The Bourne Ultimatum
It’s not often these days that a trilogy manages to keep your interest all the way through.
Usually they are padded out. Like they were one movie.. or even two movies, that someone decided “Let’s make three films out of it, because that’s all the latest jazz of film-making at the moment” and what you get is a core story - sometimes pretty good - and about 3 hours of bloating.
Lord of the Rings was the ultimate in trilogy length. The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King at 178 min, 179 min and 201 min respectively (or 208 min, 223 min and 251 min if you’re up for signing a significant portion of your life away in watching the ‘extended editions’) were great - but you always got the feeling that they could have been shorter. It wouldn’t have harmed the films - and it would most certainly, have been easier to sit through their entireties in the theatre.
The Bourne Trilogy is one of those that somehow makes you feel like you’ve watched one film. Three films that felt like one, neat, final product - rather than one film that was made into three.
The Bourne Ultimatum is no exception to the trilogy rule. It finalises the first two films and all the while maintaining that fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat action we’ve come to expect from the Bourne character.
As always the car chasing is wild, even turning to bikes. And there’s the trademark hand-to-hand combat scene that has to be seen to be believed.
All around, these are polished pieces of film making. No lapses in concentration, always keeping you interested and surprised, with enough twists to keep you guessing, but not so many as to have you confused. Not to mention plenty of action and intense.
Fantastic.
‘Tis just a shame that my DVD of the Bourne Supremacy is a bad copy (bought it from HMV, took it home, watched it, hangs up and goes boxy for about 2 minutes right at the critical ‘confession’ phase of the film. Took it back, got an exchange, the exchange does the same thing! D’oh!).
Have to re-buy it again one day I guess…
Links: The Bourne Ultimatum @ IMDB
katie said,
September 17, 2007 @ 7:09 pm
I loved it. I enjoyed every one of them.
The fighting scenes are awesome. Even I will admit that and I am the first to declare make love not war but man those fighting scenes are fantastic! They look so realistic.
We will have to watch the second one when you actually finally get a decent copy of it.
ScottyB said,
September 18, 2007 @ 11:59 am
Katie,
Don’t rub it in babe… it pains me to know I have a slightly incomplete DVD collection