3rd time’s a charm for heart-stopping Matt Damon chase flick
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| HURRY! Someone tell Matt Damon who he is. |
The Bourne Ultimatum
If you can’t hold your breath for up to 20 minutes at a time, check with your physician before seeing “The Bourne Ultimatum.” Possibly the most exciting movie ever, it’s a non-stop adrenaline rush with just enough time between lengthy action set pieces for you to breathe and adjust your seat belt to get ready for the next one.
Most of the action is ridiculous and impossible. But the stunts are real rather than computer-generated. Paul Greengrass, who directed “The Bourne Supremacy” before earning an Oscar nomination with “United 93,” has really hit his stride. From the first frame everything’s in constant motion the camera, the actors creating an unnerving effect.
If you haven’t seen the first two movies adapted from the late John Ludlum’s novels it hardly matters. “The Bourne Ultimatum” is one long chase.
Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is the good guy. The CIA are the bad guys except Joan Allen, who’s up against David Strathairn, the kind of guy the Patriot Act was invented for. And by.
Why are they after Bourne? He’s been trying to find out for three years. A few missing pieces get filled in as he runs from Moscow to Paris to London to Madrid to Tangier and finally New York.
It’s only supposed to be a trilogy, but they still might find another reason for Bourne to run. If there are no more “Bourne” movies they saved the best for last.
Grade: B
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition August 3, 2007
