Das Bourne Ultimatum

There is nothing to say about this except that you simply have to see it. And play Matt Damon’s role and die. (11.09.2007)

Well, let's not mince words, there hasn't been such a dynamic and smart action film for many years. If with Die Hard 4 we were talking about "inventive action", compared to the final part of the Bourne trilogy Len Wiseman, it looks like a small town geezer talking about the perpetual motion machine with a rabbit poop drive, while Paul Greengrass is an elegant and sophisticated Thomas Alva Edison. I may have missed a more sophisticated script, as with the first two episodes, but I was still fascinated with Bourne's thoughtful actions, always one step ahead of his pursuers. I have no doubt that the Bourne trilogy will go down in the Hall of Fame of cinema history. (19.09.2007)

Excellent conlusion to Jason’s story. It has the most thrilling action of all the Bourne series, Greengrass has made one of the best action films ever. With his frantic but well arranged style he would be able to turn a conversation with an old man over a cup of tea into a monumental action sequence. The Bourne Ultimatum moves forward at very high speed and without a single quiet moment, demanding a lot of focus from the viewer. It’s not very intellectual stuff, but if you stop paying attention for only a moment, you won’t know who is doing what and why, this is how fast this film is. I’m fully satisfied. (05.09.2008)

The beginning gets going in just the way we expect from the director. Greengrass "only" continues the ride kicked off by the second installment, but more observant viewers will realize this by a third of the way through at the latest. Yet the mix of feelings about a flywheel that perhaps has nothing to offer is swept away by the action in Morocco, which turns it up to 120%, moving furiously across continents to nail the viewer into their seat in breathtaking action and plot twists revealing Jason's past. The whole world was expecting it, but the result pushes all expectations beyond imagination. And while we will all (deservedly) praise Greengrass for the fact that action thrillers will have their most synonymous character in Jason Bourne for a few years to come, let's finally kneel before Matt Damon. After all, it's only during the third time that we can fully realize that he’s the one who actually "made" the role. (17.08.2007)

Ein totales und unerreichbares Hammerding, welches grenzenlos die beiden vorherigen Teile ausschlachtet, jedoch alles ad absurdum führt. Greengrass könnte vorneweg Vorträge über dynamische und zivile Regie halten, und Matt Damon ist definitiv der Jason Bourne. Zweifelsohne verschmolz er perfekt mit seiner zerrissenen Figur, und das unausgeglichene Gefühl aus Limans "Pilotfilm" ist hier zu vermerken. Wenn wir nun darüber sprächen, wie ein moderner und intelligenter zeitgenössischer Thriller aussehen sollte, bleibt nichts anderes übrig, als sich Das Bourne Ultimatum von der ersten bis zur letzten Sekunde anzusehen. Es ist ein Film, bei dem wir a) nicht einfach mal so durchschnaufen b) uns nicht daran erinnern, dass all dies schon einmal dagewesen ist. Einfach deshalb, weil es so gut gemacht ist, dass wir die vorherigen Versuche eigentlich überhaupt nicht berücksichtigen sollten. (17.03.2008)

"I remember... I remember everything." Things have come a full circle, and Matt Damon is silent as a stone again and David Webb, alias Jason Bourne, returns to the movie theaters for a third time. The third Bourne isn’t any better than the second one. But I should add that it isn’t even a tiny bit worse. It has a little more action, unlike its older brother, it has a proper ending, again has incredible pace like few other pictures in this genre, gripping action, outstanding actors, excellent technical aspects, loads of scenes where the stunt-people must have really sweated, tons of ideas and... and qualities in all areas that are hard to describe. One almost insignificant problem can be found here. It’s that Greengrass’ version of Jason Bourne sometimes steals from itself. But who cares when it swallows you whole and doesn’t let you go until long after the movie ends. Although Ethan Hunt and even James Bond in his new guise follow the track beaten out by the second Bourne, despite both being extremely high quality, they remain deep in his shadow. And this ultimate experience does nothing to change that. Thank god. ♫ OST score: 4/5 (24.08.2007)

The tense atmosphere, the unstoppable Bourne, and Greengrass's direction at its wildest pace. The chase on motorcycles and the subsequent rooftop pursuit, culminating in a suffocating hand-to-hand fight, is probably the best action moment of the entire series. Additionally, my favorite character Nicky is finally developed to an adequate depth, and the ending is exactly what a spy thriller finale should be. Those who don't have the previous installments fresh in their memory will get lost, but those who love them will be thrilled. Darkness, a man swaying on the waves, the viewer guessing, and the circle closes. (30.08.2007)

Even though sequels to successful films are usually just a mess or at least do not reach the level of the first installment, in the Bourne trilogy, it is exactly the opposite. The third film, which directly continues the story from the second one, is the most dynamic and stylistically polished part of the series. A very good script, flawless performances, perfect choreography of fight scenes, precisely selected background music, a frantic pace that engulfs the viewer, and fast camera work, which together with frequent cuts creates a seemingly chaotic mix of movements and forces the viewer to attentively follow the image. Perhaps only the somewhat clichéd scene at the end raises concerns about further sequels, as I do not believe that it would be possible to maintain the high bar that was set. The whole trilogy forms a logical framework that will conclude when Bourne confronts his creator and realizes that the toughest battle must be fought within himself. The entire trilogy is at the absolute peak of the action genre in this decade. Overall impression 95%. (26.08.2007)

Some time ago, I wrote in my review of Supremacy that I hope that Ultimatum would be at least as good, if not better. It was better. This is basically one movie split into two. The last part of Bourne’s or, if you prefer, Webb’s adventures has a slightly more lively tempo than its two younger brothers. And all it’s really doing is filling in some gaps in time. The action is top-notch, shaky camera (some people don’t like it, I’m beginning to think I’m its only fan) and the choreography gets full marks. The whole part taking place in Tangiers is breathtaking. And New York is almost as good (the chase in the trilogy) and the cat and mouse in Waterloo station also has a special magic. Paul Greengrass has brought Bourne to proverbial perfection. He pushed hard in all the places where it was still possible after part 2. Nothing better for ending the series. Applause and satisfaction. (22.10.2007)

So let's summarize: agent Jason Bourne speaks several world languages perfectly and without hesitation, he drives better than a professional Formula One pilot, he can handle four highly trained agents on a few square meters without batting an eye, he knows all possible places and locations perfectly, so not only does he never get lost, but he is always several thousand steps ahead of the local police and the entire FBI and CIA combined (Moscow, London, Berlin, Turin, unspecified places in India, New York, Tangier, among others). Nothing ever catches him off guard, and he always thinks with a cool head, even when there are thousand of people with guns behind him, and he can sneak into the office of the CIA Deputy Director without being seen – don’t forget that it is a high-rise building where one office is next to another, and there are about 165,811,877 people everywhere. And on top of all that, he dares to make bold and ironic remarks. This is just a rough list of all the qualities of this elite agent. So where is the realism in that? And yet they say Bond and Hunt are over-the-top. (07.10.2007)

Tempo, Tempo und ein noch schnelleres Tempo vom Anfang bis zum Ende. Die Geschichte knüpft direkt an den vorherigen Teil an. Ich denke, dass es eine gute Idee war, sich beide Teile nacheinander anzusehen, weil alles wunderbar zusammenpasst. Greengrass’ Regie bleibt unübertroffen. Gleich die erste Observierung ist so großartig, dass sie mit einer sehr ähnlichen Szene aus French Connection – Brennpunkt Brooklyn ohne Probleme mithalten kann. Matt Damon ist exzellent. Ebenso gut wie seine Leistung gefiel mir aber auch die Rivalität von Joan Allen und David Strathairn, die mit offensichtlicher Begeisterung spielten. (09.02.2015)

The ingenious completion of the narrative concept of the first two episodes, or the most dynamic yet constructively comprehensive two hours in the entire film market, is now definitively the work of Messrs Peter Greengrass and Jason Bourne. Compared to the previous Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum is simpler and less branching in terms of story, but this brings to the fore the attractive effect of the convergence of characters and plot lines, which constantly develops the action and leaves not a second for any conventional and superfluous motif that would be unfitting into the perfectly refined, precisely timed and yet unpredictable fictional world of Bourne. An incredibly entertaining and cinematically worthy film that you can swallow with bated breath and die in peace. (24.07.2012)

Ich werde nie verstehen, worin der Zauber der Trilogie über Jason Bourne besteht. Es handelt sich um einen absolut durchschnittlichen Actionfilm mit einem sich fast peinlich wiederholenden Schema, ein super unverwüstbarer und unschlagbarer Agent, eine Tötungsmaschine, der sich nicht an seine Herkunft erinnert, durch die Welt läuft, Bösewichte aus dem Weg räumt und gegen die Geheimorganisation kämpft, die ihn geschaffen hat. Ein absolut geistloses Drehbuch, sicher hätte es auch ein zweitklassiger Geschichtenschreiber auf die reihe bekommen. Und dass die Actionszenen erstaunlich sind? Ich habe mehrere viel bessere Actionfilme gesehen, die ich als echte Actionfilme ansehen und dazu noch mit einem anständigen Drehbuch. Trotzdem ist der dritte Teil der aktionsgeladenste und verdaulichste, doch die 90 Prozent im Ranking der 200 Besten in der Filmdatenbank verstehe ich wirklich nicht. Matt Damon mochte ich immer gern, und ich mag ihn noch immer, allerdings wegen anderer Filme. Ich hoffe, dass es keinen vierten Film geben wird, dann soll Damon lieber Teil vier von Ocean’s Eleven drehen. (19.09.2009)

Greengrass' style is really the right one for a spy movie. Any semblance of standard filmmaking (mise-en-scene, symbolism) is absent in favor of systematic pragmatism. Given this, you can't pick out a shot from The Bourne Ultimatum, for example, but only a scene. The airport scene is a beautiful example – in ten seconds we are shown in fifteen shots Bourne walking up to the booth, the agents entering the lobby, the journalist waiting at the bus stop, Bourne buying a cell phone, the agents looking around, the crew reviewing the security camera footage, Bourne returns SIM card to cell phone, journalist waits at bus stop, Bourne walks past, journalist looks away, cell phone falls from Bourne's hand into journalist's pocket, agents look away, journalist notices nothing, Bourne walks away from journalist. In incredibly quick succession, this is how all the action takes place. Powell's music adds to the dynamism. My problem was that I opened a bottle of wine to go with the film and pretty soon I stopped being able to keep up, especially in the action scenes. Greengrass's tricks with camera angles are admittedly legendary, but it loses a lot when eighteen of them assault the viewer in five seconds. The battle with the Moroccan agent was great, but one blink and you don't know how Bourne got his hands on the book he's beating his face with. I'm not saying they should have reached for the slow motion, no way in hell. It’s just that I'd be happier with camera work rather than editing. And yet there was one action moment that really fascinated me – the two cars colliding at the tunnel towards the end of the film. Brilliantly filmed and, most importantly, not slowed down, fast, and destructive as hell. Well then, though it was cluttered as hell in places, I like Greengrass's style, he could just work on a few adjustments (I really don't know what I’m actually supposed to take away with me from the cinema -) ), I like stories from the covert ops background, projects, etc., great from this side, the ending is unfortunately dull, but at least not as much as in the first installment. All in all, a decent 4 stars. (15.06.2010)

Bourne is a guy who just won't give up. Killing him is basically impossible, just as it seems impossible for him to remember. He constantly has an empty mind and only remembers what he has experienced since waking up on the boat. He has already remembered very little from his past and put periods behind it, but they are still just fragments that do not form a complete picture. Since they are still after Bourne, he has decided that he must find out the truth. Nothing ties him down, nothing can stop him. After all, he was trained for this. "The Bourne Ultimatum" is a film about how he finally finds out where it all started. It is not interesting in terms of the plot, but it is important for the series as a whole. It is a turning point and it is understandable that something must end. That's why the main hero is different in the fourth film, even though Matt Damon's role as the elusive and unstoppable killer suited him perfectly. You have gotten used to his face as an action hero because this guy simply knows how to act. Moreover, he is great in action scenes, which is also proven in the case of "The Bourne Ultimatum". Interestingly, the scene where he does not engage in any action himself really knocked me out. It is the scene where he tries to save a journalist who writes about him in the newspaper. It is suspenseful, it is perfectly thought out, and you know that Bourne is exactly the type who cannot be taken down. They can describe him however they want, but he is always two steps ahead of his opponents. Will this always be the case? The conclusion is heartfelt and Paul Greengrass shows that he is not just an ordinary director of action films, but that there is something more in him. Well, let's say he already proved it with the film "United 93". "The Bourne Ultimatum" is a great conclusion to the whole story, where we also get to see familiar faces, great scumbags, and a dramatic ending. As a whole, it works great and fans must be satisfied, as well as those who have just discovered the series. However, I definitely do not recommend watching it in any other way than in the context in which the films were presented and released in theaters. You would get lost in it because "The Bourne Legacy" and "The Bourne Ultimatum" are truly connected to each other. Where the second part ended, the third one continues. Watch them back to back and you will have an above-average action experience. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2013/02/now-is-good-stand-up-guys-bourne-30.html (05.03.2013)

An ending like this (for now :)) is, I think, the dream of every fan of any series. If the first one was a very solid spy action thriller, the second brought a lot of new invention (and "heaps" of action :) and went a bit more in depth into the psychology of the characters, the third is perfect in almost every aspect. The almost continuous action that Greengrass bombards the viewer carries Bourne to a finale that is truly one of the best climaxes of a film series ever. (30.09.2009)

One of the best final parts of a trilogy in film history. Slow or dull moments, slacking of pace? Forget it, because if there is a movie that currently defines the action film genre, it’s The Bourne Ultimatum. It’s so incredibly action-packed, and the way Greengrass never stops even for a minute, shooting one thrilling scene after another, is simply unparalleled. When you add the brilliant music and a great story, it's a real treat. Scenes at the London Station or on the rooftops of Morocco will make you breathless by how fantastically they are filmed. Plus, thanks to his experience from the previous installments, Matt Damon made Jason Bourne into a household name. I can't help thinking that The Bourne Trilogy laid the groundwork for Bond movies with Craig, only confirming that The Bourne Trilogy is the uncrowned king of all action movies. (12.02.2013)