The Ultimate Bourne Collection Steel box set [2007] [DVD] - Region 2 DVD

And it’s ironic too, given that the franchise kicked off with its weakest instalment. The Bourne Identity finds the title character (played by Matt Damon) without knowledge of who he is, yet with a whole host of deadly skills, and for two thirds of its running time is a strong and enjoyable action thriller. A muddled last act spoils it slightly, but fortunately, it brought in enough to convince the studio to pony up for a sequel.

What a sequel it is, too. The Bourne Supremacy is an electric, pulse-pounding second episode, as Bourne this time is forced to confront his identity issues again, after being framed for a murder he didn’t commit. It’s a compulsive game of cat and mouse with some superb moments, and it leaves you salivating for the concluding chapter.

That came in the shape of The Bourne Ultimatum, and this proves not only to be a terrific ending to the franchise, it’s also the best of the three films. The word relentless barely does it justice, but in terms of direction, staging and draw, it simply has had no big screen blockbuster equal in some years.

The end result is a trilogy that diligently tells a well-structured story, and injects it with fascinating characters, amazing set pieces and immense rewatch value. The Ultimate Bourne Collection simply demands to be seen and rewarded. And a fourth chapter wouldn’t do any harm, either… --Simon Brew