The Bourne Ultimatum

Jason Bourne is a machine. How can anyone do the things he does? In third installment of the trilogy, The Bourne Ultimatum, Paul Greengrass (United 93, The Bourne Supremacy) delivers a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart of the audience. We have followed Bourne from the day he lost his memory until now. We know he is a super-agent/government assassin trained to do pretty much anything. But we, like Bourne, don't truly know how it all started, and who he really is. So Bourne is on the trail of his identity.
This film is non-stop intensity. As with all the films, Bourne hops from exotic locale to exotic locale, always one step ahead of those on his tail. And who is on his tail? The government. What a cast, along with Damon the film has Joan Allen, Julia Stiles, and the great David Strathairn (Good Night, and Good Luck). And Ultimatum is fun, lots of fun. I am a big fan of the films, and this is a great ending to the trilogy. There is no disappointment at all in this sequel (which is usually the case). This has got to be the greatest spy franshise in film history by far. Sorry Bond, but Jason Bourne kicks the crap out of you.
Ultimatum plays with the idea of identity. Who is Bourne, and why does he act the way he does? We all have struggles with identity, and why we do the things we do. It is just a little more extreme in Bourne's case than for the rest of us. Bourne has to deal with things popping up inside of him that he doesn't understand. He acts without thinking. Like I said before, he is a machine. Sometimes we all act without thinking and do things we don't necessarily want to do (usually "bad" things). And what about Bourne's moral dilemma? He was trained to kill people. Does he have to take responsibility for that, or can he get a free pass because he was sort of brainwashed into doing it?
Bourne is also a quintessential American "loner," the rugged individualist who can do it all by himself. Yet even he needs help sometimes. America has long revered individuality, and that can be a good thing but most of the time it causes destruction and isolation. What we need instead is community. On the other hand, in Bourne's case, the fewer friends you have, the fewer chances you have to get stabbed in the back.
What makes Ultimatum such a great action film is that it is unpretentious. There are no patronizing nods to the audience, preparing them for what will happen next. Bourne thinks of what to do next before most people know there is even a problem. Therefore, Bourne starts doing things to solve his problems instantaneously. It's go, go, go, all the time, at full speed. Great car wrecks, high-speed chases, and shootouts. There is intrigue, mystery, and suspense. And the ending is fantastic. This is what action movies should be. Ultimatum is every bit as good as the other two films, and caps off the trilogy with style and greatness.