Metacritic condenses the reviews to an 85, quite high. I found The Bourne Ultimatum to be a worthy continuation of the character, but it’s not the best of the three (as many were saying).
A few notes…
First, the “edgy” camera techniques every time Bourne sprung into action spun me around a bit too often. I wanted to shout at someone occasionally “Just hold the damn camera steady!” If the technique intruded that much, they went too far. Appreciation was shaken into exhaustion.
Second, the female agent Nicky Parsons has the least vocal role imaginable in a thriller. The meaningful silence schtick? Carried way too far.
Third, the vicarious travel put James Bond and Harrison Ford movies to shame. Jumping from Moscow to Turin to Paris to London to New York to Madrid to Tangiers and then New York and probably a few spots I’m forgetting along the way = fun.
Fourth, the New York City car chase was nothing special, but the rooftop and alley ballet in Tangiers and the directed almost-escape from Waterloo Station in London captured full attention. The wife’s comment about the Waterloo scene? “My cell phone headset doesn’t stay in place that well, and I’m just driving a car.”
Fifth, the first Bourne book was the first Robert Ludlum I ever read, as a pre-teen, so it’s imprinted fairly well in my memory. The third book, though… can’t say that I remember it well enough to know just how far the movie Bourne has strayed from the printed page. I was impressed with the first film’s fidelity to the tenor of the book, despite obvious required liberties with the story. By now, I’m just watching the movie — which is a good thing.
I am not plugged in enough to know, but I can’t believe this is the last Bourne movie we’ll see.