The third film in the Bourne series is opening wide in the US in just two days. Budgeted at $110,000,000, producers are betting on the success of the previous two films to carry the latest installment to big returns. Based on the box office of the first and second Bourne's I'd say they have a sure winner here. At the very least, The Bourne Ultimatum will provide the necessary number of films needed for a trilogy that will sell well in an inevitable package set.
Paul Greengrass, who directed the last installment of the franchise, The Bourne Supremacy, takes the helm for a second time as Jason Bourne dodges a ruthless C.I.A. official and other agents while searching for the origins of his life as a trained killer. This time Bourne is drawn out of hiding when a reporter inadvertently tries to unveil a secret government group, "Operation Blackbriar" (an upgrade to "Project Treadstone"), in a series of newspaper columns. Bourne realizes that he and the reporter are being scanned. Information provided by the reporter stirs a new set of memories, and Bourne must finally, ultimately, uncover his dark past while dodging efforts to eradicate him. Yes, this a very similar plot to the two Bourne films, but originality is not the strong point of this series.
If this is your first time watching any of the Bourne films, you should know that you don't need to have seen the previous films in order to understand The Bourne Ultimatum. Each film is a progression in the development of the main character (Jason Bourne), but they work just as easily as stand alone stories. Just like its predecessors, this is an exquisitely executed, and gripping film. Which is very impressive since it is an action film. The thriller aspect carries as much weight as the action, making it a notch above the usual chase sequence, combat, explosion action films that mow appear all too frequently at the local multiplex.
And of course, Matt Damon is simply fantastic in the role of Jason Bourne. His impressive portrayal of the man-on-the-run is matched perfectly with the stunts, which are brilliantly executed with a glossy Hollywood style one comes to expect from movies like this. When is said and done, The Borne Ultimatum is guaranteed to satisfy the most discriminating movie-goer of the summer season.