Bourne to be the end..

I'm a major movie buff. As such, I always mean to write movie reviews but somehow neglect them. I guess I'm convinced I miss something major that should be conveyed, or that I'm the only one who still feels Rosie O'Donnell's monologue in Beautiful Girls is one of the greatest moments in movie history. Oh, how the mighty are fallen. I meant her, not me.

I caught The Bourne Ultimatum yesterday. I had to see it soon before it couldn't possibly live up to the hype and I hated it by default. Sure, the media buzz has been strong, but the buzz in my ear from friends and co-workers even stronger. "You're going to love it!" "You HAVE to see it." I'm happy to report Bourne didn't disappoint, so if you haven't seen it yet, stop reading this review so I don't ruin it for you by hyping it up even more and you're simply left with, "Uh, what's the big deal?" Just go. Yes, just wear that. You look fine.

Bourne is a great action movie in its purest form. It doesn't try to be too smart or too clever, though it's smart enough, the dialogue is fast but not cute, and the story itself moves quickly, and through a wide variety of gorgeous European scenery. It also incorporates beautifully choreographed fight scenes, some of the best including minimal gun violence, and the car chase scenes are signature Bourne and lend just enough suspension of disbelief. If you're like me, you had a hard time with the 18-wheeler vs. fighter jet sequence in Live Free or Die Hard. This was a nice departure. The quality of the film is lifted a notch higher, even, with the consistency of color in the shots. The "grey" that defines the Bourne films keeps with its voice and tone. I like that the only time color really comes into the films is when Marie, Bourne's departed girlfriend, played by the lovely Franka Potente, is involved. And if you have not seen Run Lola Run, you are missing out on what is among the best female performances in the action genre ever courtesy of Potente.

The cast is fantastic. Though always impressive, the star power in Ultimatum is superlative to the other Bournes, and the casting carries meaning. Everyone in it was cast well and with purpose. My guess is it takes the freedom of a successful model like Bourne to achieve that; to do something with such a strong cast beyond enjoy the power of the presence of their name on the trailer. For example, I haven't seen David Strathairn since Good Night, and Good Luck and I appreciated his reintroduction in a big budget but nevertheless meaningful effort. Joan Allen shines, as usual, and I didn't want to throw my Icee at a "harmless and I guess she had to be there" Julia Stiles, another success. I'm continually impressed by the range of Albert Finney, in this role "Dr. Pure Evil", and I keep meaning to reconnect with some of his earlier work. And Scott Glenn is back! He looks like hell but it was nice to be reminded of just how much I enjoy him as an actor. He plays prick better than anyone I can think of. Just watch The Right Stuff if you don't know what I mean. Even when he's a good guy, he's a prick.

Of course, I've yet to mention Damon, who has mastered this role with no trace of smugness that could easily creep into the character. His character development remains strong, despite minimal dialogue, and he does not stray from his mission. I like that he's not distracted from his determination to learn how he came to be Bourne. I also appreciate that there's been no effort to incorporate another love interest. I always liked the handling of the love story in the first and (you'll miss it if you blink) second films, and it means a great deal as a female that the creators understand you can still pull us in without a condescending romance. I will confess to getting nervous during a couple scenes where a history or a future between Damon and Stiles seemed possible, and I was grateful they never saw it through. Though, it would appear, there's still room for it in the future. Finally, the strength of the Bourne character comes through upon learning that, whoops, maybe he wasn't such a "victim" after all. Nevertheless, you're still on his side.
Like every character, no one is all good, and no one is all bad. You can justify it all. Yet another reason to enjoy the subtle complexity the Bourne series offers. Everyone is human. So what if they're also a killing machine.

The Bourne Ultimatum defies the curse of the sequel/trilogy and actually seems to improve with every film. Which is why it needs to stop. Right now. It could easily pick up again, but it would have to alter directions completely and I just don't think it's appropriate. Not having read any of the Bourne novels, I'm uncomfortable that the character has been tackled by multiple authors (though not the adapted novels) and I can only see it taking on a 24/Keifer Sutherland angle in which I am not at all confident. I envision some sort of Bourne interpretation of a "kinder, gentler" assassination program. Egad. Please don't.