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Author Topic: Bourne Ultimatum (2007) Chris Slycord Film God Posts: 2986 From: 청주시, 경북도, South Korea Registered: Mar 2007 posted 08-13-2007 04:30 AM                     How dare Michael make a harmless joke.  |  IP: Logged Thomas Pitt Master Film Handler Posts: 266 From: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK Registered: May 2007 posted 08-16-2007 03:13 PM                     Cinema: Vue Sheffield screen 11 Presentation problems: Badly out of focus during the first 5 minutes; corrected after that I just saw it today (just been released in UK), and I have only one thing to say. Good movie, ruined by shaky-cam Would have given it 4 out of 5, but the camerawork takes it down a bit - 3 out of 5. Seriously, if it wasn't for the fact that the entire movie was shot using the hand-held camera effect, I would have enjoyed it a lot more. Action, chases, suspense - and a good storyline to hold it together. I found myself having to look away from the screen on several occasions to stop myself getting motion sick... I also agree, the fight scenes were extremely hard to follow. It's just shots of arms and legs cut together in rapid succession; I really couldn't tell who was fighting who most of the time. Someone should go through the movie with a digital image stabilizer (like you get on some camcorders) and produce a version of the movie without shaky-cam  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 08-16-2007 05:30 PM                     quote: Thomas Pitt I also agree, the fight scenes were extremely hard to follow. It's just shots of arms and legs cut together in rapid succession; I really couldn't tell who was fighting who most of the time. and that right there is what makes Paul Greengrass such a shitty director. He isn't directing anything. He is just cutting together random blurry clips of nothing and relying on the audio guys to give the impression of a fight.  |  IP: Logged Mike Heenan Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1896 From: Scottsdale, AZ, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 08-16-2007 05:35 PM                     I remember almost laughing during the part where Bourne and the other guy were fighting in the room/bathroom and they were basically punching each other, and the foley sound effects of the punches seemed really forced.  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 08-16-2007 09:18 PM                        and that right there is what makes Paul Greengrass such a shitty director. He isn't directing anything. He is just cutting together random blurry clips of nothing and relying on the audio guys to give the impression of a fight. Tell us how you really feel about Greengrass, Brad.  |  IP: Logged Jonathan M. Crist Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 531 From: Hershey, PA, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 08-17-2007 09:47 AM                     What a disappointment! "Indentity" was a solid non-pretentious thriller that managed to capture the 60's cold war espionage feel. "Supremacy" still managed that feeling but added some modern styling. "Ultimatum" is all style and no substance.  |  IP: Logged Pravin Ratnam Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 844 From: Atlanta, GA,USA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 08-20-2007 12:49 PM                     As someone who hated the shaky cam in Bourne Supremacy, let me say I had no major problems with it in Ultimatum. The only time it really annoys, is in the very beginning. But I thought the London train station sequence was shot, for the most part, very well. I loved the Desh chase. Also, it could be the film print or maybe better projection(I saw Bourne 2 at Regal Perimeter Pointe and this one at the recently built Regal Atlantic Station), but the pic seemed less grainier than Bourne 2. THe main thing is the movie never bored me. It had three great action sequences. NOT REALLY A SPOILER , BUT WHO KNOWS: Not a big detailed plot. Pretty much revisits the ending of Bourne Supremacy which is recreated for his movie.  |  IP: Logged Lyle Romer Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1400 From: Davie, FL, USA Registered: May 2002 posted 08-26-2007 07:10 PM                     Dear Paul Greengrass, PLEASE RENT A STEADICAM! Holy shit. I don't think there was one scene in the entire movie that had the camera held still. Even the location establishing shots were filled with rapid side to side motion and zooms. Supremecy wasn't THIS bad. On to the movie. I was pretty disappointed. The chase scenes were pretty repetative, the CIA bad guys were like a parody from Austin Powers and I thought for a moment I was watching Wolverine's flashbacks from X-Men. The fight scenes were terrible thanks to Paul "Shaky Cam" Greengrass. He is camera men must be injected with something to give them a siezure before he says "action". The CIA command center scenes also felt like they were done from the exact same angles and with the exact same editing sequence as the Air Traffic Control scenes from United 93. The Bourne Identity was a great spy thriller with a mysterious twist. The Bourne Supremecy was a decent action movie follow up. The Bourne Ultimatum was a huge disappointment to end the trilogy. At least they could have flashed back to the endurance training where they teach agents to be able to run for miles on end at top speed and then engage in hand to hand combat without losing steam. 2 out of 5 stars (it would have been 2 1/2 if not for the vomit cam)  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-26-2007 09:14 PM                     quote: Lyle Romer The Bourne Identity was a great spy thriller with a mysterious twist. The Bourne Supremecy was a decent action movie follow up. The Bourne Ultimatum was a huge disappointment to end the trilogy. I think you meant to say that.... The Bourne Identity had great camera work with just a tad bit of shaky cam thrown in to make it seem more realisitc. The Bourne Supremecy has alot worse camera work than the Bourne Identity did... The Bourne Ultimatum had the lousiest camera work of the trilogy. Mark  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 08-27-2007 04:16 PM                     Location: Carmike 8 Auditorium: #5, 9:50pm show (Aug. 6) Format: Christie DLP/Doremi Server, 2048 X 852 pixels Rating: 3 stars out of 4 I watched The Bourne Ultimatum three weeks ago, but am only just now getting around to writing a review on it. Overall, I thought the movie was pretty good. However, I still did not enjoy it as much as The Bourne Identity. This was a definitely step upward from The Bourne Supremacy. It was interesting how this movie made certain call backs and flash backs to the first film to reinforce where Jason Bourne was going with his character. "Look at what they make you give." This was a pretty loud movie. The fight scenes and car chases were interesting, especially the one set in Manhattan (I'll bet they had to shoot that on a number of Sundays). Unfortunately, those action sequences could have been quite a bit more effective with at least some tripod-mounted camera shots. I'll at least acknowledge the extra effort Paul Greengrass put into nearly every sequence in this movie, even the mundane ones. It's not often that you can spot any lazy back and forth camera A to camera B edits making up entire scenes. Many of the scenes have a progression of several different camera setups which makes the scene more alive. Unfortunately, nearly all of the shots are deliberately shaky hand held. Now I wasn't quite as put off by the shaky cam as I was in The Bourne Supremacy, but that's only because The Bourne Supremacy had dreary, dim lighting throughout much of the show. Shaky cam plus low lighting equals 100% shit image quality. At least someone had some lights and light meter this time! I also went back and watched The Bourne Identity again on DVD and listened to Director Doug Liman's commentary track to see more of the obvious differences between his nature of directing and that of Paul Greengrass. Liman says he did a lot of the camera work himself, with some of it being hand held to introduce "energy" into shots and give certain scenes a more documentary feel. Still, he varied shot types up between shaky hand held angles to fixed, tripod-mounted angles, dolly shots, crane shots and more. The important thing is many of Liman's scenes had critical "coverage" where the viewers could get their bearings on the sense of space and surroundings in the scene and what was happening. If you comprise a scene with almost nothing but blurry, shaky chaos the audience is just not going to be as involved in the events that are unfolding. It's something of a shame that Liman didn't direct these last two Bourne movies. According to his commentary track he convinced the late Robert Ludlum to allow a new movie to be adapted from The Bourne Identity. I think Liman faltered a bit with his Mr. & Mrs. Smith spy movie (the story just seems even more preposterous every time I find it playing on HBO). I can't help but wonder how much better the last two Bourne movies might have been if Liman had directed them. I think "shaky cam" is a lot like profanity in movies. It should be used with economy. The novelty wears off quickly and loses all impact after awhile. Shaky cam should be used as an accent to certain action scenes. It shouldn't make up most of the camera shots in the movie. When it is over-used to the level as seen in Greengrass' work, the shtick turns into something the audience has to endure. Watching the movie begins to feel like a chore. It's like trying to watch a 2 hour movie through the eyes of a cerebral palsy victim. For any TV or feature film spoofing movie production, I'd really love to see a scene where you have a camera guy shooting something and shaking the camera around. Have a producer come up behind the guy, slap him upside the head and shout, "stop it!"  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-27-2007 06:21 PM                        Watched this over the weekend. I didn't find the shaky cam thing all that bothersome except when the picture SHOULD have been steady, like when showing a sign, or two people just talking. But even then, weaving and bobbing all over the place. That said, it didn't detract too much from the story once I got used to it. My wife liked it more than I did, which is surprising because I ususally like this kind of movie the best. The car chase scene was my favorite part of the movie. The end title song was good too, it is really good exit music. Overall, I was entertained and the flick went by fast, but I don't reallly have any desire to watch it again, except maybe that chase scene. Three out of five for me; Lynn would give it four, I think.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 08-27-2007 06:41 PM                     quote: Mike Blakesley The end title song was good too, it is really good exit music. I think it was kind of odd how that Moby song was used in the end credits of all three films. It's a good tune, but it isn't the theme to Star Wars or Raiders of the Lost Ark either. Just a pop tune really.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-27-2007 11:31 PM                        I knew that thing was familiar. Didn't realize it was on all the Bournes. Well, I guess that means the first two didn't make much of an impression on me. Forgettable but enjoyable.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 09-03-2007 07:48 AM                     Well I just saw it last night at the Muvico Egyptian at Arundel Mills Mall. Presentation was 35mm w/Dolby Digital sound. First off, the print condition was still in excellent shape...a few flecks around reel changes but no visible scratches. The theatre needs to be retuned...the channel levels were well balanced but the sound was bass heavy or should I say tubby. The light level was too low (everything had an overcast appearence to it...probably no higher than 8 or 9fL. The image was also shifted to the right (shadow on the left, too much spill on the masking on the right). Focus could have been better and should have been checked during the film as it drifted a little. Then again, Super-35 with the 2K DI was a limiting factor on the potential image combined with siezure-cam. But on to the film. My experience echos what most have said. I thought the film was quite entertaining but the camera work was incompetent. The "fight scene" towards the end was so bad it would have been better to cut it out and just imply the result. It was totally unwatchable. Soundwise, I thought the mix on this film was quite good and probably added to the film far more than the visuals! I certainly fell that "Identity" was the best...both storywise and quality of filming. This film felt like just "more of the same" but with the 2nd string team at work. 3 out of 5 for me. Steve  |  IP: Logged Mark J. Marshall Film God Posts: 3188 From: New Castle, DE, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 09-05-2007 02:42 PM                    quote: Kurt Zupin I think it adds to the movie and makes you feel more like your there My head doesn't bob around like that, but I'm not sure about anyone else's. Holy freaking seizure-cam, Batman! What the hell was up with that? You guys are talking about the fight scenes being all seizure-cammed to hell, but what about the soft mellow scene of Jason Bourne talking to his girlfriend's brother or whoever it was? What should have been a sad calm scene was broken apart by Shakes that Camera Man. I couldn't concentrate on anything they said. I was too fascinated by how their heads were bouncing all over the screen. The fight scenes were also shot way too "claustrophobicly." I'm sure the actors spent a lot of time choreographing some cool moves, but I couldn't make any of them out. A cool movie, and I spent the last week watching all three of them for the first time. I like the series. It's a shame bone heads are screwing up what should otherwise be a great show.  |  IP: Logged

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