CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.
Blu-Ray Review: Jason Bourne Films Continue to Deliver With Combo Releases
CHICAGO – The Universal release of “The Bourne Trilogy” was not only one of the best Blu-ray titles of 2009 but it’s still one of the best box sets on the HD market twelve months later. The question is how does Universal continue to make a dime on the Matt Damon juggernaut of a franchise while we wait for the latest drama regarding the potential fourth film. Welcome to the Bourne flipper discs.
Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0 |
All three films have been re-released in stand-alone packages that include the film on Blu-ray on one side and standard DVD on the other. Watch “The Bourne Identity” in HD in your living room; flip over and watch “The Bourne Supremacy” in standard form in another room. All three titles offer not only a great transition for people who don’t have a Blu-ray player everywhere they like to watch movies but also a nice way to show off the technical improvement between standard and HD with the same movie. Have that relative unconvinced that Blu-ray looks and sounds better? Show them “The Bourne Ultimatum,” which still has one of the best HD audio tracks that I’ve ever heard. All three films are the kind that you should use to show off your audio system.
The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum were released on Blu-ray/DVD Combo on January 26th, 2010. Photo credit: Universal Home Video |
The “Bourne Flipper” discs are the same as they were in the Blu-ray trilogy set - loaded with hours of special features and with some of the best picture and sound that has yet been produced for the format. If you own the “Bourne Trilogy” box set, there’s no logical reason to upgrade unless you’ve desperately been wanting to watch your favorite action films on your non-Blu-ray-enabled computer. But if you don’t own the films, they are must-haves for action fans, movie collectors, and nearly everyone with a Blu-Ray player.
Since these releases are identical to the ones included in the “Bourne Trilogy” box set merely with a DVD version of the film on the other side of the disc and a BD-Live “Bourne Card Strategy Challenge” combat strategy game, I’m going to crib from my original review:
“Matt Damon plays Jason Bourne, a highly trained assassin on the run from a shadowy government agency through three movies, each one better than the film that came before. The first film by Doug Liman is good but the ones that follow by Paul Greengrass are two of the best action movies of the last decade. If the Blu-Ray releases were average, they would be must-owns for every action fan just based on the caliber of the films themselves. The fact that these are some of the most impressive Blu-Ray releases yet makes them a must-own for everyone.
The three-disc set is loaded with hours of bonus materials including deleted scenes, interviews, behind-the-scenes featurettes, commentaries and all-new interactive content that takes advantage of Universal’s awesome U-Control feature, which allows extra content through Picture-in-Picture and interactive dossiers. Through BD-Live, fans will be able to download even more bonus content, share scenes with friends and play an exclusive strategy game that involves hand-to-hand combat simulation.
The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum were released on Blu-ray/DVD Combo on January 26th, 2010. Photo credit: Universal Home Video |
Each film is presented in gorgeous HD with English DTS-H Master Audio 5.1 tracks that really amplify the Bourne experience. Bourne movies should be watched with perfect video and booming audio and “The Bourne Trilogy” really delivers. These are some of the best video and audio transfers yet produced on the next-gen format.
As for special features, it’s overwhelming. The real draw is the way this franchise makes perfect use of Universal’s U-Control system. While you watch the movie, you can immerse yourself in dossiers, behind-the-scenes information, and details about the spy gadgets used in the film.
Bonus features on “The Bourne Identity” include the aforementioned U-Control features, My Scenes, BD-Live and…
The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum were released on Blu-ray/DVD Combo on January 26th, 2010. Photo credit: Universal Home Video |
“The Bourne Supremacy” features include U-Control, My Scenes, BD-Live and…
“The Bourne Ultimatum” features include U-Control, My Scenes, BD-Live and…
By BRIAN TALLERICO |
The Bourne Trilogy
I enjoyed reading your in depth article on the Bourne Trilogy. I hope that you will bring us more Blu-ray information in the future as there will no doubt be much that you can offer us in terms of advice and reviews. casino online