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Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, Joan Allen, David Strathairn, Scott Glenn, Paddy Considine, Edgar Ramirez. Espionage thriller. Written by Tony Gilroy, Tom Stoppard, Scott Burns, Paul Attanasio. Directed by Paul Greengrass.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Matt Damon returns as the trained assassin Jason Bourne for the latest showdown in The Bourne Ultimatum. All he wanted was to disappear. Instead, Jason Bourne is now hunted by the people who made him what he is. 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.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Excessive, paranoid and noisy. That said, a fan base may enjoy the further adventures of Mr. Bourne and may also be hypnotized by the chase scene, which begins at the opening and continues until the end.

Director Paul Greengrass did one of my favorite films of last year, United 93, and he brings the same production skill to this Bourne sequel. He also brings my least favorite photographic gimmick – the handheld “unsteady” cam. It’s used to add tension to a scene, as the camera constantly bobs up and down, jitters sideways and twirls all around. Here, he even shoots people seated, drinking coffee, using this technique. Suddenly, the camera is close on one eye, then swings to a close-up of the other person’s face. The constant movement nearly causes nausea.

And where would today’s action/thriller be without the ever present cell phone and the all-knowing computer? Good heavens, they use those two tools to death.

Those are my two hang-ups with this film. Well, those and the profane language. Still, Mr. Damon is terrific, bringing dimension to an under-written character, and the action is ceaseless and kinetic for those who like their movies to look like MTV videos.

Video Alternative: The Ipcress File. Michael Caine. Although it suggests some sexual activity, it doesn't bombard your senses with a lot of rough language or sexuality like much of today's cinema, but rather focuses on a great espionage caper.

Distributor: Universal