Film Review: The Bourne Ultimatum

Posted on 11th April 2014 by 5WC in Film

And so Jason Bourne’s story draws to a conclusion with the explosive The Bourne Ultimatum, or at least that is how they want you to believe the story ends. Sadly, I am at odds with the “proper” critics over Bourne’s last stand. Rotten Tomatoes places it over 90%, Metacritic lags behind in the 80’s. Both of which, I feel are just a little bit too high.

My problem with it is that it’s trying to be too much. It’s trying to take everything that’s good about the first two films and roll them into one. You can see, littered throughout the film, an overriding desire from the filmmakers to ensure they’ve crossed every t, dotted every i and joined every dot. They knew they are completing the circle of his story and nothing will stop them from getting back to the start.
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Film Review: The Bourne Supremacy

Posted on 7th April 2014 by 5WC in Film

It’s not really fair to kick a man while he’s down and after Jason Bourne had laid heavily, and successfully into Commander Bond while searching for his Identity, to come back and do it a second time just isn’t cricket. This time though, Doug Liman has been replaced by Paul Greengrass in the director’s chair and as a result, the kicking is much, much harder.

The Bourne Supremacy manages to pull off that unique feat of being essentially a standalone plot, a film capable of supporting it’s own weight, while the whole time being tied into the original story. Perfectly delving deeper into Bourne’s world and his problems, but never relying on the first movie to the point you’d be out of your depth if you let Jason Bourne into your life from here.
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Film Review: The Bourne Identity

Posted on 6th April 2014 by 5WC in Film

Well it seems only right that having spent the last few months watching 23 Bond films that I give the American’s a chance to crack the whip and allow them to “show me what they can do”. After all, I said in my review of Casino Royale that the Bourne trilogy arguably redefined the spy genre and forced Bond to raise it’s game and rethink it’s core ideas – Quantum of Solace aside!

And it’s the comparison and competition with Bond that is arguably the fundamental driving force behind Bourne. Everything about it just says “he’s going to be our James Bond, but better, but 21st Century”. The simplest and most obvious shot across the bows comes straight at you in the form of his name: James Bond, meet Jason Bourne. I just hope Jenson Button doesn’t apply for the job of chauffeur!
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