Matt Damon in "The Bourne Ultimatum"
(Credit: Universal)
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The summer movie season was all about sequels and, inevitably, most of them weren't any good. So it's an excellent coincidence that two of the best arrive on DVD this week.
Following "The Bourne Identity" and "The Bourne Supremacy" was no easy task, but "The Bourne Ultimatum" pulled it off with the help of a high-calibre cast (including returnees Matt Damon, Joan Allen and Julia Stiles and newcomers David Strathairn, Albert Finney and Paddy Considine) and a great filmmaker on the rise (Paul Greengrass, who also directed "Supremacy"). There's a sense of finality to this third installment but don't rule out the possibility of a return. "Ultimatum" was actually the most successful Bourne outing yet at the U.S. box office, making the Bourne series the rare franchise that has increased in popularity with each movie.
The DVD bonus features are fairly standard—director's commentary, deleted scenes, behind the scenes featurettes—but fans will definitely enjoy finding out more about the production. "Ultimatum" is also available on HD-DVD and as part of the "Jason Bourne Collection" box set, which also includes "Identity" and "Supremacy."
Most franchises would be on creative life support by the time of their fifth installment, but "Harry Potter" is no ordinary franchise. And, thanks partly to the fresh vision of director David Yates, "Order of the Phoenix" is no ordinary movie. Dark, dense and blessed with a cast that's a true embarrassment of riches—including newcomers Helena Bonham Carter and Imelda Staunton, both Oscar nominees—this outing lifts the wizarding world of Hogwarts to still more dizzying new heights.
Although there's not much in the way of special features—a couple of featurettes and an interactive "edit your own scene" function can be found on the two disc "special edition"—there's an endless variety of ways to purchase or rent the film. In addition to the two-disc version there are also single disc widescreen and full-screen editions, as well as high-definition Blu-ray or HD-DVD releases. Plus, there's the "Harry Potter Years 1-5 Limited Edition Gift Set," which collects all the films released so far and is also available on Blu-ray or HD-DVD. But what's the point of a boxed set for a series that isn't complete yet?
Also released:
"December Boys"
"Everything's Cool"
"Interview"
"Moolaade"
"The Rocket"
Older titles and special editions:
"Latitude Zero"
"Two-Lane Blacktop"
Boxed sets:
"UA 90th Anniversary Prestige Collection" (Boxed set with 90 titles)
"United Artists 30-disc Deluxe Giftset"
Hi-definition:
"The Legend of Zorro" (Blu-ray)
"Rent" (Blu-ray)
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