#75, 8/3 – The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) (tofw)

I’d found the The Bourne Identity to be a rousing surprise. Really, I thought Doug Liman’s treatment of the script made for one of the coolest action movies of the last five years. And then it was followed by what I considered a fine, steady sequel which had almost as many positives as the first movie. So even though I went in to the third movie pretty sure I would be satisfied, I was surprised by just how much I actually got into it.

I don’t really know why I’ve enjoyed recent action movies like Casino Royale and this so much, but I really have.

Actually, having thought about it a second, I think it’s pretty simple. Even though, as an audience member I know certain characters are in little or no real danger, this latest breed of action films has made the protagonist really earn most of what they get. And, for better or worse, the feeling that characters are actually in some danger is one which makes an action sequence worthwhile for me. Yeah, I guess I like stressing a little about the characters. And while I’ve never had much worry for Bond or Bourne (What is it with the action hero intiails of JB, anyway? James Bond, Jason Bourne, Jack Bauer…), there were other characters I found myself stressing about.