The Popcorn Preview # 237: The Bourne Ultimatum

Shall we even bother about the plot? Suffice to say The Bourne Ultimatum brings it all back home in more ways than one in the concluding part of the trilogy, as Jason knocks twelve bells out of his old CIA handlers for turning him into a killing machine. Or – dum-da-DUM! – did they? Director Paul Greengrass does another splendid job on keeping the pace cranked up to 11, although those of a nervous disposition may leave the theatre feeling queasy, given the hyper-kinetic nature of the editing – it’s MTV on bad crystal meth, basically. Still, the hi-tech CIA surveillance techniques are as hokumishly ludicrous as always, the tale revels in its utter implausibility, and Matt Damon is as appropriately robotic as ever. The highlight? A car-chase with Bourne at the wheel of a NYPD patrol car that makes Bullitt look like an uphill Penny Farthing race for one-legged jockeys. But Mother of God, is this really the end of Jason? Say it ain’t so, Joe ...- Michael McGowan