Saturday

Without a doubt The Bourne Ultimatum is the best sequel we've had this summer, but whether it's actually a good film, and whether it lives up to the strength of the other two is a different matter. It was suggested afterwards that Paul Greengrass needed a steadicam for Christmas, or at least some decaffeinated coffee. The movie is incredibly fast - the fight scenes some of the best I've ever seen. They happen as you would imagine they'd happen - the characters have no snide remarks to say to each other, they just fight, brutally. Importantly, too, there are few guns, and almost no explosions. I hadn't realised Greengrass had directed The Bourne Supremacy too. I did feel, however, that he takes the style of the franchise to the maximum here. Action sequences happen so fast - you have to fit together what is happening from brief glimpses (which is in fact a very old technique, notably used in Hithcock's Psycho shower scene). Nonetheless, I stand by what I said earlier this week - Bourne doesn't really have any new motivation. Indeed, throughout the whole film he barely talks. There is no fresh incentive - there isn't much plot to speak of. The only interesting aspect was the development with the character Nicky, played by Julia Stiles. A fitting end to the franchise, I'd say, but not excellent, not (as James Cameron knows) revolutionising the original film that a sequel should do.