Review of The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) by D.r. — 04 Sep 2007

Overall a strong film (best action film of the year), but I don't think that it equaled the excellence of "Supremacy". The Bourne-in-NY portion of the film wasn't as well done as the preceding portion.

..the element of realism that makes Bourne such a compelling hero was done away with completely with some of the stuff he was walking away from during the NY act (car falling backwards off a roof; the chase-ending car accident; the 10-story leap into the river).

Also, was it just me or did the car chase end in exactly the same way as it did in "Supremacy", with one car t-boning the other into a concrete divider? The bike escpae in Tangier was much stronger.

[***SPOILER***] Finally, I just felt that Pam Landy's actions in handling the Blackbriar report seemed out of character...I could have seen if she had gone somewhere else within the government (like Jack Ryan did at the end of Clear and Present Danger) to bring down the program, but proclaiming that "this is not what I signed up for" and going to the press seemed ridiculous.

A couple of other things that cost this movie some points: 1) note that in the end of "Supremacy", when it shifts to NY, it's clearly not winter as was depicted during the NY portion of "Ultimatum".

..some continuity would have been nice; 2) Bourne being chased on rooftops in Tangier by local police...where have we seen that before? Oh yeah...in The Living Daylights, a 007 film. As well done as that act was, it lacked some originality.

Overall, very good espionage film, but could have been great if the NY act had been better.