Product Description

Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 01/27/2009

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #689 in DVD
• Brand: Universal Studios
• Released on: 2009-01-27
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Dubbed in: French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 3
• Running time: 344 minutes

Amazon.com
The Bourne Identity
Freely adapted from Robert Ludlum's 1980 bestseller, The Bourne Identity starts fast and never slows down. The twisting plot revs up in Zurich, where amnesiac CIA assassin Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), with no memory of his name, profession, or recent activities, recruits a penniless German traveler (Run Lola Run's Franka Potente) to assist in solving the puzzle of his missing identity. While his CIA superior (Chris Cooper) dispatches assassins to kill Bourne and thus cover up his failed mission, Bourne exercises his lethal training to leave a trail of bodies from Switzerland to Paris. Director Doug Liman (Go) infuses Ludlum's intricate plotting with a maverick's eye for character detail, matching breathtaking action with the humorous, thrill-seeking chemistry of Damon and Potente. Previously made as a 1988 TV movie starring Richard Chamberlain, The Bourne Identity benefits from the sharp talent of rising stars, offering intelligent, crowd-pleasing excitement from start to finish. --Jeff Shannon

The Bourne Supremacy
Good enough to suggest long-term franchise potential, The Bourne Supremacy is a thriller fans will appreciate for its well-crafted suspense, and for its triumph of competence over logic (or lack thereof). Picking up where The Bourne Identity left off, the action begins when CIA assassin and partial amnesiac Jason Bourne (a role reprised with efficient intensity by Matt Damon) is framed for a murder in Berlin, setting off a chain reaction of pursuits involving CIA handlers (led by Joan Allen and the duplicitous Brian Cox, with Julia Stiles returning from the previous film) and a shadowy Russian oil magnate. The fast-paced action hurtles from India to Berlin, Moscow, and Italy, and as he did with the critically acclaimed Bloody Sunday, director Paul Greengrass puts you right in the thick of it with split-second editing (too much of it, actually) and a knack for well-sustained tension. It doesn't all make sense, and bears little resemblance to Robert Ludlum's novel, but with Damon proving to be an appealingly unconventional action hero, there's plenty to look forward to. --Jeff Shannon

The Bourne Ultimatum
The often breathtaking, final installment in the Bourne trilogy finds the titular assassin with no memory closing in on his past, finally answering his own questions about his real identity and how he came to be a seemingly unstoppable killing machine. Matt Damon returns for another intensely physical performance as Jason Bourne, the rogue operative at war with the CIA, which made him who and what he is and managed to kill his girlfriend in the series' second film, The Bourne Supremacy. Now looking for payback, Bourne goes in search for the renegade chief of CIA operations in Europe and North Africa, partnering for a time with a mysterious woman from his past (Julia Stiles) and constantly--constantly--on the run from assassins, intelligence foot soldiers, and cops. Directed by Paul Greengrass (United 93) with the director’s thrilling, trademark textures and shaky, documentary style, The Bourne Ultimatum is largely a succession of action scenes that reveal a lot about the story’s characters while they’re under duress. Joan Allen, Albert Finney, David Strathairn, Scott Glenn, and Paddy Considine comprise the film’s terrific supporting cast, and the well-traveled movie leads viewers through Turin, Madrid, Tangiers, Paris, London, and New York. Overall, this is a satisfying conclusion to Bourne’s exciting and protracted mystery. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

The Bourne Trilogy (Blu-ray)
(Due to a 1,000 character maximum, I have omitted my review of the movies' content).

Video

Identity - 4.0

It's a pretty good transfer for a movie made in '02. Colors and contrast were spot-on for the most part with a good amount of detail in blacks. However, I noticed quite a few instances of grain and artifacts popping up every now and then, and I think a few shots made colors and skin tones look a tad smudgy, but it's hard to tell having just seen these for the first time. Bitrates are steady from the high 20s to low 30s (for all three movies), and the non-grainy scenes were sharp and DNR-less from what I can tell. It's definitely not demo material, but much better than a DVD and other BD transfers.

Supremacy - 4.5

Being made in '04, Supremacy is presented with a much higher quality video transfer. And for all the complaints I hear of the camera being too shaky, it actually didn't bother me so much. Colors and contrast are even more vibrant in this one and sharpness is very precise, which I noticed in the facial features of the actors. I watched all three films one after another in a single night, and believe me, the picture quality gets better with each sequel. The only problems I had were during a few darkly-lit scenes and the one car-chase through Moscow. Grain was slightly more prevalent in these shots, and I think a few closeups seemed out of focus and just short of perfect.

Ultimatum - 5.0

Being most recent and filmed in '07, I was blown away by the quality of Ultimatum. I'd read early reviews of near-flawless transfers for this. But after seeing it myself, I seriously didn't notice a single problem anywhere. Colors, contrast, flesh tones, backgrounds, photography, blacks, sharpness, shadow delineation; it's all perfect, at least to my eye. This is reference quality video if you want an action movie relying on little CG or visual effects to show off to your guests. My favorite sequences are the overhead/sky shots of all the exotic cities.

Audio

Identity, Supremacy - 4.5

While the video is good and great for the first two films respectively, the DTS-HD tracks for them are excellent at the least. Directionality is well-placed with subtle dynamic range and a good deal of LFE during gunfights and car chases (much more so on Supremacy). Music by John Powell is immersive as well, though not quite as bombastic or with as much ambiance as Ultimatum's overall sound design. Dialogue is clear with zero dropout, and I didn't detect any anomalies like hissing or crackling.

Ultimatum - 5.0

This movie won three Oscars for Sound, Design, and Editing, and rightfully so. The audio effects and music all meld together flawlessly having sounds from every single speaker non-stop of even the most subtle variety. You will wow your guests, guaranteed, with any action sequences. Directionality comes from every speaker just as you'd "see" them on the screen. If a car crashes from the left to the right side, you'll actually hear it travel across your front speakers. If a gunshot approaches from the side or rear of the camera, you hear it travel from the sides to the fronts. I don't know how to better explain than saying you literally hear what you see. Dynamics have all sorts of range from shoes running on gravel, horns honking in the distance, glass shattering, bones crunching, etc. LFEs are especially good with lots of variation in bass levels between the music and sound effects. Reference.

Extras - 4.5

I watched the extras for all three movies, which consisted of the usual production, shooting logistics, and stunt work documentaries and found them very informative. I also liked the the little background info on Robert Ludlum's career and creation of Bourne, though it's sad to hear he died right before Identity came out. I'm sure he would've loved these adaptations. All of these features are in SD and just a little too broad for me, but I still enjoyed them. A few things that were really cool, though, were the U-Control features. I've honestly never messed with any of this BD-Live or interactive stuff, but from what I saw, it's actually pretty neat. I didn't feel like rewatching the movies again, so I'm not really sure how flashy or in depth these trivia tracks or PIP features can go.

Overall - 4.5

Lots of people these days are making comparisons between Bourne and the new Bond movies. While I really like Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace for the more humanistic approach to Bond's character, I have to say I also never expected The Bourne Trilogy to be as in depth, yet down-to-earth as it presented itself. I've only seen Matt Damon in maybe two or three films prior to Bourne, but I will admit to my misguided reluctance and say he did a fabulous job in this role. While not quite meeting my personal criteria to be an all-time favorite, there's certainly enough character and story to provide a tremendous amount of entertainment and replay value for years to come. I highly recommend this series for anyone looking for a gritty, emotional interpretation of the spy/action/thriller/conspiracy genre.

A note on the packaging
I couldn't figure out how to open this set. I was tugging on the sides. Then I tried to slip the case off vertically. I was on the verge of forcing open the box when I decided to google the set, hoping to see something about the packaging scheme since there is no clear indication as to how to open it. Before you force this thing open, take note: The cover image of Matt Damon is a magnet. It flips open to the left, allowing access to the discs. Enjoy.

Best trilogy in many years now nearly perfect on Blue Ray
It's hard to imagine a better trilogy of films more suitable for Blue Ray than the Jason Bourne movies. Each film looks absolutely fantastic, the sound is spot on, and the films themselves are masterpieces by thriller standards. Bourne has become iconic; the Bond of the new generation. Matt Damon's all-american good looks, intensity, and acting skills give the films a credibility that many movies search for but never find.

There are so many reasons to buy this collection. The transfer quality is nearly perfect in my opinion, but I am not the type to watch the films with a magnifying glass and look for any tiny mistakes. The surround sound is simply unreal. John Powell's score really comes to life and the depth of the sound effects are fantastic. The scene in Ultimatum that takes place in Waterloo Train Station is epic and should go down in cinema history as one of the best cat-and-mouse chase scenes ever made. The storyline is well constructed, believable, and leaves you hungry for more.

Thankfully, there is a fourth Bourne movie in the works, with both Damon and director Paul Greengrass returning to make sure it is done right. I can't wait.

There are few movies I will watch again and again, and these make that very short list. The best trilogy since the GODFATHER movies (sorry STAR WARS fans), these are a no brainer for any movie fan. 5/5 stars.