THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM
ULTIMATE THRILLS
By Vishal Verma

Rating:- * * *1/2

What is it?
Sequels often run out of ideas and lose the freshness that made the original films so appealing. But over here Director Paul Greengrass whips up another virtuoso spectacle of sound and fury. Directed and edited with virtuosity, it offers two hours of non-stop excitement with not only one but two of the most breathtaking, heart-racing vehicle chase sequences ever.

With Matt Damon returning as renegade CIA assassin Jason Bourne, the film is an irresistible rush of action and suspense. Despite The Bourne Ultimatum’s political backdrop, the film a great action flick. Except for some rare moments of quiet, the action is constant and furiously visceral.

Whats it all about?
Bourne himself has no idea how he ended up spanning the globe on deadly missions, so his first clues come when a British journalist begins an exposé about him. The piece raises alarm bells within the CIA, and black-ops agent Vosen (David Strathairn) wants Bourne killed before he learns how or where he was originally hired, let alone why he has no memory of the details. But agent Landy (Joan Allen) has worked with Bourne before, and refuses to accept his assassination at the hands of the organization that trained and then betrayed him.

What to look out for?
Director Paul Greengrass, who also made "Supremacy," gets his kicks from turning every set into a maze of suspense, be it a packed London train station, a labyrinthine Moroccan medina or a blaring Manhattan street corner. Somehow, he also manages to tie up loose ends from all three movies, propelling us to an entirely satisfactory finish.

This is a thriller for adults. With Joan Allen reprising her role as a principled CIA official and David Strathairn as a corrupt government honcho, it clearly is aimed at sophisticated audiences. A motorbike chase through the streets of Tangier, Morocco, is relentless and riveting.

Screenwriter Tony Gilroy, who's been around the block with Bourne on the first two pictures, juggles everything with admirable precision.

What Not?
It’s somewhat difficult to digest how on earth Bourne forgets and remembers things in quick successions especially during the climax. Mr. Bourne is chased by the CIA but the fellow without any disguises walks inside the offices of top notch officials and comes out running.

Conclusion: Get hooked to the final dose of thrill and great action of the Grand Bourne Finale.