The Bourne Ultimatum

Release date: August 3, 2007
Directed by: Paul Greengrass
Starring: Matt Damon, Joan Allen, David Strathairn, Albert Finney, Julia Stiles

He can leap over tall buildings, disappear in a crowd and beat the shit out of you with a hardcover book. In The Bourne Ultimatum, the third and final installment of the series, everyone's favourite amnesiac spy finally meets his maker. And Jason Bourne's head-to-head with the shadowy government agents who made him delivers a wallop of a conclusion to the franchise.

The film starts with Bourne being chased by police officers in Moscow, Russia. He's almost caught after buckling over from a flurry of flashbacks of traumatic past events that he doesn't actually remember. After escaping, of course, Bourne, plagued by his past and those pesky assassins who are still out to get him, makes a pledge to put a stop to it all by tracking down who and what made him who he is.

Bourne finds a link to his unknown past after reading a Guardian newspaper feature on his life that mentions a highly secretive CIA program called Blackbriar. He comes out of hiding to meet with the reporter and almost immediately, his life is threatened as those who want to protect the information he's slowly uncovering try to hunt him down. As he learns more and more about Blackbriar, a covert and controversial black-ops project that's replaced Treadstone, he discovers who he was before he became Bourne.

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Not much more can be said without spoiling the plot, but it's safe to say that the former assassin's journey takes him all over the world averting bad guys and beating them up along the way.

Director Paul Greengrass (United 93), who also helmed the second in the series, incorporates a lot of elements from the previous films and brings in flashbacks to ensure you won't be confused if you haven't seen them. Though if you have, you will enjoy this even more.

Greengrass' gritty and dark aesthetic paired with lots of handheld camera shots is suited perfectly to the story and genre. Shot in real locales around the globe, with unsuspecting "extras," Greengrass takes us from Tangiers to London, Madrid, Paris and New York, among other locations. This practice has always made the Bourne films stand out among other big-budget action flicks.

Also helping the film excel are the action sequences, which are jaw-dropping in their choreography and intensity. One long fight scene in particular with its razor-sharp moves and inventive use of surrounding "weapons," keeps ratcheting up the tension.

The performances in the film are also excellent. David Strathairn (Good Night And Good Luck) is Noah Vosen, the head of the controversial Blackbriar whose mission is to terminate Bourne at any cost. His anxious, jaw-clenching attempt to remain calm under pressure jumps off the screen and his escalating confrontations with CIA internal investigator Pam Landy (Allen) are amazing to watch.

The Bourne Ultimatum is an intelligent, globe-trotting action film that's thrilling to watch even if you're not familiar with the story of Jason Bourne. But if you've followed him this far, you'll feel vindicated and satisfied with the conclusion of his saga. My vote's on Bourne over Bond.