The Bourne Ultimatum, 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later
October 1, 2008 Leave a Comment
Bourne Ultimatum, The
[ 4 stars out of 4 ]
Jason Bourne pulled a Sydney Bristow. For the fans of the great show called “Alias,” you’ll know what I’m talking about. If not, that’s okay. All the more reason for you to see it. Although I predicted that something like that happened to Bourne, it remains extraordinarily exciting. No one is safe in this supposed final installment. I am immensely glad they had the bravado to kill off a potential main character in the first few scenes, not to mention put Julia Stiles’ beloved character in an unimaginable danger in the roofs. It was so exhilirating, I got numb and shaken at several points throughout the film. The assassins are deadlier, the hand-to-hand combats more real, and the car chases at its best. Not to mention desperation is in the air as characters switch from one side to another in search for the truth. I can only hope they make a fourth movie in the future–I can’t get enough of Jason Bourne! For me, “The Bourne” series has revolutionized the spy-thriller genre in so many levels. Which one is the best “Bourne” movie? All of them. They’re unique in their own way. This one expertly used flashbacks, past dialogues, scenes, character foils, and similar situations that happened in the past two movies. It was eerie yet it provides some form of closure. It reminded me of the last season of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” It is officially my favourite film series of all time, right next to “Indiana Jones.” “The Bourne Ultimatum” is THE best movie of summer 2007.
28 Days Later
[ 4 stars out of 4 ]
The first time I saw this film, I was in total awe because of how well-written and well-executed it was. Cillian Murphy was great as a man who wakes up in a London hospital, completely unaware that the city has been evacuated… and the ones left are the hungry undead. I must admit that I love placing myself in his shoes, knowing that all of it is fictional. But when I actually had a dream that is extremely similar to this film, I was absolutely horrified and woke up soaked in sweat, my heart pounding a thousand beats per minute. The tone of the film is nothing like I’ve ever seen in a horror movie, which was really refreshing. The use of silence is masterful and the scares are first class. Although the movie takes a bit of a dive in its third act, it’s more than forgivable because the rest of the film was eerily consistent. This was also interesting because this is not a zombie film that takes a look at the global crisis. It focuses on one group of people, which means it is more personal and we get to learn more about the characters as the movie goes along… That is, until or if they get infected by the Rage Virus. This is a modern classic zombie film, which I have no doubt will be a horror favourite twenty or fifty years from now.
28 Weeks Later
[ 4 stars out of 4 ]
A sequel that is as good, at times better, than its predecessor. What made this movie better than the original is that there were more scenes where the characters were being attacked. With that comes a sense of danger lurking around the corner wherever they go, so the audiences anticipate what’s coming and it becomes engaging. This movie also had some sort of progress: the focus is now on the family rather than the individual like in the first movie. It also embraced a possibility of how the virus infected others society-wise prior to the first scene in “28 Days Later.” Not only that, they also managed to talk about the idea of a mutation and a cure which, as a Biology student, I appreciated because the scientists’ explanations made some sort of sense. What this film lacked, nonetheless, is that bleak tone the first movie had–that sense of hopelessness, misery, and isolation. It also lacked a sense of sadness that the first movie fully grasped. This is a solid effort and, I must say, I’m looking forward to “28 Months Later.”
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