"I remember... I remember everything."

Still mourning the loss of his beloved, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) has been lured out of hiding after reading articles regarding him in The Guardian. He meets Simon Ross (Paddy Considine), a hotshot journalist who has been following his story. Throughout his research, Ross has gathered up valuable information about Bourne and Treadstone, the organization that trained him. Of course, the CIA won't have it, and overzealous director Noah Vosen (David Strathairn) sends out an assassin named Paz (Edgar Ramirez) to hopefully snuff out Bourne and Ross. Of course, Bourne survives, while Ross is killed. It is through his travels that he reunites with former Treadstone intern Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles), who agrees to follow in Ross's footsteps and help Bourne out, with his objective reaching the final stages in New York City.

Matt Damon might have been a highly popular actor even before his bigger break in the 21st century. Sure, he wouldn't be here if it wasn't for old chum Ben Affleck, who co-starred in, and nominated for a bunch of awards for, Good Will Hunting, followed by two more reunions in Kevin Smith's last two View Askew films, Dogma and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

But come 2002, and the upstart actor made his mark with Doug Liman's visceral adaptation of a hot spy novel. Offering up incredible action pieces w/o CGI to please the summer crowds, while offering up a smart plot that doesn't disappoint, The Identity was a sleeper back in '02. And its reception gave birth to the equally pleasurable sequel The Bourne Supremacy, though it was directed by Paul Greengrass instead of Liman. Sharpening his skills since then and United 93, Greengrass puts Matt Damon through another rigorous obstacle course as Jason Bourne in his entertaining, if slight, third installment.

Much like Live Free or Die Hard, The Bourne Ultimatum succeeds with gritty action scenarios that don't rely on heavy-handed CGI effects that aren't necessarily needed. What tops that film's car-crashing-into-helicopter scene is a car grinding across a road divider like a skateboard in New York City. To me, that's entertainment. Complimented with some suspenseful cat-and-mouse chases and a crackling good score by John Powell (again, not disappointing), Ultimatum never stops.

I hate to nitpick, but there are parts in the film that sort of lost me. Much like Live Free, a film does not have to revel too much in action and violence, but there were times that the film became too rich on exposition and a couple plot holes that I was confused what was going on. For example, a couple of suspense pieces often come out of nowhere. The acting is handled fine (I'll get there, be patient), but Greengrass has a problem keeping up with the plot. Or it could've been the crappy sound system in the theater, I don't know.

Matt Damon is the meat and bones of the film, nevertheless, and his fight scenes and ability to give his co-stars (including a solid Julia Stiles, whose Nicky Parsons character is given a bigger role) plenty of time to work with him are among many things to keep the film busy. Credit also goes to Joan Allen, able to crackle with intensity when sharing the screen with David Strathairn. Even small appearances from Paddy Considine, Edgar Ramirez, and Albert Finney (as one of the doctors of the CIA) leave a sizable mark on the film.

As far as I'm concerned, Ultimatum succeeds as an action-thriller first, and a political thriller second. With a cast that has no disappointing talent whatsoever, any problems with pacing can easily be forgiven. With a forth novel already out (don't know what it's called), I'll anticipate the days until I get another helping of Jason Bourne.