A Fan-Favorite Matt Damon Movie Just Hit Netflix
Matt Damon has definitely showcased his range of acting and ability to take on multiple characters, whether he is portraying drama, comedy, or simply a CIA assassin.
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Matt Damon has played a list of characters throughout his career. Some of these characters include Will Hunting from Good Will Hunting, Mark Watney from The Martian, and Carroll Shelby in Ford v Ferrari. While these roles are well known, perhaps one of his biggest hits is the character who goes by the name of Jason Bourne. Damon starred in the trilogy following the character’s life and the numerous quests he goes on. The films were The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and then the third installment, The Bourne Ultimatum. For fans of Damon and his well-made films themselves, the third film in the trilogy, The Bourne Ultimatum, is now on Netflix.
The Bourne films have received critical acclaim over the years, and for the most part, did extremely well in terms of the box office. The Bourne Ultimatum, which is on Netflix, was actually the most successful film in the franchise. But what makes these films so interesting and entertaining to watch? Let’s take a closer look. The first film in the franchise was The Bourne Identity, which was released and also where we were first introduced to Matt Damon’s iconic character. The movie is based on a novel of the same name, written by Robert Ludlum and published in 1980. The film opens up with Bourne being discovered by an Italian fishing boat. He is injured and suffering from amnesia, but also has amazing fighting skills. The first film follows Matt Damon’s Bourne as he attempts to regain his identity and understand who he is, while also fighting off many assassins. The film did well in the box office, and according to MovieWeb, also started Matt Damon’s career in the action-thriller franchise.
The sequel to the first film was called The Bourne Supremacy, released in 2004. The plot of this movie continues to follow Matt Damon’s character, Jason Bourne, who we all now know is a former CIA assassin, based on what we discovered in the first movie. In the second installment, Bourne is in India, still putting the pieces together of what he could remember about his past. Bourne faces framing, conspiracies, and of course, fighting off men who want to capture him. This film was also another success. It leads us to the third film in the franchise, The Bourne Ultimatum, which was released in theaters in 2007 and is currently streaming on Netflix in the USA.
The third Matt Damon movie continues Bourne’s story, and although there were two other films before it, this third Bourne installment was the most successful. The story takes place in Europe and follows Bourne as he still puts together pieces of his life. He becomes the target of another assassin program, similar to the one he was a part of prior to his memory loss.
The movie was directed by Paul Greenglass and alongside Matt Damon, also starred Julia Stiles, Joan Allen, David Strathairn, and Albert Finney. The third installment had a large budget of $110 million. At the box office, the film made around $444 million. It was even named one of the top ten movies of the year, and critics named it the best in the franchise. Ultimatum received such high praise that the movie was also nominated for Best Film Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Sound Editing at the 80th Academy Awards. It then won all three awards. From the directing, to the editing, to the superb acting, the story came together and the end product was an incredibly made movie that ended the trilogy in such a way that fans still want to check it out today.
Matt Damon really brought the mysterious character of Jason Bourne to life in the franchise. In 2012, a movie called The Bourne Legacy was released. However, according to ScreenRant, there was no Matt Damon or Jason Bourne. The film received decent reviews, but the most common response to the film was it lacked the intense thrill and action of the previous Bourne movies. Legacy starred Jeremy Renner, Edward Norton and Rachel Weisz. However, Matt Damon reprised his role of Bourne in 2016, with the movie titled Jason Bourne. The movie received a mix of good and bad reviews, with The Bourne Ultimatum still being held up as the best film in the franchise.
Matt Damon has definitely showcased his range of acting and ability to take on multiple characters, whether he is portraying drama, comedy, or simply a CIA assassin. If you don’t know him as Bourne, you might have seen him appear in the Oceans franchise, or other action thrillers like Green Zone. He will always be known for his iconic portrayal of Jason Bourne, and the third installment can be found on Netflix. The movie currently has a high rating of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it a fan-favorite in the prolific actor’s backlist.
