The Bourne Ultimatum Blu-ray

The Bourne Ultimatum

 (2007)

Action | Adventure | Mystery



All he wanted was to disappear; instead, Jason Bourne is now hunted by the people who made him what he is--legendary assassin. Having lost his memory and the one person he loved, he is undeterred by the barrage of bullets and a new generation of highly-trained killers. Bourne has only one objective: to go back to the beginning and find out who he was. Now, in the new chapter of this espionage series, Bourne will hunt down his past in order to find a future. He must travel from Moscow, Paris and London to Tangier and New York City as he continues his quest to find the real Jason Bourne--all the while trying to outmaneuver the scores of cops, federal officers and Interpol agents with him in their crosshairs.

For more details about The Bourne Ultimatum on Blu-ray, see The Bourne Ultimatum Blu-ray Review

The Bourne Ultimatum Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


With a visual experience that’s quite similar to The Bourne Supremacy’s, The Bourne Ultimatum’s 1080p/VC-1 transfer takes the already-polished look of its predecessor and buffs it until it positively shines. From a dark, snow-covered night in Moscow to the blazing afternoon heat of a Tangier marketplace, the film’s various color schemes are expertly reproduced here. The palette is appropriately muted most of the time—sleek, modern grays are in abundance—but when strong color is called for, the transfer delivers in spades. Skin tones fit nicely in that natural pocket between ruddy and pallid, and the weighty contrast gives the image a striking presence that’s never diluted or washed-out. As with The Bourne Supremacy, black levels can be a bit oppressive at times—especially during the darker indoor scenes—but if my memory serves me correctly, this is exactly what the film looked like in theaters. If shadow detail is occasionally crushed, it’s all in service of director Paul Greengrass’ visual aesthetic, which favors a moody atmosphere over an image that’s unnaturally bright. Clarity never suffers though, and Ultimatum is tack sharp throughout almost all of its runtime. Minus a few scattered soft shots, textures pop in convincing bas-relief, background detailing is striking—see the crowded Waterloo train station—and even small details, like the zipper on an assassin’s jacket, seem real enough to touch. Just as importantly, compression issues and the unnecessary tinkering of DNR and edge enhancement are completely absent, leaving a fine-grained image that’s sharp, clean, and believably filmic.

The Bourne Ultimatum Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


Likewise, if The Bourne Supremacy put your home theater system through the paces, Ultimatum’s DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track will have it doubled over and gasping for breath after a brutal sonic workout. The film won Oscars for Best Sound and Best Sound Editing at the 80th Academy Awards, and both the intricacy and sheer pulverizing intensity of the audio design are even better on Blu-ray. From a porcelain teacup settling gently on a saucer to the most earth-shaking, metal-rending explosion, this track is, if not always completely realistic, entirely convincing and perfectly realized. It all begins with the wall of wrap- around sound that envelops the viewer in the film’s world from start to finish. Whether it's the commuter hustle of Waterloo Station, the bleeps, bloops, and keyboard strokes in the CIA situation room, gulls squawking above a chaotic Moroccan marketplace, or the hectic street sounds of New York City, this track puts you right in the middle of it all. And this is just what it sounds like when it’s quiet. Add the Bourne-induced action into the mix and you’ve bullets pinging through the soundfield with pinpoint precision, tires squealing on the pavement, metal wrenching and glass spraying across asphalt during multi-car pileups, deafening explosions triggering massive waves of LFE output, and, of course, the exaggerated but oh so satisfying sound of Bourne pummeling his aggressors with fists that might as well be made of concrete. Somehow, within all this frenetic audio action, dialogue remains expertly prioritized, leaving no line unheard. And I haven’t even touched on John Powell’s brilliant score, which provides the martial pulse for the film’s brisk editing, or the well-implemented impressionistic sound design of Bourne’s periodic flasbacks. Crank up your receivers, Bourne fans, and prepare to be annihilated.

The Bourne Ultimatum Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Deal of the Day: Bourne Blu-ray Trilogy for $49.99 (Expired) - December 18, 2009


• Universal Brings back Flipper Combos, now on Blu-ray - December 1, 2009


• Bourne Movies Get Separate Blu-ray Releases - November 29, 2009

The Bourne Ultimatum Blu-ray, Forum Discussions

Topic

Replies

Last post