Matt Damon plays Jason Bourne, a character created by a New York Times Bestselling Author Robert Ludlum. I have come to find out that the "Bourne" character that is portrayed in the film is only "loosely" based on Ludlum’s creation, which might have upset some fans of the books. I can appreciate that but since I never read the novels I didn’t have to suffer from any of those hang-ups. Instead, I had the chance to enjoy Matt Damon’s take on this character which has made him one of the all time best action heroes.

       In all three movies, Bourne Identity, Bourne Supremacy and lastly Bourne Ultimatum, we follow Jason Bourne, a black ops special agent, uniquely trained and working covertly for the CIA. This information however, as well as anything else from his past is unbeknownst to him at the time we are first introduced to the character. He was on a mission that failed in which he suffered physical harm, with the worst of his injuries being amnesia. The agent’s failed objective subsequently created political issues for the United States and all those behind the scenes, pulling Bourne’s strings. For the rest of the first film and the two sequels that followed, we watched Bourne start to put the pieces together, realizing who he is, who he can trust and how he became to be the man he is. All the while he avoids attempts on his life by certain agents in the government who are afraid of what he knows and how it can affect their agenda’s.

       How often do we as fans witness sequels getting better and better each time? The easy, short answer to that is, hardly ever. From Director Doug Liman’s job in the first installment to the Paul Greengrass’s hand in the two sequels we are taken on a fluid thrill ride. The pace is non stop and Greengrass delivers camera views and angles that make you feel like you are in the middle of the action. Not overshadowed by the special effects and stunts are the characters which manage to standout on their own amongst the explosive back drops in all of the films.

       A supporting cast of Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Brian Cox, Joan Allen and Julia Stiles to name a few, were all great in their roles and acted well to create characters that influence and affect every aspect of Bourne’s known existence.

       Matt Damon was able to take Bourne, a ruthless trained killer with almost unbelievable ingenuity and skills and make him an endearing character that you can’t help but root for. For such an unassuming character, Bourne’s fight scenes display raw ability and strength and are nothing short of top notch. As for the man he portrays, with all of his frustration at what he comes to realize is his life, we see Damon keep it simple. He doesn’t go over the top, at times even letting the story it self take you where you need to go with the character. It almost seems effortless for him to play a character which leads a life that is anything but. Matt Damon has created an "all time character" in, Jason Bourne.

* By the way…….rumor is that there will be a fourth movie. *