In 1980, Robert Ludlum published 'The Bourne Identity,' the first in a series of popular spy novels that would ultimately be loosely adapted for the big screen. The series tells the story of David Webb, a career foreign service officer and a specialist in Far Eastern affairs. Once a devout family man, tragedy leaves him with nothing, and so (thanks to the CIA and a bit of internal deception), Webb is reborn (get it?) as double agent Jason Charles Bourne. With its own mythology, devious villains, and breathless plotting, 'Bourne Identity' spawned four subsequent best-sellers, with Ludlum joining James Bond author Ian Fleming as one of the most elite names in spy fiction.
When 'The Bourne Identity' finally hit movie theaters in 2002 (a year after Ludlum's death), it had an instant leg up over the aging James Bond movie series. Like Bond, Jason Bourne came with a built-in fanbase, but unlike Bond he was free from the shackles of a then-aging film franchise. Gone were the stale quips, campy villains, and ridiculous gadgets and special effects that strained Bond's modern-day credibility. Instead, the series succeeded by going back to basics and concentrating on what we all love about spy flicks...actual spying!
Spawning two sequels -- which, defying the usual law of follow-ups, outgrossed the original -- all three films are now available on Blu-ray in 'The Bourne Trilogy.' Each works as a stand-alone adventure but, better yet, deepen in meaning and impact when viewed in succession. This is the rare trilogy with not a bad apple in the bunch, each an expertly-crafted exercise in suspense, drama, espionage, and action.
The Bourne Identity
As directed by Doug Liman ('Go,' 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith') and adapted by Tony Gilroy ('Dolores Claiborne,' 'Proof of Life'), 'Bourne Identity' works on all the levels it sets out to achieve. Liman and Gilroy adroitly interweave Bourne's regaining of his memory with what he must do to stay alive, upping both the nail-biting suspense and the human drama -- we're on the edge of our seat not just to see if Bourne will make it out alive, but also to see which new secret of his past he'll unravel next.
No spy flick would be any good, of course, without a great spy, and Damon was an unlikely but very smart casting choice as Jason Bourne. Usually best suited for introspective, dramatic characters, Damon's understated approach works surprisingly well here, expressing his character's full arc of emotions (from bewilderment to anger to remorse) often with just a simple facial expression. Unlike the superheroes that pass for super-agents in some spy flicks (Tom Cruise in 'Mission: Impossible,' anyone?), Damon does not seem superhuman, yet at the same time he's no dainty, tea-sipping James Bond (sorry Pierce Brosnan). Fallible -- fragile, even -- Jason Bourne always seems to be in real danger, which only raises the stakes. (Movie Rating: 3.5/5.0)
The Bourne Supremacy
Well, here's a new one -- a sequel that outpaces the original. For me, 'The Bourne Supremacy' joins the select ranks of such follow-ups as 'Aliens,' 'X2' and 'The Empire Strikes Back' in surpassing the film that spawned it. Perhaps 'Supremacy' isn't necessarily a classic on the order of some of those I just mentioned, but it is no small compliment nonetheless.
When we meet up again with Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) as 'The Bourne Supremacy' begins, he has set up a new life with Marie (Franke Potente) and promises retaliation should anyone from his former life as a CIA assassin attempt to contact him. But then a CIA operation to purchase classified Russian documents is blown by a rival agent (Karl Urban), he shows up to kill Bourne and Marie in the sleepy seaside village where they have been living under assumed names. His new life shattered, Bourne will soon discover that you can never fully escape the past, and is plunged into a life-or-death struggle that will pit him not only against his formidable opponent but the most corrupt corners of the CIA itself.
I liked everything about 'The Bourne Supremacy' better than the first. The story, the characters, the action and the cast. But what I appreciated the most is that the script and the filmmakers give Bourne more to do than just outrun bullets and crash cars. 'Supremacy' is not just another cookie-cutter James Bond sequel, but continues Bourne's emotional and spiritual journey. It's the last thing you would expect from a sequel, but 'Supremacy' is about such weighty themes as salvation and redemption. Which, if never free, remains obtainable if you make the right choices. (Movie Rating: 4.0/5.0)
The Bourne Ultimatum
As the final entry in the trilogy begins, Bourne is inadvertently drawn out of hiding by British investigative reporter Simon Ross (Paddy Considine), who has been trying to uncover the secrets of Project Treadstone, now upgraded to a new operation called Blackbriar. During the meeting with Ross, Bourne's memories are triggered once again, and he renews his quest to solve the riddle of his mysterious background. Of course, the CIA has been tracking his correspondence with Ross, and Pamela Landy (Joan Allen) is again back on the case. Only this time, she's got higher-ups (David Straithairn and Scott Glenn) breathing down her neck, and further complicating the government's pursuit is wayward operative Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles), who will eventually risk her life and career to help Bourne. While racing across four continents, Bourne will not only have to use every trick in the book to elude capture, but must somehow make his way back to the States and into the inner-most sanctums of the CIA itself if he is to finally uncover the secret of his identity.
As directed by Paul Greengrass (who also helmed 'Bourne Supremacy'), 'Ultimatum' may be the most impressive of the 'Bourne' films in terms of elevating cinematic integration of exposition and action into an art form. This is pure information overload, but because the execution of the suspense sequences is so intense, we are held in a constant state of rapt attention. Watching 'Ultimatum,' the audience literally becomes Jason Bourne, and like him, we are constantly on alert for fear of missing a crucial bit of information integral to our survival. Slyly, Greengrass uses camerawork and editing as co-conspirators in this gleefully shameless manipulation, and the film simply never stops for a second to let us catch our breath. 'Ultimatum' truly relies on the intelligence of its audience, demanding that we pay attention -- even if we're left wrung out and exhausted by the end of the ride.
'Ultimatum' is quite satisfying because unlike so many other series of its type, it doesn't cheat us of the closure to the story and the character arcs set up in the first two films. Bourne does finally decipher all the clues to his past, and his case with the CIA is closed. Of course, the filmmakers have still left themselves just enough wiggle room to bring Bourne back for a series of new adventures some day, but I can't say I blame them. Like the end of the 007 flicks always say, "James Bond will return..." -- so why not Jason Bourne? Regardless of whether there will be any future 'Bourne' films, 'Ultimatum' is a perfectly fitting capper on a truly superlative cinematic trilogy. (Movie Rating: 4.0/5.0)
All three 'Bourne' films are presented on their own BD-50 dual-layer discs, each in 1080p/VC-1 video. ('Bourne Identity' is framed at 2.35:1, while 'Bourne Supremacy' and 'Bourne Ultimatum' are 2.40:1). The transfers appear identical to the previous HD DVD versions, and remain both generally consistent and impressive throughout.
The Bourne Identity
'The Bourne Identity' enjoys a clean source, with the film's somewhat grainy texture looking film-like instead of irritating. The transfer does have a somewhat tweaked feel, with whites often on the verge of blowing out and a heavy black crush which can eradicate the finest details in the shadows. As a result, contrast seems exaggerated, though the sense of depth gets a boost. Colors tend to be a bit muted, but that's due more to the film's style than it is any actual desaturation during the telecine. Blues, greens, and some of the reds do have vibrancy (though don't expect any shiny pastels here) and are not noisy or smeared. The transfer is also sharp and above-average in terms of detail, and compression artifacts are not apparent. (Video Rating: 4.0/5.0)
The Bourne Supremacy
Next is 'The Bourne Supremacy,' where I noticed a couple of minor instances of print speckles, but an otherwise spotless master. Throughout, detail and sharpness are quite good, giving the film's exotic locales a very pleasing sense of depth. Colors can be bold, especially the rich greens and oranges; however, many passages of the film are intentionally subdued (especially the extended action sequence in Moscow and the chilly CIA scenes), so expect some inconsistencies. Black levels and contrast can also fluctuate. For example, the interior scenes at the CIA headquarters appear intentionally darkened, to the point where colors suffer from being artificially pumped up, which sometimes obscures detail (notice for example the actors' faces, whose skintones look "painted on" rather than natural). Conversely, the opening daylight exteriors in Bourne's tropical paradise have a very natural, bright, detailed appearance. But all in all, 'Supremacy' stands tall with the other transfers in this set. (Video Rating: 4.0/5.0)
The Bourne Ultimatum
Finally, we have 'The Bourne Ultimatum,' which edges out the other two to get my vote as the best of the bunch. The source is grainy almost throughout, but it's otherwise clean with no blemishes, dirt or other defects. Contrast is appropriately on the hot side, but blacks hold firm and there is little severity to the "crush" on the low end of the scale, leaving shadow details surprisingly supple. Colors are almost uniformly desaturated, and most scenes skew towards blue or green, so don't expect rich orange fleshtones. Still, hues are quite stable and never bleed or fuzz-out, so I was generally impressed with the level of depth and detail, considering the source. Universal has also delivered a top-notch encode -- even with the intense level of fast motion throughout 'The Bourne Ultimatum,' the image never breaks up or suffers from compression artifacts. (Video Rating: 4.5/5.0)
Universal gifts all three 'Bourne' flicks with new English DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1 Surround soundtracks (48kHz/24-bit). Though the previous HD DVD of 'Bourne Ultimatum' boasted a Dolby TrueHD mix, both 'Bourne Identity' and 'Bourne Supremacy' were Dolby Digital-Plus only, so those two benefit the most from the upgrade. (Each film also receives DTS 5.1 Surround dubs in French and Spanish.)
The Bourne Identity
'The Bourne Identity' kicks things off, and the film's sound design remains quite effective. Surround use gets a nice boost -- the rear channels are more pronounced, with better panning and improved heft. The driving, hybrid techno score by John Powell (featuring contributions by Moby) is also better dispersed throughout the soundfield. Localization of discrete effects is excellent, with pinpoint accuracy of even minor sounds clear and distinct. And low bass, while impressive on the HD DVD, is even better here. Unfortunately,'The Bourne Identity' is not wall-to-wall action, and it's in the more chatty stretches where this track still disappoints, with relatively weak sustained atmosphere, and a flat soundfield that does little to support the film's cold and chilly locations. Otherwise, kudos to Universal for bumping this up to DTS-HD. (Audio Rating: 4.5/5.0)
The Bourne Supremacy
Also getting a boost is 'The Bourne Supremacy.' As you'd expect, the sound mix is just as aggressive. Discrete sounds are positioned all over the rear channels during the action scenes, and plenty of seamless pans and whooshes, and refined imaging that is a tad stronger. Dynamic range enjoys an added expansiveness to the high-end, and slightly stronger bass. Dialogue balance remains just as sharp, too, as surprisingly for a movie that can get as loud as this one, nothing gets obscured. Another excellent DTS-HD mix. (Audio Rating: 4.5/5.0)
The Bourne Ultimatum
Ironically, 'The Bourne Ultimatum' enjoys no real upgrade in the conversion from Dolby TrueHD to DTS-HD, but it's still the best of the set, and a reference track. The film's mix is exciting because it understands the value of contrast -- Bourne's moments of quiet introspection are heightened by the loud bursts of action, and vice versa. When the bullets aren't flying fast and furious, the techno-fueled score is always humming along, so there's never a dull moment. Realism and heft to the entire 360-degree soundfield is exceptional, with great clarity to discrete effects and seamless pans between channels. Subtle ambiance is better than I anticipated, with bleed of the score again excellent and the attention paid to fine sonic details fantastic. Director Paul Greengrass often makes clever use of subtle aural cues to inform us of Jason Bourne's state of mind (a ringing telephone, footsteps outside a door etc.) and it's all rendered here with creativity and great care.
Lest anyone think there is no bombast to 'Ultimatum,' think again. Dynamics are fantastic, from the subwoofer-shaking low bass (there is some serious rumble in nearly every one of the film's many action scenes) to the finely-attenuated higher end of the spectrum. Finally, unlike so many other action films, dialogue is actually important to 'Bourne Ultimatum,' and happily the mix is perfectly balanced. Feel confident that if you crank this puppy up, you can safely put down your remote for the rest of the flick. (Audio Rating: 5.0/5.0)
The DVD and HD DVD versions of the three 'Bourne' films all contained a variety of standard extras. These are ported over in their entirety here, so completists should have no cause for concern. Universal has not upgraded any of the 480 video sources to full HD, but at least all of the content is here. Subtitle options are provided in the same languages as the main feature: English, French and Spanish. (A note on the packaging: 'The Bourne Trilogy' comes housed in an elegant, silver-ish outer box that's quite sleek, with each film also receiving its own individual Blu-ray keepcase inside the box. There are no supporting collectibles included, or any kind of booklet.)
The Bourne Identity
The Bourne Supremacy
The Bourne Ultimatum
(Supplement Ratings: 'Bourne Identity' 3.5/5.0; 'Bourne Supremacy' 3.0/5.0; 'Bourne Ultimatum' 2.5/5.0)
'The Bourne Trilogy' stands as the best set of three films in recent memory. Each works on its own as a crackerjack spy thriller, yet maintains a consistency of character, tone, and theme that enables the trilogy to work as a cohesive whole. This Blu-ray box set is excellent, too, with great video and audio (upgraded to DTS-HD), and a commanding set of extras and exclusives. If you are at all a Jason Bourne fan, have no hesitation in picking up this collection immediately.
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