I hope Damon returns to this role one day...
The high definition visuals of the HD-DVD side of the Combo Format release do hold up nicely, regardless of Greengrass´s decisions. The 2.40:1 film is mastered at 1080p and uses the VC-1 codec to achieve its sharp visuals. I´ve yet to see a Universal film not mastered at 1080p and with a code other than VC-1, but it may happen one day. So I will continue to provide the technical details. The desaturated colors come across rather nicely. They are muted, but true to the source materials. Detail is as sharp as the source materials allow, but hindered by the omnipresent film grain that is a staple of any Jason Bourne film. However, the high altitude views of the locations used in the film all looked absolutely incredible in high definition. Black levels are deep and true. There are no flaws in the digital mastering of the film and the source was clean. This is just one of those films hard to judge because of stylistic choices made, but "The Bourne Ultimatum" looks quite good on HD-DVD.
Sound:
Sound is delivered via a powerful and booming English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack. English and French Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 mixes are also provided, but the TrueHD should be the only soundtrack selected if your equipment can handle the high bandwidth sound format. It is a far superior mix to the better-than-average Dolby Digital track. Both are sure to please, but I highly recommend the TrueHD soundtrack. The flip-side DVD contains an additional Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 track to match the English and French mixes. If you are Spanish speaking, then the DVD side is probably preferable. "The Bourne Ultimatum" is a powerful and capable sounding TrueHD mix that rivals nearly anything released on the HD-DVD format.
The film is an enveloping experience that provides a detailed and rich world. Jason Bourne is a man who notices everything around him and the soundtrack allows the audience to hear everything surrounding Bourne. Rear surrounds are heavily used throughout the film and provides everything from gunfire and overhead bullets to the sounds of metal meeting metal in the film´s big car chases. The .1 low frequency effects channel bellows some deep and powerful bass. It is deep and it is strong. The front channels are no slouch either. They carry information during the entire hectically filmed affair. Directional effects sound great in all five channels and move fluidly and convincingly between channels. The songs contained in the soundtrack and the musical score by John Powell come across powerfully. Dialogue is spot-on as well and not one word is lost during even the most sonically powerful segments.
Extras:
"The Bourne Ultimatum" arrives as one of Universal´s HD-DVD / DVD Combo Format releases that is commonplace for their latest and greatest titles. The menus feature a great song playing as one browses their contents. The disc features Web Enabled Features. Unfortunately, this is the first title I´ve reviewed using my new Toshiba HD-A35 unit and I´ve yet to properly configure it to connect to the Internet. I will have to update the review after I puzzle through the various network settings I need to change to get it to work with my semi-complicated home network. The packaging lists a Be Bourne Spy Training aptitude test that apparently works with the web-based content. I apologize for not fully reviewing this feature, but this title has been sitting for weeks as it would not play on my now replaced Toshiba HD-A1 unit.
The U-Control functionality of "The Bourne Ultimatum" is nicely done. Three aspects of U-Control technology are utilized for this title. The Picture in Picture functionality appears eleven of the twenty chapters and provides some very nice video interviews and making of segments. This is one of my favorite parts of U-Control and the materials here are very nice. Half of the twenty chapters use the Blackbriar Files feature which provides pop-up graphical screens that detail more information on the technology and locations featured in the film. This can be very nice if you are looking to research a covered topic. The final part of U-Control used on the disc appears only once. This is the Volkswagen Get More Info feature that allows you to learn more about the Volkswagen Toureag. It is also tied into the web-based content. I´m a Camaro Z/28 guy myself, so I didn´t care much for the little car and its info.
The more standard fare features are worth checking out. The Feature Commentary with Director Paul Greengrass is a very nice listen for fans of the series. Greengrass is a man who has never disappointed in one of his commentary tracks, but he nicely delves into the making of the film, comparisons to Robert Ludlum novels and other fine anecdotes about his experiences making the film. I´m not the biggest fan of his directing style, but he gives a good commentary track. The Deleted Scenes (12:21) are lumped together. These scenes appeared both letterboxed and pillarboxed on my screen and this was disappointing, but the scenes have some interest in watching out. Nothing terribly ground shattering is included amongst these excised bits, but they were decent enough. The Be Bourne Spy Training test is included and feature snippets of footage from the film and you answer questions based upon them. I´m not sure how this works with the online portion, but I found it interesting to sit through once.
A few vignettes and short documentaries are also included. The Man on the Move: Jason Bourne (23:56) is broken into five chapters (Berlin, Paris, London, Madrid and Tangier). This is a combination of video diaries and interviews that takes a very nice look at how the film was shot at the five principle locations of the film. I found this quite interesting and enjoyed the look at the actual buildings used in the film and comparisons to earlier films and details about the actual locations. This was one of the better half hour making-of features I´ve seen in a while. It was also presented in full 16x9 video.
The Rooftop Pursuit (5:39) feature looks at Tangier rooftop scene and the stunts put together to create the entertaining scene. Planning the Punches (4:59) finds Joey Ansah showing off his incredible physical talents as he warmed up for the big fight with Matt Damon and then they two stars talk about the big fight sequence from the film. Driving School (3:23) talked about a test track in New Jersey and briefly talked about the stunt driving in the film. The final bit, New York Chase (10:46) added onto the information detailed in "Driving School" and the second unit director creating the scene that built the climactic scene from the film. These short vignettes were interesting, but the featurette "Man on the Move" was easily the best of making-of offerings.
Closing Comments:
Matt Damon is Jason Bourne. Nobody could ever take over the role that has helped in making him a household name. The three loosely based adaptations of Robert Ludlum´s novels have been entertaining and work very nicely together. This third film is a great finish to the three story trilogy, but it could hardly stand on its own without prior knowledge of "Identity" and "Supremacy." I do not like the style chosen by Paul Greengrass in bringing "The Bourne Ultimatum" to life, but I still enjoy this film. There is a lot of action and a lot of plot in this film and this intelligent spy picture is a breath of fresh air when compared to the lighter James Bond pictures that have almost become a mockery of themselves. The HD-DVD release features a great looking picture that is not reference material only because of the rough documentary style of Greengrass. The sound is impeccable and fitting of reference quality. The bonus features are nice, but "The Bourne Ultimatum" is not among the upper tier when it comes to value added content. This is certainly an above average entry to one´s HD-DVD library and should sit nicely with the other two Bourne films.
Sound:
Sound is delivered via a powerful and booming English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack. English and French Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 mixes are also provided, but the TrueHD should be the only soundtrack selected if your equipment can handle the high bandwidth sound format. It is a far superior mix to the better-than-average Dolby Digital track. Both are sure to please, but I highly recommend the TrueHD soundtrack. The flip-side DVD contains an additional Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 track to match the English and French mixes. If you are Spanish speaking, then the DVD side is probably preferable. "The Bourne Ultimatum" is a powerful and capable sounding TrueHD mix that rivals nearly anything released on the HD-DVD format.
The film is an enveloping experience that provides a detailed and rich world. Jason Bourne is a man who notices everything around him and the soundtrack allows the audience to hear everything surrounding Bourne. Rear surrounds are heavily used throughout the film and provides everything from gunfire and overhead bullets to the sounds of metal meeting metal in the film´s big car chases. The .1 low frequency effects channel bellows some deep and powerful bass. It is deep and it is strong. The front channels are no slouch either. They carry information during the entire hectically filmed affair. Directional effects sound great in all five channels and move fluidly and convincingly between channels. The songs contained in the soundtrack and the musical score by John Powell come across powerfully. Dialogue is spot-on as well and not one word is lost during even the most sonically powerful segments.
Extras:
"The Bourne Ultimatum" arrives as one of Universal´s HD-DVD / DVD Combo Format releases that is commonplace for their latest and greatest titles. The menus feature a great song playing as one browses their contents. The disc features Web Enabled Features. Unfortunately, this is the first title I´ve reviewed using my new Toshiba HD-A35 unit and I´ve yet to properly configure it to connect to the Internet. I will have to update the review after I puzzle through the various network settings I need to change to get it to work with my semi-complicated home network. The packaging lists a Be Bourne Spy Training aptitude test that apparently works with the web-based content. I apologize for not fully reviewing this feature, but this title has been sitting for weeks as it would not play on my now replaced Toshiba HD-A1 unit.
The U-Control functionality of "The Bourne Ultimatum" is nicely done. Three aspects of U-Control technology are utilized for this title. The Picture in Picture functionality appears eleven of the twenty chapters and provides some very nice video interviews and making of segments. This is one of my favorite parts of U-Control and the materials here are very nice. Half of the twenty chapters use the Blackbriar Files feature which provides pop-up graphical screens that detail more information on the technology and locations featured in the film. This can be very nice if you are looking to research a covered topic. The final part of U-Control used on the disc appears only once. This is the Volkswagen Get More Info feature that allows you to learn more about the Volkswagen Toureag. It is also tied into the web-based content. I´m a Camaro Z/28 guy myself, so I didn´t care much for the little car and its info.
The more standard fare features are worth checking out. The Feature Commentary with Director Paul Greengrass is a very nice listen for fans of the series. Greengrass is a man who has never disappointed in one of his commentary tracks, but he nicely delves into the making of the film, comparisons to Robert Ludlum novels and other fine anecdotes about his experiences making the film. I´m not the biggest fan of his directing style, but he gives a good commentary track. The Deleted Scenes (12:21) are lumped together. These scenes appeared both letterboxed and pillarboxed on my screen and this was disappointing, but the scenes have some interest in watching out. Nothing terribly ground shattering is included amongst these excised bits, but they were decent enough. The Be Bourne Spy Training test is included and feature snippets of footage from the film and you answer questions based upon them. I´m not sure how this works with the online portion, but I found it interesting to sit through once.
A few vignettes and short documentaries are also included. The Man on the Move: Jason Bourne (23:56) is broken into five chapters (Berlin, Paris, London, Madrid and Tangier). This is a combination of video diaries and interviews that takes a very nice look at how the film was shot at the five principle locations of the film. I found this quite interesting and enjoyed the look at the actual buildings used in the film and comparisons to earlier films and details about the actual locations. This was one of the better half hour making-of features I´ve seen in a while. It was also presented in full 16x9 video.
The Rooftop Pursuit (5:39) feature looks at Tangier rooftop scene and the stunts put together to create the entertaining scene. Planning the Punches (4:59) finds Joey Ansah showing off his incredible physical talents as he warmed up for the big fight with Matt Damon and then they two stars talk about the big fight sequence from the film. Driving School (3:23) talked about a test track in New Jersey and briefly talked about the stunt driving in the film. The final bit, New York Chase (10:46) added onto the information detailed in "Driving School" and the second unit director creating the scene that built the climactic scene from the film. These short vignettes were interesting, but the featurette "Man on the Move" was easily the best of making-of offerings.
Closing Comments:
Matt Damon is Jason Bourne. Nobody could ever take over the role that has helped in making him a household name. The three loosely based adaptations of Robert Ludlum´s novels have been entertaining and work very nicely together. This third film is a great finish to the three story trilogy, but it could hardly stand on its own without prior knowledge of "Identity" and "Supremacy." I do not like the style chosen by Paul Greengrass in bringing "The Bourne Ultimatum" to life, but I still enjoy this film. There is a lot of action and a lot of plot in this film and this intelligent spy picture is a breath of fresh air when compared to the lighter James Bond pictures that have almost become a mockery of themselves. The HD-DVD release features a great looking picture that is not reference material only because of the rough documentary style of Greengrass. The sound is impeccable and fitting of reference quality. The bonus features are nice, but "The Bourne Ultimatum" is not among the upper tier when it comes to value added content. This is certainly an above average entry to one´s HD-DVD library and should sit nicely with the other two Bourne films.
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