Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Matt Damon is Jason Bourne, an elite government agent determined to outwit and outmaneuver anyone who stands in the way of his finding out the secrets of his mysterious past. Follow his explosive, action-packed adventures in three blockbuster films from one of the most popular series of all time: "The Bourne Identity", "The Bourne Supremacy" and "The Bourne Ultimatum".

I think it goes without saying that the Bourne films have literally redefined the action/spy genre. Rather than just another action thriller, The Bourne Identity instead focused on making an intelligent action film with a main character that is capable, smart and brutal all at once. The follow ups went even farther and changed our views on action editing and intensity. Since then we’ve seen the affect these films have had on Hollywood with a new focus on the genre including obvious influence on major franchises such as the Bond films. I think it would be more than safe to say that these films have been some of the best action films out of Hollywood EVER, and continue to entertain after repeat viewings.

The Bourne Identity was directed by Doug Liman of Swingers fame and had a more natural looking appearance than the follow ups. The transfer is solid but at times it softens up here and there. Some light wear is also noticeable from the print with the occasional blemish. Fine object detail in close ups is exquisite and overall depth is strong. As we progress into the follow ups we see a different visual style at the hands of director Paul Greengrass. The image is far more contrasty with inky blacks and slightly blown out whites. This gives the imagery a bit of a harder look that really adds to the mood of the film. The editing is also far more frantic. Detail and dimension improve a bit over the sequels with the third film being the standout in all categories. While none of the films are weak in visual presentation by any means, they seem to get a bit stronger from beginning to end. Compared to the original HD DVD releases I didn’t see any real differences in overall quality, but those releases already looked quite good to begin with.

The trilogy gets all new soundtracks for their Blu-ray release and Universal continues its strong support of DTS-HD Master Audio. Like the visual style there is a bit of a difference going from the first film to the follow ups but all of these soundtracks are solid in their own right. The sound design is great at keeping up with the atmosphere and mood of the story and the sound effects are excellent. Dynamic range is outstanding in all the films with powerful bass and exceptional clarity. Surround activity is involving with nice discrete use and plenty of rich ambiance. The dialogue never sounds thin and the balance within the mix is solid. I did notice some slight improvement in tonal balance between these and the HD DVD releases, but it was a tough call.

Each one of these films is loaded to the gills with great special features. Universal is quickly becoming my favorite studio for the complete package on Blu-ray. Using their U-Control interface, each film features a picture-in-picture visual commentary with interviews of the cast and crew and onset footage from the production. There are also key facts thrown in throughout the film that give you locations, GPS coordinates and tech info for the relevant scenes. The “Bourne Orientation” is an interesting feature that shows you clues that have been coming up throughout the films and how they’ve been helping lead the story along. This could serve as a road map to the films for those having trouble keeping up.

Each film is also loaded down with production features that looking into the style of the film, shooting the action sequences and building the Bourne universe. Deleted scenes and feature commentaries for each film are also included. If your player is BD-Live capable you can record your own visual commentary for each film and let your friends check it out. You can even chat with them while you watch the film. There is also a strategy game you can play online with your friends. Honestly the only thing Universal is missing here are digital copies of the films and the kitchen sink!

One of the best action trilogies finally finds its way to Blu-ray. The A/V presentations are excellent and there is enough extras here for even the staunchest collector. Highly recommended!