Review:

I never reviewed the first two films in this series, but I feel like they would be very similar to the review you are about to read. All three of the films are, at least in my opinion, equally impressive. I find it difficult to pick a favorite.

Cinematography: You will find that this movie feels like The Bourne Supremacy. If you pay attention you’ll notice that there is a difference in the way the fight scenes are shot in The Bourne Identity compared to the second and third movie. Though I initially liked the filming in Identity, I’ve found that the style in Supremacy and Ultimatum is superior. It gives you a better feel for the speed and ferocity of the fights as they occur.

Action/Effects: The action in this movie is pretty fast-paced and impressive. You don’t get bored at all and the stunts keep you on the edge of your seat. I don’t think they did much that was extraordinarily different from the other two films, but I did feel that it was a lot more suspenseful.

Plot: I don’t want to say much here because I don’t want to ruin the plot for those who haven’t seen it. I do have to say that they took an interesting approach to tying what we see at the end of Supremacy to the story in Ultimatum. Other than that, I would say that the bad guys were mildly predictable but the writers did a good job of keeping the audience frustratingly engaged.

Overall: I think this is definitely worth a movie ticket. As for the choice of matinée or prime time, I would defer to your enjoyment of the first two movies. This one is much the same. For the fans who can’t get enough, you won’t be disappointed.

The Bourne Files 3-Disc Collection (The Bourne Identity / The Bourne Supremacy)

The Da Vinci Code @ IMDB

Synopsis:
A mysterious murder in the Louvre drags mild mannered symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) in to a dangerous hunt for the Holy Grail. When the French Police Chief, Bezu Fache (Jean Reno), thinks that Langdon commited murder, things get tense. Langdon must flee the French police with the aide of a young cryptologist, Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou). Langdon’s only hope of clearing his name is finding the Grail and drawing out the true murderer. But what is the Grail and how far will everyone go to find it?

Review:
Where to being for one of the most anticipated adaptations of the year? How about the simple truth. It was a dissappointment. Not at all what it could or should be. Unfortunately, it was some the minor facts that brought this movie down for me. Of course the unrealistically high expectations I had from the big names like Tom Hanks, Ron Howard, Ian McKellen, & Audrey Tautou didn’t help one bit. And of course I compared the cinematic experience with the literary experience and came up short.

In to the nitty gritty: The first big let down was Tom Hanks. I think he’s a great actor and has done great movies, but this performance was mediocre at best. In the novel, Robert Langdon is a pivitol character that is crucial to the evolution of the plot and is the key protaganist. In the film, Hank’s version of Langdon seems to simply be along for the ride, a spectator in events beyond him. Though the character is supposed to feel a little out of his league, he shouldn’t sit on the sideline the whole film. Audrey Tautou’s performance on the other hand was excellent. Her Sophie is the character we see in the novel.

The next thing that killed this film for me was the score. For some reason the soundtrack never seemed to suit the scenes that the audience sees. For example (and I’m going on memory for this so forgive any inaccuracies), the very brief car chase near the beginning of the film is accompanied by a very sweet and lazy piano melody that would suit a lullaby. This plot is one of urgency. The audience should feel the need and haste to solve the next clue in an ever evolving riddle. Instead of fast-paced orchestra pieces, we hear simple melodies. I just don’t think that really gives you the right feel when you’re anxiously waiting the next twist.

I have one more major complaint against this film, but I will add it to the end of this review because it contains a spoiler. If you chose to read it, you will ruin the story (assuming you haven’t read the novel). Overall, this wasn’t a bad movie. It just wasn’t as great as I hoped. If you haven’t seen it already, I wouldn’t spend the primetime money on it. I would go so far as to say its just worth the rental.

The final complaint with the film is that they changed the plot. I would have expected that they would make the film less anti-Catholic than the novel. Interestingly, the change actually makes the film more anti-Catholic. In the novel Bishop Manuel Aringarosa (Alfred Molina), has no idea that Silas’ (Paul Bettany) mission requires him to commit murder. In fact, Aringarosa believes that no harm will come to anyone and that he will simply be able to purchase the keystone. In the film however, Aringarosa is a willing participant of a complicated plot to commit murder and even mislead the police. This change actually makes the film more controversial than the novel. Not a good change in my opinion. In fact, it only adds another thing for me to criticize.

Synopsis:
Lisa Reisert (Rachel McAdams) is a successful hotel manager who knows her clients well. On a red eye flight home, she meets the mysterious Jackson Rippner (Cillian Murphy) who seems to know her so well. Things take a dark turn when Jackson reveals that he is in fact a crafty assassin and is holding Lisa’s father (Brian Cox) as insurance. Now Lisa must break free, rescue her father, and find a way to save the politician that Jackson is targeting.

Review:
This movie was another one that was a pleasant surprise. This movie is simple and entertaining. I enjoyed the full 85 minutes. The thing with this movie is that its not complicated. The plot is straightforward and the action keeps the story moving. I must say that Wes Craven did a good job with this one. I was concerned when I first rented this DVD that the movie would be built around a twist that would a let-down. Lucky for me, it wasn’t.

The acting was decent. I don’t have high regards for Rachel McAdams. Though she was amusing in Mean Girls and The Wedding Crashers, I haven’t seen her give a stellar performance. She wasn’t bad, but this isn’t an Oscar contender so being that critical wouldn’t be fair. Cillian Murphy was great for the role. He was frightening. He was quite convincing as a cold and calculating assassin. His (in my opinion) small role in Batman Begins really didn’t showcase his talent enough.

Overall, this movie is worth a rental. You should definitely watch it. I don’t know that its worth a purchase, especially considering DVD prices these days, but its definitely worth watching.