Further proof...

...that Matt Damon is a real actor (and Ben Affleck is not).

I saw the Bourne Ultimatum last week. Never read the books and didn't even see the previous two movies, but I figured that wouldn't really be necessary to follow along. My friend, Nick, gave me a quick summary of "previously on Bourne..."

Bourne Identity: "Holy crap! I don't know who I am but I sure do kick ass!"
Bourne Supremacy: "Still don't know who I am but I killed all the baddies so I'm gonna settle down and enjoy my new girlfriend"

I'd summarize Bourne Ultimatum as "Dammit! I want to know who killed my girlfriend and screwed up my life."

Lots of car chases and fight scenes. Kind of like a lengthy episode of Alias without all the talking. I'm pretty sure there's exactly one scene in the entire movie where Bourne isn't moving. It was exactly what it was trying to be, and I enjoyed it immensely.

Despite the lack of real story depth, Matt Damon is able to portray a character that has complexity and pathos. I completely believe that his character is capable of doing the things he does. He gets hurt. He gets scared. He carries his pain from one scene to the next. No expression is wasted.

No, Affleck isn't in this movie. Yes, I admit I have it in for Ben Affleck, but I can't imagine Ben having come anywhere close to delivering the kind of performance that Matt does. Look at Daredevil. Look at Pearl Harbor. Look at Gigli... No. On second thought don't do that.

Sorry, Ben. You're rich. You're famous. You've got props for your Hollywood babe conquests. But as an actor, you got nothing on your buddy Matt.