Review: The Bourne Ultimatum

Let me start by saying there is a good chance you'll disagree with me. Most of America will. I didn't really like it. Let me tell you why. In two words.

Too much.

The camera was too jerky. That is almost a given with this franchise. The Bourne Supremacy was the same way. I understand why they did it. It enhances the feeling of motion (action) and the sensation that you are "actually there". I understand some people like it. I don't. It feels contrived to me. It seems amateur, even. And the feeling like you're actually there? If I were there, my head isn't bobbing around most of the time, I can usually hold a pretty steady look at something. It's a cheap trick, and in my opinion, ineffective. It doesn't enhance the action for me, it obscures it.

The character of Jason Bourne is an interesting specimen. He is one of the bad gone good. But what good does he do? It seems like anybody who gets involved with him gets a bullet in the back of the head. The journalist gets shot in the head, because he was flighty as a sparrow. Bourne does save some people, though. Good for him. I was actually surprised at the number of survivors in Ultimatum. The body count is usually much higher. But don't worry, there is plenty of brutal, gritty, hand to hand killing. Plenty. More than I like to see, actually. Call me old fashioned.

I don't really like portrayals of the U.S. government that are full of the evilest villains. This whole series pretty much centers around a state sponsored ministry of murder. It's not called that of course, they have a variety of cool code-names. But that is what it is. I think showing things like that are untrue and a dis-service to the country. Even if there are unsavory organizations in the top tiers of America, constant media portrayals of it do not make the audience appalled at the evil, they condition them to it. It is expected. It even glorifies it, because from that, you get supermen like Jason Bourne, who can not be killed. I swear, you could shoot lead bullets in his face, and he would karate chop them.

It is action packed, though. And suspenseful. A lot of what you would hope for from a flick like this. Truth is, if you're a red blooded guy, you'll probably like it. I didn't.

In the end, I'm making a lot of what might be called pseudo-logical arguments, but when it comes down to it, what I'm saying is the result of an emotional response. I didn't like it because I didn't feel good about it. So I make up reasons why.

I think it would probably be fair to recognize that, if you liked it, you're running off an emotional response as well. You liked it because it was exhilarating.

I hope we can understand where the other is coming from, and respect that.