Walking Leaf

The third chapter in the series of the CIA amnesiac super agent that is Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) ends an exciting trilogy inspired by Robert Ludlum’s books. With The Bourne Ultimatum, the trained assassin is trying to piece together his identity and with it, uncover the truth of project Treadstone.

The opening scene follows immediately from The Bourne Supremacy where a wounded Jason Bourne is evading the Moscow police. From there, the action shifts to a relentless pace as he travels around the world looking for the truth behind the CIA operation named Blackbriar, which was first uncovered by a newspaper journalist (Paddy Considine).

The action sequences in London’s Waterloo station – as Bourne directs Considine’s nervous Simon Ross through a crowd of hostile CIA agents - is simply breathtaking. You assume the film has peaked just twenty minutes in, but from here director Paul Greengrass continues to set a dynamic and edgy pace to thrill the viewers throughout the 115-minute running time.

We are also treated with not one, but two exciting car chases and yet, the frenetic foot pursuit across the rooftops of Tangier overshadows both metal-crunching incidents. To see Bourne leaping from building to building – tumbling though opening windows and crashing into living rooms before engaging in a furious fighting scene with Desh Bouksani (Joey Ansah) is truly spectacular.

As for the supporting cast in Ultimatum, Joan Allen makes a welcome return as the CIA investigator Pamela Landy. Working alongside her is David Strathairn, the main villain in the movie. Albert Finney has only a brief role but plays an important part to Bourne’s previous life. As for Julia Stiles, she gets more screen time then the previous two films but her role feels slightly redundant.

Star performances go to director Paul Greengrass and actor Matt Damon, who both exceeded themselves in Ultimatum. From the stylish and quick cut camera work to Damon’s portray as the 21-century killing machine. The Bourne Ultimatum is definitely the best summer film of 2007; not only for its compelling story but also with its impressive action scenes from start to finish.