Bourne Ultimatum - EXCELLENT Reviews - movie discussion thread - Page 7

Just seen the region 4 dvd.
Great fun, but the extras show a much smarter, darker version could have made it out.
Loved the public face of the CIA. Could have had something special like the first movie imho.
But I guess its all action now.

I didn't like the first two very much, but the third one... holy crap!

Yep third ones the best.

Boring crap. Like a stale whitebread sandwich with nothing between the 2 slices.

2 each their own..

The movies do not resemble books at all. Years ago I saw a 'Bourne Identity' movie, I guess this was the one -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094791/
which is more closer to the book.

Ugh! What a let down! My wife and I finally watched this over the weekend and we were both disappointed. After all the great press, we were expecting this film to be the best of the three, but we both felt it was nowhere near as good as the first two. It had a lesser plot, much less character development, and was much more predictable. Halfway through, I found myself not really caring what was going to happen next.

-Steve

I watched this yesterday. It was a good action flick. I like the first two better as far as the story goes. The jerky cam bothered me some in a few scenes.

larry

Late to the game (just got my Netflix copy).
Excellent and extremely well-crafted IMO.
Nail bitter from beginning to end.
This director (Greengrass) is getting very good with the wobbly cam and fast editing.
I was afraid of getting motion sickness (as with Transformers), but nary a touch.
Kudos to Mr. Greengrass.

Also very good acting....particularly the girly.

I enjoyed the first two movies, but could not sit through more than 15 minutes of the Bourne Ultimatum. The shaky camera and fast editing almost made me puked!

just wanted to add --

this movie does not hold up very well on subsequent viewings...the first two certainly did.

I enjoyed the action and the show but I hated the shaky camera. I watched it last night and when my wife asked if it was worth watching I said don't bother. She would have only watched a few minutes with the shaky camera.

I'm perplexed on why you enjoyed the 2nd, as it also employed the use of "shaky cam"?

Well it's up for three technical academy awards and I've only got the first two in this action packed series, I'll get the third one very soon.

Best Film Editing

The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal) Christopher Rouse

Best Sound Effects Editing

The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal)
Karen Baker Landers and Per Hallberg

Best Sound

The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal)
Scott Millan, David Parker and Kirk Francis

It's highly charged up high octave fast paced action adventure. Yes, Jason Bourne is back move over, 007.


The opening takes us back where the first film end with Bourne fleeing the scene while being pursued though the streets wounded. Where after we move to the present day where the CIA is still trying to hunt down Bourne before he kills one of CIA operatives, but Bourne could really care less about that no more he's looking for the answers, the answers that would made him what is now.

Film editing is extremely while done in this final conclusion, that's up for an Oscar nomination for (Universal) Christopher Rouse.

Doors always make good sound-effects in films as this one clearly opens to left front one of the major benefits to have matching fronts LCR because timbre matching is extremely crucial to film sound art.


Sound effects editing (Universal) Karen Baker Landers and Per Hallberg and what a clash of superbly crafted and engineered effects that really stuck me in the centre of the films non-stop action, even the subtle sound effects kept me intensified, with heavy duty Foley body face punches and lots and lots of Bourne crashing though windows headfirst, even as far as running a car at high speed in reverse of a rooftop!

Lots of hand-to-hand combat and some wicked stunt work, that look so painful, as each CIA operative tries to stop Bourne dead in his tracks.


Its also up for best achievement in sound for (Universal) Scott Millan, David Parker and Kirk Francis, and after hearing this felling the impacts, I'd say Kevin O'Connell has some stiff competition with this one, if he's lucky The Bourne Ultimatum might just walk away with sound effects editing and Kevin and Rick might walk away for best sound achievement for Transformers, we shall see this Sunday?


One of the assassins does away with CIA operative while Bourne tries to warn! Just moments too late, the sound of the explosion rumbled as it faded out with a nice reverb in the surrounding streets as on looking people rush o the scene.


Score by John Powell was nice hear again and Moby Extreme Ways which is now a kind of trademark with the Bourne films. I think this is one KM Kennedy Marshall best productions and contributions in there partnership. It's nice that director Paul Greengrass has kept with the project as one director should do.


Good surround sound moment as Bourne jumps though an opening window with frantic woman screaming and yelling as the sound moves from centre front to left then side surrounds then on to the centre back surround very fast sound effects editing.


Extreme Ways (Bourne's Ultimatum) - Moby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdQ09L3Xotc

Some nice lows in this film that ranged from assorted body types of kicks face hits and flying though the air smashing straight though glass and explosions that partly shuddered the sofa with pleasing vibration.

I noted the car flying of the roof at 25Hz upon impacting into a load parked vehicles below, Bourne has one hell of death-wish is all I can say, you'd have to be completely off your trolley or very desperate to escape those who are trying to hunt you down.


Bourne has a lot of cheek to spy on Pam from one many of high raise building windows, you'd think she'll know by now, when having a phone conversation with Bourne, he could be standing right behind you!


Another good example was the London underground tube station that sounded just like it was supposed to having travailed many times on the tube rumbled away on the JBL 4645 at 25Hz has Bourne was perusing an (assassin like-him-self gave).

Image framed at 2.35:1 scope by Oliver Wood; again for DVD this was spot on, clear and viewable thought with natural tones of colourization while contrast kept image shape. Brightness also was nicely toned for the dark shadowing and some nice lenses flares techniques.


After confronting the man reasonable for creating Jason Bourne into the killing assassin monster that he's become, Bourne then comes to his senses no more killing, he'd rather see them all go down legally in the courts then shed more blood.


Have to give this Bourne a thumps up well worth the money and full of DVD extras which I will explore later on with

Audio commentary with Paul Greengrass
Man on the Move Jason Bourne
Rooftop Purest
Planning the Punches
Driving School
New York Chase
Deleted Scenes

The director for The Bourne Identity was Doug Liman. He was replaced by Greengrass for the two sequels.

I must seen the other two over again then thanks for heads up.

I'll have to run a triple Bourne bill this weekend and make it loud on the JBL sound system.

Me too. I loved all 3, and plan to purchase them when released in blu-ray.

Reading through some of the commentary I came across this priceless nugget:
"Anyway, an eminently entertaining film, and one that likely will ultimately be forgotten and confused together with the second film, but a strong outing and the kind of 'realistic' action (as opposed to Michael Bay type outlandish stupidity) that adults can appreciate. I was surprised at how almost everyone in the theater I went to (a 9:50pm showing) was middle aged, not that many very young people or teens. But regardless, a film that like the second one, makes me pine for the Bourne Identity which clearly remains the best film of the series. "

Well, of course it isn't. Ultimatum is, by far, the superior entry of the 3 and it's not even close. It essentially took what was excellent in the first two films and turned it into something stupendous. The direction, pacing, action, all tighter and more focused. And while I join those in wishing Greengrass would tell his camera people to start switching to decaf in order to calm that needless shaking, seems like there was less of it this time around.

As for Mr. Wiggles and his rather stilted, self-contradictory, and myopic commentary, here's a suggestion:

Quit trying to sound like a professional film critic i.e. someone who doesn't really know about film but is desperate to convince others that he or she does. For example, gems like "...ultimately be forgotten" and "confused together with the second film" really make one doubt if you even saw the movie in question. Well, pretty obvious you were off the mark on the first one and overlooking the fact that the first two films were almost carbon copies makes your other comment look pathetic. On the other hand, like most movie reviews, it sure is good for a laugh.

Provacative post, minus the personal attack which detracts considerably.

The series steadily improved technically and the story telling got tighter especially with the intital handoff to Greengrass on Bourne 2.

Certainly for me, Bourne 2 made the series great, and Bourne 3 just improved on 2's success.. Bourne 3 maintained the quality and enhanced aspects of it.

I thought Bourne 2 had one of the best "quiet" car chase scenes ever filmed (the opening chase)



Also wasnt that incredible Russian tunnel car scene in Bourne 2? That could be the best action scene i have ever seen.

I dunno, I'll have to rewatch....

Gotta say I agree with every word - (especially the first sentence). I enjoyed all three. Look forward to a rainy day marathon viewing!