Matt Damon just made me forget about his geeky Linus character from Ocean's Thirteen. He's also better than that pretty boy pal of his Affleck. But I digress... Simply put, The Bourne Ultimatum is this summer's best action movie. Yes, I'm talking to you Transformers, Rush Hour, Die Hard, and whatnot. It doesn't have cool robots, a whacked story, or over-the-top action (well, maybe a little). What Bourne does have is a sophisticated and smart plot backed up by strong performances and wicked action sequences. This is my second 5 star movie review for this year, and I don't hand those out very often. Here's my verdict, but be wary of **SPOILERS AHEAD**:

the wRong:
Shaky Cam
While I loved the action in the movie, some sequences were shown in the infamous 'shaky camera' style which sort of made me nauseous. I understand that imploring this style makes the scene more 'rough' or 'edgy', but sometimes I feel it gets abused and educes headaches. I couldn't find anything else blaringly wrong with the movie, and is a testament to what a quality flick this is.

the Right:
The Plot Thickens
I won't spoil anything for anyone, but the final chapter of this series really ties all the knots perfectly. Bourne's search for his lost identity and retracing his steps reminds me a lot of Wolverine from the X-Men, where he supposedly is forced to become this killing machine and his entire past is wiped out from his mind. It's a very compelling and kickass concept and you'll be rooting for the hero to learn the truth and kick everyone else's ass who interferes.

Damon Delivers
Like I said above, Matt Damon made me forget about that 3rd fiddle in Ocean's where he was always behind Clooney and Pitt's shadow. Here, he proves why he's one of Hollywood's top stars in a role he totally owns. He doesn't show much emotion because he was trained that way, but somehow you still feel he has a lot of heart and attitude by the way he deals with his accomplices and the way he disses his foes. He's smart and cunning, but also makes mistakes and take a beating as well (like the sequence where he's supposed to save the bomb from exploding near the car).

Action Not for Action's Sake
What I loved about this movie is that it relied on well-built action sequences. Die Hard was just 'let's throw all this cool shit and watch McClain kick its ass'. Not with Bourne. Ultimatum's action sequences tell a story. From the chase in Morocco, it's so frantic and heart pounding that when Spy vs. Spy finally meet each other, you get this 'aww shit, let's throw down!' moment. Same for the final sequence where Bourne spares another assassin’s life, so in the end, that assassin feels sympathy and let's Bourne free. Even just evading CIA henchmen with coordination was thrilling. No CGI reliance whatsoever here. Just well thought-out action scenes that actually told a story.

Supporting Cast
I don't remember all the people who played them, but they were all perfect for their roles. The cold assassins. The cocky Noah, compassionate Landy, helpful Nicky Parsons, and the brains behind Bourne's identity crisis Hirsch. In fact, Hirsch reminded me of Brain Cox's Stryker character from X-Men 2, wherein he's one of main 'villains' who conspired to create this killing machine and finally coming face to face with his creation. Julia Stiles was also ok enough to make me forget her crappy role in 'the Omen'. Oh and since I'm to lazy to create a whole section on director Paul Greengrass, he can go here. Really great job of putting everything together to wrap this series up.

the veRdict:
The Bourne Ultimatum is this summer's best action movie and I think, even surpasses the previous Bourne's ‘Identity’ and ‘Supremacy’. I'm a Transformers fan myself, but not to the point where I am blinded to appreciate another film's brilliance. Transformers and Die Hard delivered in the popcorn value, but Ultimatum is simply the better ‘film’. This movie didn't need CGI or overblown action sequences to entertain. Jason Bourne is the real-life Logan sans the adamantium but with the same capacity to kick major ass. The story will have you hooked from the get-go, the masterfully plotted action sequences will have your adrenaline pumping, and the rousing finale will satisfy.