Evidently, it isn’t easy ending the lives of others, even those who pose an ostensive threat to national security, survive a five-car collision or mildly resemble Drake. “I can see their faces - anyone I ever killed,” he confides to rogue hacker Nicki Parsons (Julia Stiles), who takes his battered hand in her own. When he isn’t kicking ass as an amnesiac spy on the run, he’s dolefully ruminating on the aftermath of the said ass-kicking in his past. As the invincible hero of “The Bourne Ultimatum,” the third installment of the 2002–2007 trilogy, Matt Damon slays, saves and anguishes. government so committed to counter-terrorist measures that it recruits and transforms its own citizens into veritable killing machines. It’s 2007 and the “they” in question is the Central Intelligence Agency - and, more covertly, a U.S. And even if The Bourne Supremacy's shaky-cam theatrics occasionally made it hard to keep up with some of its faster-paced thrills, that stylistic change only bolstered the series' already engrossing, character-driven aesthetic.“Look at us,” Jason Bourne says to the man meant to kill him. Greengrass and company of course benefitted from being able to largely bypass back stories and get right to the action with their Bourne sequel, but even minutes into The Bourne Supremacy, it's clear the director's style is taking not just the franchise, but action cinema itself in a bold new direction. spy world that The Bourne Identity introduced, but a brash, high-style high-wire act who's visceral energy provided for breathless, bone-crushing dramatics barely teased in the original. And when The Bourne Supremacy arrived in theaters in the Summer of 2004, the film proved not just a welcome narrative expansion of the shadowy spy vs. It's safe to assume most American moviegoers didn't see Bloody Sunday, though. The producers of the Bourne films did, and they brought Greengrass onboard, believing that gritty, grounded approach was just what their franchise needed to get to the next level. Most importantly, The Bourne Identity was that rarest of action films which never sacrificed brains for brawn, with Liman and company crafting a sly, puzzle-box of a spy thriller that delivered both in equal measure. It helped, as well, that the film was based on fresh characters and stories never adapted in any medium.įeaturing a superstar-making turn from Damon, and assured direction from Doug Liman (then helming the biggest production he'd ever been involved with), The Bourne Identity also proved a first-rate espionage flick about an amnesiac super spy trying to piece his fractured life back together. That's in large thanks to the fact that The Bourne Identity flew largely under radar ahead of its release, with not quite A-list names fronting the action in front of and behind the camera. Released in 2002, The Bourne Identity, thankfully, satisfied on both fronts, pulling well above board critical notes and equally impressive box office numbers, thus ensuring the franchise got off on a very good foot. That The Bourne Identity was based on a crackling novel by the late-great Robert Ludlum, and set to co-star the likes of indie-minded actors Chris Cooper ( American Beauty), Franka Potente ( Run Lola Run), and Brian Cox ( Rushmore) likely sealed the deal. That the film was being directed by rising indie star Dough Liman (hot off the success of Swingers and Go) probably helped draw Damon in. Many were genuinely surprised when Damon claimed the lead in a big-budget espionage flick by the name of The Bourne Identity. Ripley, leaving many to assume he was dedicated to forging his path solely in prestige pictures. On the verge of the big time, Damon spent the next few years beefing up an already impressive resume with solid turns in films like Saving Private Ryan, Rounders, and The Talented Mr. That writer was a twenty-something Matt Damon, who'd just netted said Oscar for penning (alongside his pal Ben Affleck) his own breakout role for the lauded drama. Little does the world know, but the Academy Award-winning screenwriter behind Good Will Hunting is about to become an action star for the next generation.