Search - The Jason Bourne Collection (The Bourne Identity / The Bourne Supremacy / The Bourne Ultimatum) on DVD

A smart, tense trilogy

Trevor C. Cook | Ramstein, Germany | 11/14/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Bourne Trilogy



Jason Bourne's leap from paper pages to the silver screen is a rarity in Hollywood, one in which the resulting films are not only very good in their own right, but superior to their source material. Originally written by Robert Ludlum during the Cold War, The Bourne Identity has a terrific premise and a great lead character. Ludlum's writing, however, was less rock-solid and more often than not amateurish.



Kudos must be given, then, to director Doug Liman, who have making his mark with the indie films Swingers and Go, seemed an odd choice to bring Ludlum's prized assassin to the big screen. Liman and trilogy screenwriter Tony Gilroy wisely stripped away much of Ludlum's convoluted plotting, but kept the lean, mean essentials of what made The Bourne Identity a great read: action, locations, and Jason Bourne.



For those not familiar with either the film or the books, a man is found floating in the Mediterranean with bullet holes in him. He awake with selective amnesia; he can't remember his name or anything about himself, yet is fluent in multiple languages, and highly trained in a variety of lethal skills. He then sets off across Europe to try and find who he was, and just why he's so proficient at killing people.



Throughout the first film, Matt Damon grew into the role. Just as Limon was an unlikely candidate for directing an espionage film, Damon seemed an unlikely action hero. But he brought to the table the ability to actually act, and coupled with a solid script, gives Bourne an understated depth.



It helps that he's surrounded throughout the trilogy by an outstanding supporting cast, including Franke Potente, Brian Cox, Chris Cooper, Joan Allen, Julia Stiles, David Straitharn, Albert Finney, and Clive Owen. Each is outstanding, with Joan Allen being particularly good.



Even as a trilogy, the movies work with each other exceedingly well. The Bourne Identity asks, "Who is Jason Bourne?" Supremacy asks, "Can Jason Bourne be forgiven for what he's done?" The Bourne Ultimatum concludes by asking, "Can Jason Bourne ever come home?"



Filled with terrific acting, smart writing, wonderful international locales, tense action and one of the best modern movie scores in recent years (courtesy of the brilliant John Powell), there's a lot to recommend with these films. They are, however, far from perfect.



The Bourne Identity, like many of Doug Liman's films, suffers from pacing issues, and just like Swingers or Mr And Mrs Smith, seriously drags as it enters its third act. With Supremacy and Ultimatum, director Paul Greengrass took the reigns, with Liman staying on as a producer. While Greengrass is more able to keep the story moving at a constant pace, his over use of handheld camera work, while appropriate for ratcheting up tension in some scenes, is overwhelming when coupled with quick editing during any of the action scenes. While the Bourne films feature some terrific fight choreography (some of the most creative ever put on film) and Damon throws himself into the physicality of the role like a champion, a lot of the seemingly improvised martial arts (an inspired mix of kali and krav maga) blast past at such speed and such excessive movement that it becomes disorienting rather than exciting. And those prone to motion sickness might want to pop a Dramamine before the car chase scenes.



Ultimately, these are all terrific films (with Supremacy being the best, Ultimatum the weakest), and a strong cinematic trilogy that seemingly came out of nowhere to become among the most successful espionage films ever. Credit must also be given to Bourne for sparking a rebirth and evolution in the spy genre, as the gritty intensity of the Bourne films is mimicked in the very good new James Bond film, Casino Royale, and even in Christopher Nolan's outstanding Batman Begins. Finally, the success of these films proves that action films need not be stupid, special effects extravaganzas in order to be accepted.



All in all, a trilogy very well done."

Perhaps the Greatest Action Series to Date.

Theresa Donaghy | Los Angeles, CA | 12/06/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Consider this trilogy a quantum leap in the treatment of the traditionally two-dimensional action genre. Flashy pyrotechnics are eschewed in favor of razor-sharp, grimly vivid fight scenes and chase sequences. The entire series is a profound success and - hopefully - will raise the bar for future filmmakers.



Each film is completely self-contained, but fans are rewarded by the story arc spanning all three movies - plot threads introduced in the first film are thoroughly resolved in the final installment, yet the series avoid pat answers. The sense of solitude, of isolation increases gradually over the course of the films, so that the protagonist's tenuous connection to humanity bends and wavers.



Any qualms about Matt Damon in the title role were dispelled immediately in the first film. He brings a gravitas to the role that has been unseen in his previous work, and renders Jason Bourne both forgivable and unforgiving. Balancing on a fine line, he resists high drama and scene-chewing in favor of a haunted, gritty determination.



The supporting cast is, to a one, superb. Franka Potente is refreshingly unpolished and unpackaged; a rarity lately. Chris Cooper is excellent in a role that could easily have been cardboard villainy, and he's followed by fantastic character actors Brian Cox (in The Bourne Supremacy and David Strathairn (in The Bourne Ultimatum). Pamela Landy, played by Joan Allen, is a complex adversary for Bourne as he avenges past wrongs and attempts to unravel his past.



It's difficult to recommend this series highly enough - the combined, fully committed efforts of all those involved have created a set of films that's unique and flawlessly executed."