"THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM" MORE THAN LIVES UP TO THE HYPE!!!

I read a lot of reviews about Matt Damon's new film, "The Bourne Ultimatum". Every review praised this film! I mean, every review! And I don't mean normal praise. This was off the charts praise! So when I finished doing some voice work on a commercial for a Rick Dees project, I went to an early Friday afternoon (2:15) showing of "The Bourne Ultimatum" and it was a good thing I got there early, because the theatre ended up being packed with people.

A lot of reviewers stated (in essence) that "The Bourne Ultimatum" begins with a bang and never stops. I didn't get that feeling at all. In fact, because of the way the film began, I was quietly saying, "Uh, oh!" Was I about to see another film that couldn't live up to the hype?

Well, it didn't long for that fear to disappear. I don't know about you, but when I'm diving into my bag of popcorn in whacha call a series of rapid fire "shoveling moments", I am totally in to what I'm seeing on the screen! Totally, totally into it.

And that's "The Bourne Ultimatum" in a nutshell (or popcorn shell) experience.

Wow, wow and triple wow!!!

You've heard the term, "Workin' hard for the money"? Matt Damon worked very hard for whatever money he earned for "The Bourne Ultimatum".

Oh there are some scenes in which someone might say, "Oh, come on! Get real!" But you say those things when you're watching a bad movie!

If this is ends up being the final Bourne film, everyone involved will go to their graves knowing they were involved in something that was very special.

Hyperbole on my part? I'll let you be the judge of that, but I highly recommend "The Bourne Ultimatum"!

Bravo to Matt Damon! Bravo to Joan Allen, who plays the conscience of this film! Bravo to David Straithairn who makes you believe he's more than qualified to do work as an "evil doer" for the current occupants of this White House! Bravo to director Paul Greengrass who keeps the action going and going! A special (from me) bravo to Julia Stiles who plays a woman I'd love to have covering my ass if my ass ever needed covering! And the most special bravo of all to the way it was decided to end "The Bourne Ultimatum".

Here's the bottom line, folks. For those of you who have seen the two previous Bourne films, you know that the Bourne character is a government assassin who has amnesia. In other words, he doesn't know how he got to where he is or why it is that he's capable of doing what he is capable of doing. Those questions are finally answered in this non stop thrill ride of a film, but the way the film ends and the priceless look on the face of Julia Stiles when it does end has you walking out of the theatre with a smile on your face.

Bravo, bravo, bravo!!!

AND AS LONG AS I'M IN A PRAISEWORTHY MOOD:

Have you watched the Sunday night tripleheader on Lifetime? The three shows are, "Side Order of Life", "State of Mind" and "Army Wives". "Army Wives" began a few weeks before the other two and it's been so well received, it's already been renewed for next season! "Army Wives" is a show about how wives and children cope while their husbands and fathers do the "protect our country" thing. Kim Delaney headlines, "Army Wives", but another regular character is a young woman I didn't recognize at first as someone who is also a regular character on the CBS show, "Shark". She's very good, but in a different role than her "Shark" role in which she's also good. See if you can recognize her!

"Side Order of Life" is a relationship series revolving around the age old issue of, "Is this person right for me?" and, "Can I do better?" I mean, how relatable is that? "State of Mind" is a show about a group of shrinks that (to me) gets better and better every week. Lifetime's tripleheader airs Sunday nights between 8 and 11.

A BIG WEEKEND FOR THREE BASEBALL PLAYERS:

Saturday afternoon, Alex Rodriguez (A-Rod) became the youngest player to hit 500 homers. Saturday evening, Barry Bonds hit his 755th home run which ties the all time record set by Hank Aaron. Bonds will try to break the record in a game against Washington at San Francisco tonight. Last night, Mets' pitcher Tom Glavine won his 300th game in a win over the Cubs.

VING RHAMES AND HIS BIG DOGS:

I'm sure you've heard about the caretaker who was apparently killed by one or more of the four dogs at a home owned by actor Ving Rhames. The caretaker, Jacob Adams was responsible for taking care of the four large dogs and in an ironic twist, Jacobs is also listed as a screenwriter of "Animal 2", a film project that Rhames is scheduled to star in. Rhames wasn't home when his caretaker died because Rhames was doing film work in another country.

Short Commentary: As time goes on we will learn more about this. If it turns out that Adams' death was caused by one or more of the big dogs, we will hear again about the advisability of having dogs of that size. I mean, two of these four dogs are described to have been in the 200 pound range and they are dogs who apparently tend to be easily annoyed. Facing down one 200-pound dog who (for whatever reason) has become annoyed with you is a big enough problem. But more than one?!? And this was a guy that the dogs knew? And apparently liked? I've owned and loved almost ten dogs. I've often said that I tend to like dogs more than I like people, but I would never own a dog (especially a big dog) that has a reputation for being unpredictable. I have enough of that in my life with the women I have relationships with.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A new blog is written every morning, Monday through Friday and is posted between 7 and 7:15, Pacific Time. Sometimes earlier. Questions and comments can be sent to scottstjames@sbcglobal.net. I do write back.

TOMORROW: I'll tell you how Newt Gingrich has changed his mind about how things are being done in this Republican White House and and anything else that makes me say, "Whaaaat?!?"