continue the story chronologically. (Spoiler ends)
The movie also boasts several cool action sequences, notably the train station scene at the beginning, which is the highlight of the movie. Not to say that the other parts were lacklustre. The ending doesn’t reveal anything shockingly unexpected about Bourne’s past, but nevertheless it is a rousing conclusion that got my two thumbs up into the heavens, as Will2k would say. The hand-to-hand scuffle between Bourne and an assassin during the mid portion is nothing short of visceral, but it’s still too similar to that one intense fight scene in Supremacy, right down to the choice of weaponry and the outcome of the brawl.
Another thing that you’ll notice is how much more the camera now moves and jerks about in Ultimatum, like it’s trying very hard to outdo The Blair Witch Project as the quintessential faux documentary. Admittedly, the roller-coaster cinematography does help intensify the action sequences, but is an unwelcome annoyance during the scenes where characters are just standing or sitting in one place conversing. Well, if you can sit through The Blair Witch Project, Ultimatum couldn’t be any worse. - BMF
For the record:
The Bourne Identity = Part 1, The Bourne Supremacy = Part 2, The Bourne Ultimatum = Part 3
The Bourne Ultimatum > The Bourne Supremacy > The Bourne Identity
Prior viewing of past sequels = required
Directed by Paul Greengrass (Bloody Sunday, The Bourne Supremacy, United 93) and screenplay by Tony Gilroy (The Bourne Supremacy, Michael Clayton), Scott Z. Burns (The Half Life of Timofey Berezin) and George Nolfi (Ocean's Twelve, The Sentinel). Based on the Bourne novels by Robert Ludlum. |
