Universal Pictures with MP Beta Productions present a 111 minute PG-13 rated film directed by Paul Greengrass and starring Matt Damon (Jason Bourne), Julia Stiles (Nicky Parsons), David Strathairn (Noah Vosen), Scott Glenn (Ezra Kramer), Paddy Considine (Simon Ross), Edgar Ramirez (Paz), Albert Finney (Dr. Albert Hirsch), Joan Allen (Pamela Landy), Tom Gallop (Tom Cronin), Corey Johnson (Wills), Daniel Bruhl (Martin Kreutz), Joey Ansah (Desh), Colin Stinton (Neal Daniels), Dan Fredenburgh (Jimmy) and Lucy Liemann (Lucy).
Once again Damon hits one out of the park. The film is filled with just the right amount of action, espionage sequences, dramatic thrills to keep you tuned into a great story line that does not fly over your head but rather intrigues you to the final mystery laced climatic ending.
The film is shot in many parts of the world as it follows the path of Jason Bourne. Moscow Russia, New York City, Turin Italy, Paris France, London England and Tangier Morocco are several of the locations where the well written plot twists follow Bourne in his run from the CIA and his quest to find his identity source.
In every story like that of real life there are truly the good guys versus the bad guys and many times they work within the same walls of each other. In the beginning Bourne is out to meet up with Simon Ross a reporter for the Guardian Newspaper in search of the meaning behind the Black Briar. One shot leads him on a further journey to Madrid, Spain in search of Neal Daniels who he hopes has the answers to his forgotten past.
Bourne eventually meets up with Nicky Parsons who in turn is out to help him along with Pamela Landy at the CIA. Both women believe that Bourne is not a threat to the CIA but rather a link to some hidden dark secrets within their own corridors. Landy believes at least not the CIA she stands for and definitely not the one that thinks they are above their own government. Amongst some phenomenal hand to hand fight scenes, over the top camera acrobatics, spectacular car and foot chases, intrigue and suspense of who may die next and why, this film covers it all. Not once does it lose the meaning why Bourne is on the run and searching for answers to why his girlfriend Marie was killed, the part that he and others may have played in her death and his behavior modification and loss of identity.
Overall, Bourne has one goal in mind which is to find home, it is usually the end where everything all starts. After three years of running and searching for who he truly is the truth does get revealed. Is the CIA out to save American lives or out to recondition them? Albeit in the end we are all welcomed to the program leaving Bourne out to spin a "Webb" to safety exposing all those involved with the program at 41571.
You definitely don't have to have seen the first two in order to get wrapped up in the story line in this third rendition to the trilogy. Damon is brilliant along with all the cast that surrounds him and it is the women like Stiles and Allen that end up playing the smart thinking roles. Maybe, yet another set up for Hillary in 2008! Overall the direction is superb, the writing fulfilling to the plot and the acting brilliant, all leading up to the hopeful possibilities of yet a fourth release on this character, leaving yet a bigger question of its title since truth be told from this ultimatum.
Reporting for Talkin' Pets, I'm Jon Patch.