Directed by: Doug Limon
Starring: Matt Damon, Joan Allen, Julia Stiles
Rating: PG-13

Matt Damon and Julia Stiles in The Bourne Ultimatum. (Courtesy photo)

By pure coincidence, this is the summer of “threequels.” First came Spider-Man 3, then Shrek the Third, Pirates of Caribbean: At World’s End, and Ocean’s Thirteen. This weekend saw the release of The Bourne Ultimatum. Unless next week’s Rush Hour 3 turns out to be an Academy Award–worthy film, Ultimatum is the best “third” by a wide margin. It’s also the best movie of the summer. Streamlining the same formula that made the first two Bourne movies work, Ultimatum continues to define the spy movie. Few franchises can claim three such high-quality films. The two keys are the very tight screenplays by Tony Gilroy and the magnetic Matt Damon.

Jason Bourne is still being hunted by his former employers in the CIA, and now British journalist Simon Ross (Paddy Considine) is conducting an investigative report on him. Soon both Ross and Bourne are on the kill list of CIA director Noah Vosen (David Strathairn), lest they disrupt his shady new program called Blackbriar. Agent Pamela Landy (Joan Allen) joins the hunt, but now she is sympathetic with Bourne. As Bourne eludes assassins and searches for Ross’s contact, new flashbacks reveal more about his dark past.

Ultimatum covers the shortest timeline with the most oomph. A key aspect of this franchise has been its relative restraint in its big action setpieces. Yeah, Bourne can take a pretty good beating, but he seldom lapses into superhuman moments. This film stretches our credulity the furthest, but doesn’t quite reach Die Hard levels. We get what we crave from the franchise—sequences in which Bourne outsmarts everyone, including us. We want our spies to be clever and resourceful, not just charming and lucky. We are taken by Bourne because he turns left when we’re all certain he’ll turn right. Bourne is much, much smarter than us. Maybe the world of international intrigue he navigates is more cartoon than reality, but we truly believe this guy can get out of any scrape. Director Doug Limon got the franchise off on the right foot, but Paul Greengrass (United 93) has galvanized it. Admittedly the camera is still too shaky. You wish he didn’t have to jiggle the image on every shot. But Greengrass also expertly maintains the pulsing tempo while grounding the story and visuals in a world just real enough to make Bourne that much more accessible as a tortured hero.

Damon completely owns the role of Jason Bourne. Damon was good in the first movie, but a little in awe of the character. By Supremacy he had figured out the hollow face, the tendency to grow calmer as the situation got hotter. Ultimatum for Damon is like Goldfinger for Sean Connery. He now wears the role like a glove.

Joan Allen lends smart support as Pamela Landy. It’s a simple equation: if Bourne is so talented, there have to be equally impressive foils. Allen is just that. Julia Stiles gets better in each movie as operative Nicky Parsons. New additions David Strathairn, Paddy Considine, and Albert Finney add class to the proceedings.

The Bourne Identity surprised analysts with its quality and popularity back in 2002. The Bourne Supremacy outperformed both its predecessor and those expectations in 2004. Somehow Ultimatum has pulled off the same trick. This franchise just seems to grow stronger. Some think the third is the best. I think it is the leanest and most action-packed of the three, though with an even smaller dollop of introspection and a little too much Six Million Dollar Man. It hardly matters in the long run. What matters now is whether the franchise will continue beyond the cycle of the Robert Ludlum novels and Damon’s inclinations. Bourne may not like what he does for a living, but we sure want him to keep doing it.

Alex Manugian lives in Sherman Oaks, California, and works for the Cartoon Network. He grew up in Groton and has reviewed movies for Harvard residents for many years.