The Bourne Ultimatum (DVD)

It's not been a good summer. It began with the crushing disappointment that was Spider-Man 3 and it ends with the crushing disappointment that is The Bourne Ultimatum.

For the record I really loved the first two Bourne films but just give the edge to Paul Greengrass' superb sequel over the Doug Liman directed original and with Greengrass at the helm again and much of the talent from the previous films returning I'm really at a loss as to how it went wrong this time out.

There are several big problems. Firstly there's the story. Part of the fun of the Bourne movies has been that we've discovered the story with Jason Bourne, been thrust inside his amnesia but as it has unfolded that story has always been easy to follow. That's not the case here, the story is so murky that I found myself lost several times . Worse though is that I didn't especially care where things were going as right from the off this film feels overfamilliar. Greengrass hits all the same beats as in the last two films but is unable to up the ante in the way he did so well with Supremacy so here it just comes off as 'we're 45 minutes in, better have a car chase'.

Even more disappointing though is that Greengrass squanders what assets the film does have (fantastic stunts, punchy fights) with a camera technique so irritating it took me completely out of the movie. Okay so it's not like Identity and Supremacy were the most sedate movies in the world but Ultimatum's camera moves around so unrelentingly that not only does it detract from your understanding of the movie but if you get seasick you should be warned to avoid this film for the good of your health. This and the almost ludicrously fast pace of the editing renders what would otherwise be a brilliant fight scene in the middle of the movie utterly unintelligible and irritiating.

It gives me no pleasure to say this about The Bourne Ultimatum. I want it to be a better film, the cast deserve a better film and all are on fine form. Damon is a great actor and he's grown into this role in completely convincing fashion. He provides one of the best moments of the whole trilogy after that pivotal fight when his silence says more than any line could have. It's nice to finally see Julia Stiles get something to do in these movies and she acquits herself well, but sadly vanishes from the film in pretty short order. Strathairn and Allen also cintribute strong turns that resist action movie cliche.

Sadly though it's not enough, the technique drowns what might have been a fun action film and the hard to follow story means that this third film never engages like the first two did, what a terrible shame.