The Bourne Ultimatum (PG-13)

Bourne comes home, full-speed. Best yet.

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Common Sense rates it
5
Seen the movie? Review it
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Movie details
  • Studio: Universal Pictures, Universal Pictures
  • Directed By: Paul Greengrass
  • Cast: David Strathairn
  • Running Time: 115 minutes
  • Release Date: 08/02/2007
  • Video/DVD Release Date: 12/11/2007
  • Genre: Thriller
  • MPAA Rating: PG-13
  • MPAA Explanation: violence and intense sequences of action.

Parents need to know

Parents need to know that this film features wall-to-wall action, much of it violent, causing repeated, bloody injuries to Bourne. The film includes car chases and crashes, explosions, fights, falls from great heights, smashes through windows, and murders (hand-to-hand, by gunfire), as well as images of dead bodies. The plot involves high tech surveillance and a dastardly, secret CIA program, and the hero comes to distrust his (U.S.) government (that said, Senate hearings at film's end lead to arrests of "rogue agents"). Language includes "s--t," "damn," and "hell."

Families can talk about Bourne's sense of betrayal: How does he come to see himself as a tool, created and used by the CIA, and how does his moral sense lead him to challenge his "employers"? Why might it be significant that Bourne is helped by the two women agents, who both question their boss' efforts to cover up the secret program? How does Bourne's amnesia make him different from most other, very self-secure action heroes? They could also discuss action movies in general, and talk about what makes a good one.

Message

Social Behavior:

Bourne is singularly moral-minded; CIA agents and other killers are deadly, calculating, and cold.

Consumerism:

Vespa motorbike.

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:

In flashbacks, Bourne and another man appear to be sedated.

Violence

Bourne first appears limping and being chased aboard a moving train; he jumps off, finds a hospital, trails blood everywhere, washes his bloody hands, self-injects a needle full of painkiller, hits one officer and holds his gun on another. Flashbacks throughout show young Bourne's torture (hooded figures, waterboarding, frantic camerawork and dissolves), refer to his girlfriend's murder ("shot in the head"). Scene in morgue shows corpse. Violent acts -- shown in chaotic camerawork and editing -- include explosions (preceded by bomb-making), punching, kicking, flipping, leaping, falling, crashing through a window, car-crashing and -screeching, shooting (by snipers and face-to-face), bone-breaking, stabbing.

Sex

In subjective flashbacks, Bourne tenderly kisses Maria (his dead girlfriend), once underwater, as she floats away.

Language

Several uses of "s--t" and "damn," repeated uses of "hell" in frustration (e.g., "What the hell's going on here?").

Common Sense says

What's the story?

Reviewed by Cynthia Fuchs

In THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM -- the very smart third film in the Bourne series -- super-spy-assassin Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) finally gets some answers. In a plot that resembles Robocop meets Manchurian Candidate, Bourne seeks not only his identity, but also the individuals responsible for both his loss of memory and extraordinary killing skills. His search leads him from Torino to Paris, London to Tangier, and then on to Manhattan, each city yielding a piece of Bourne's puzzle. His hunters this time include the CIA's Deputy Director Vosen (David Strathairn) and others behind the scenes, who use all manner of astounding surveillance technology as well as "assets," or killers trained like Bourne. No longer a brutal instrument of the government, eliminating "targets" for unknown reasons, Bourne now becomes a moral center, a remarkably resilient one at that. Again and again, he rises from crashes and fights, like the Terminator, ever in motion, resolved to find his secret-agency "maker."

Is it any good?

5
The film’s action is stunning (fast, visceral, stylized), and the consequences deadly. When he learns that a London Guardian reporter, Ross (Paddy Considine), has stumbled onto Blackbriar, Bourne makes contact, then directs his every step by cell phone, negotiating a crowded Waterloo Station and avoiding a CIA sniper. Given his deep sense of loss concerning Marie (killed in the last film), it's not surprising that Bourne shares a distrust of the CIA with two women, specialist Pam Landy (Joan Allen) and an agent, Nicky (Julia Stiles), who both helped to track Bourne in the previous films and now question Vosen's extreme measures. Nicky's understanding of Bourne may be the most poignant, as she watches him resolve a brilliantly edited chase scene in Tangier with an amazing fight against yet another "asset."

Bourne's quest leads him to ugly truths, about himself and the behavior-modifying experiment that created him. As his memory returns, he has flashbacks of his training, including torture. The film goes on to show that Bourne once believed he was doing the right thing, that he would "save American lives" by giving himself "to the program." When he finally finds himself, he sees he must determine his own motivations, not believe in someone else's.

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Parents and kids say

All Reviews

There are 37 reviews.

5


Posted on 12/02/08 by ScottK Adult contributor

Amazing, perhaps the best Bourne movie yet...

Parents should know that though this is an extremely enjoyable movie, it is both intense and graphic in parts. There are no f**ks, but some less strong language. I think that this movie is too much for a PG-13. Parents, this movie is not for all teens. Some thirteen and fourteen year olds will be fine, but not all. Know your kid...
4


Posted on 07/17/08 by ScottK Adult contributor

Amazing... Perhaps the best Bourne movie yet...

Parents should know that though this is an extremely enjoyable movie, it is both intense and graphic in parts. There are no f**ks, but some less strong language. I think that this movie is too much for a PG-13. Parents, this movie is not for all teens. Some thirteen and fourteen year olds will be fine, but not all. Know your kid...
5

Posted on 07/01/08 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 9

pretty good movie

there is violence and torture [waterbording]some shooting and bad flashbacks
4


Posted on 06/26/08 by ninjaofthewind Adult contributor

Blown away

First of all, let me say that I rated the first two movies, and really wish I could change them. This series is fantastic, and I must have been really tired or something to have rated them the way I did. This is without a doubt the best spy trilogy I have ever seen. It does an amazing job of presenting the suspense and keeping you on the edge of your seat. I'm going to take the time to sort of rate the trilogy rather than this one movie, since I won't be able to re-rate the first two. I won't give you a plot summary, because the tiniest thing can give something away. I was not too happy that CSM stated Marie's death happened, but I suppose if you've seen the second movie, you would know that. Another thing I would like to set straight that CSM misinterpreted, was when Bourne appears to be kissing Marie in the water, he is really administering CPR, not kissing her. Now for the stuff parents would like to know. There is a LOT of violence in this, and there is a lot of blood shown, especially in car accidents. Two people are shown strangled to dead, and someone shoots themselves in the head (though the camera is averted). There are extremely intense vehicle chases, and lots of loud and exciting gunfights, but the action doesn't take up all the movie, as in Mission Impossible 2. The plot is very good. I won't give anything away, but in this movie are nearly all of the elements a good spy movie needs. Ok, back to content. The first movie without a doubt has the worst language, especially near the end, with it getting a little tamer in the second one, and a lot tamer in the third. The first movie has two F words, which is uncommon for PG-13, though one is only mouthed, so you won’t see it unless you are adept at reading lips. There’s a lot of God da*ns, especially at an argument near the end. The second movie has near the same amount of other language, but one yelled F word. There is no F word in the third one, and the worst language in that is sh*t, which is used a lot in most movies anyway. The reason I give this movie an R is because of the language. The language in the first movie is quite strong for a PG-13, and I have seen movies that had nearly nothing bad in them besides one F word, and the rating was R. There is also a lot of violence in it. However, just because I think that’s what it should have been rated, doesn’t mean I think only 17 and up should see it. I think these are good 14+ films, as they will definitely look up to Bourne as a role model, and this movie will likely appeal more to teens anyway. There is definitely a message in this movie. I’m going to put a SPOILER warning here, because I don’t want to spoil the message for anyone. You can sort of see it happening throughout the whole movie, but Bourne realizes that killing people is wrong, and doesn’t want to be an assassin anymore. This is a lesson not often explored in movies like this, and I think it may be worth seeing just for that. I’m going to sum this up by restating that these movies are most likely the best spy movies or all around action movies I have ever seen, and anyone 14 and up should definitely see this.
5


Posted on 06/15/08 by shadowfire976 Kid contributor, age 10

a great movie

I saw it without having seen any of the other movies and didn't understand what was going on, but i still liked it. great movie, good for 11+
5

Posted on 05/16/08 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 11

PG-13 triler

Alsome
5


Posted on 05/10/08 by death Kid contributor, age 14

The Bourne Ultimatum is the third movie in a series of movies called the bourne series. it stars matt damon once again reprising his role as spy/assassin jason bourne who is still on the run from the government. It is a great action movie but is a bit brutal in some parts even for a pg-13 Age Recommended 12+
5


Posted on 04/10/08 by manutd1717 Kid contributor, age 13

I thought it was spectactular

The movie is action packed some young kids might not under stand it but its great
5


Posted on 02/15/08 by purpleslayer57 Adult contributor

all action

Not much too say here but just got to see it. I love Matt Damon's movies he is a great actor.So I really enjoy seeing the movie myself. Not for small children, but older ones may,most likely boys would be more interested.
5


Posted on 01/29/08 by soccerkid26 Kid contributor, age 12

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH

one of the best movies eva best bourne

See all 37 reviews >

Adult Reviews

There are 12 reviews.

5


Posted on 12/02/08 by ScottK Adult contributor

Amazing, perhaps the best Bourne movie yet...

Parents should know that though this is an extremely enjoyable movie, it is both intense and graphic in parts. There are no f**ks, but some less strong language. I think that this movie is too much for a PG-13. Parents, this movie is not for all teens. Some thirteen and fourteen year olds will be fine, but not all. Know your kid...
4


Posted on 07/17/08 by ScottK Adult contributor

Amazing... Perhaps the best Bourne movie yet...

Parents should know that though this is an extremely enjoyable movie, it is both intense and graphic in parts. There are no f**ks, but some less strong language. I think that this movie is too much for a PG-13. Parents, this movie is not for all teens. Some thirteen and fourteen year olds will be fine, but not all. Know your kid...
4


Posted on 06/26/08 by ninjaofthewind Adult contributor

Blown away

First of all, let me say that I rated the first two movies, and really wish I could change them. This series is fantastic, and I must have been really tired or something to have rated them the way I did. This is without a doubt the best spy trilogy I have ever seen. It does an amazing job of presenting the suspense and keeping you on the edge of your seat. I'm going to take the time to sort of rate the trilogy rather than this one movie, since I won't be able to re-rate the first two. I won't give you a plot summary, because the tiniest thing can give something away. I was not too happy that CSM stated Marie's death happened, but I suppose if you've seen the second movie, you would know that. Another thing I would like to set straight that CSM misinterpreted, was when Bourne appears to be kissing Marie in the water, he is really administering CPR, not kissing her. Now for the stuff parents would like to know. There is a LOT of violence in this, and there is a lot of blood shown, especially in car accidents. Two people are shown strangled to dead, and someone shoots themselves in the head (though the camera is averted). There are extremely intense vehicle chases, and lots of loud and exciting gunfights, but the action doesn't take up all the movie, as in Mission Impossible 2. The plot is very good. I won't give anything away, but in this movie are nearly all of the elements a good spy movie needs. Ok, back to content. The first movie without a doubt has the worst language, especially near the end, with it getting a little tamer in the second one, and a lot tamer in the third. The first movie has two F words, which is uncommon for PG-13, though one is only mouthed, so you won’t see it unless you are adept at reading lips. There’s a lot of God da*ns, especially at an argument near the end. The second movie has near the same amount of other language, but one yelled F word. There is no F word in the third one, and the worst language in that is sh*t, which is used a lot in most movies anyway. The reason I give this movie an R is because of the language. The language in the first movie is quite strong for a PG-13, and I have seen movies that had nearly nothing bad in them besides one F word, and the rating was R. There is also a lot of violence in it. However, just because I think that’s what it should have been rated, doesn’t mean I think only 17 and up should see it. I think these are good 14+ films, as they will definitely look up to Bourne as a role model, and this movie will likely appeal more to teens anyway. There is definitely a message in this movie. I’m going to put a SPOILER warning here, because I don’t want to spoil the message for anyone. You can sort of see it happening throughout the whole movie, but Bourne realizes that killing people is wrong, and doesn’t want to be an assassin anymore. This is a lesson not often explored in movies like this, and I think it may be worth seeing just for that. I’m going to sum this up by restating that these movies are most likely the best spy movies or all around action movies I have ever seen, and anyone 14 and up should definitely see this.
5


Posted on 02/15/08 by purpleslayer57 Adult contributor

all action

Not much too say here but just got to see it. I love Matt Damon's movies he is a great actor.So I really enjoy seeing the movie myself. Not for small children, but older ones may,most likely boys would be more interested.
5


Posted on 12/29/07 by fletchy Adult contributor

WOW -- this is a great movie -- for adults

This movie is typical Bourne -- fantastic but intricate, violent and fast-moving. People get shot, things are blown up, there are car chases, foot races and any other type of chase you can imagine...all with guns blazing. A WOW for adults but I'd be hard-pressed to bring a teen under 17. This is serious mature material.
3

Posted on 12/12/07 by Anonymous Adult contributor

Media is allowing too much to filter through to our children. May seem cool, but definately too much violence/suspense for a pre/mid-teen to see. Great ADULT film though!!
5


Posted on 09/29/07 by quest13 Adult contributor

Smart,Good,Fun

13+ Great!
5


Posted on 09/20/07 by Kim12345 Adult contributor

A must see!

Very good not too violent and most of the violence it does contain is kicking and punching. Great movie to watch with your tweens.
5


Posted on 08/23/07 by milamber01 Adult contributor
5


Posted on 08/10/07 by mamamia0709 Adult contributor

The best of the three

Very fast paced and action packed. The best of the the Bourne stories turned into a movie so far. Great discussion tool for older kids about morality, loyalty and tenacity. The cinematography is a bit tight and gave me a headache but other than that it's one I will see again.
See all 12 adult reviews>

Kids Reviews

There are 25 reviews.

5

Posted on 07/01/08 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 9

pretty good movie

there is violence and torture [waterbording]some shooting and bad flashbacks
5


Posted on 06/15/08 by shadowfire976 Kid contributor, age 10

a great movie

I saw it without having seen any of the other movies and didn't understand what was going on, but i still liked it. great movie, good for 11+
5

Posted on 05/16/08 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 11

PG-13 triler

Alsome
5


Posted on 05/10/08 by death Kid contributor, age 14

The Bourne Ultimatum is the third movie in a series of movies called the bourne series. it stars matt damon once again reprising his role as spy/assassin jason bourne who is still on the run from the government. It is a great action movie but is a bit brutal in some parts even for a pg-13 Age Recommended 12+
5


Posted on 04/10/08 by manutd1717 Kid contributor, age 13

I thought it was spectactular

The movie is action packed some young kids might not under stand it but its great
5


Posted on 01/29/08 by soccerkid26 Kid contributor, age 12

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH

one of the best movies eva best bourne
5


Posted on 12/11/07 by cdwise11 Kid contributor, age 12

tight

this movie was so tight. i went to the movies to see this i love it's the best movie of the year!!!
4


Posted on 10/02/07 by Stanley Kid contributor, age 12

Bourne 3 is the best of them all, number 4, here I come!

The first one wasn't as spectacular as some people said it was. The second was an amazing summer blockbuster. This one is the best of them all! Really for mature audiences, but what elementary schooler wants to go see this anyway?
5


Posted on 09/19/07 by Julie3000x Kid contributor, age 14

This movie rules!!!!

Really cool movie! It does have some violence mostly just martial arts type stuff but Bourne does strangle this one guy with a towel. I would recomend it to anyone 11 and up. There is virtually no language or sex in this movie.
5

Posted on 08/25/07 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 12
See all 25 kids reviews >
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