Against the advice of my brother (“You will probably want to see the first two in order to fully enjoy this one”) the blushing bride and I got sitters for the kids and took in the latest chapter in Bourne movies. I’ll admit it: I’m a sucker for action movies. As a matter of fact if you have fight scenes, chase scenes, and blow things up, I’m there!

Jason Bourne continues to have flashbacks that give him clues to who he really is. The problem is that the clues are extremely vague. Picking up news items that lead him to the explanation of the flashbacks—gleaning names and information along the way—Bourne travels all over the world, encountering new and old faces along the way.

Although I’ve seen snips of both of the earlier Bourne films, I still have a hard time casting Matt Damon in an action role. I must admit that he gives a surprisingly good rendition of an indestructible black-ops assassin who is bent on self-destruction through self-discovery. He is helped along the way by Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles) and the ever present Pam Landy (Joan Allen). By the end of the movie, Bourne has a new name to claim, and a new outlook on life. The film leaves a wide berth for the possibility of the return of Bourne although it will be necessary for writers to dig deep for plot development.

For your dollar, this is a great action movie with lots of speed and destruction. The fight scenes are fast-paced, the chases high-speed, and there are a fair amount of gun-play and pyrotechnics to satisfy. Go see it on the big screen if it’s still playing in your town.

The Bourne Ultimatum gets 4 thumbs and makes me want to rent The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy.