1031. The Bourne Ultimatum

The Bourne Ultimatum
2007
Directed by Paul Greengrass

Well, it has not been one of my better months, as I am recovering from surgery and being dumped.  The only movies I have felt like watching have been ones where seemingly happy couples get stabbed in the head (subsequently, I have once again been exploring the darkest recesses of Netflix horror).  Anyway, I thought I could siphon off some of my ill will by working myself up into a good rant about yet another Hollywood action sequel.  Unfortunately, this was nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be.  Damn.

This is the third Bourne film in the series.  I haven't seen any of the other Bourne movies, but I imagined it would be like Bond films, which is a series that guarantees confusion over convoluted evil plans no matter how much you bone up on the material.  Very helpfully, several characters provided some clunky exposition right at the beginning, so I didn't feel overly lost.  I suppose my plot summary is that Jason Bourne has no memory of who he is and must run around trying to discover the truth.  Nothing like a hot guy with an identity crisis.

Mostly, this film consisted of chase scenes.  Bourne is chased through many different cities but always evades his pursuers in increasingly ridiculous ways.  This is quite fun in the beginning, but got a bit tedious at the end.  Matt Damon elevates the movie, as he is a lot more talented than the standard action hero.  Although it does bother me than his character never bothers with a disguise.

I'm not sure it deserves its place on this List, but you could do a lot worse, action movie wise.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Production was unable to shut down Waterloo station so "extras" can be seen pointing at the cameras.

Jason Bourne doesn't smile for the entire movie.  I bet no one tells him he has resting bitch face...

1030. WALL-E

WALL-E
2008
Directed by Andrew Stanton

I actually saw this film at a drive-in, which is always a fun experience (you can maximize your snackage without fear of judgement).  I didn't find this quite as heart-warming as the rest of the population, but it was undeniably adorable.

In the year 2805, WALL-E (or Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth Class) is the last remaining robot on Earth, programmed to clean up Earth so that humanity can one day return.  As is, people have evacuated the planet and live in an automated spaceship, where they spend their time being fat and gross.  One day, WALL-E discovers a healthy seedling (life...uh...finds a way).  Later on, an automated spaceship deploys EVE, a probe, to scan the planet.  There, she meets WALL-E.

Finally, a pro-environmentalism movie that does not include racism!  This is particularly relevant in my country now.  Ahem.  

Anyway, did I enjoy the film?  Honestly, I think it would have made a great animated short.  After about an hour, I was ready to call it quits, particularly since it has such a predictable story line.  Still, I know many people will find this touching and uplifting; it's not the filmmakers' fault that my heart is so shriveled and cold.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Inspired by Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin films.

EVE's longest sentence is three words, while WALL-E's is two.