The Bourne Identity (2002)
There are some espionage writers who use the form as a way of probing troubling geopolitical realities and vexing ethical dilemmas. Ludlum, who died last year, was not one of them. But at a moment when big, dumb thrillers like ''The Sum of All Fears'' find themselves suddenly burdened with expectations of relevance, the utter and systematic irrelevance of ''The Bourne Identity'' to anything currently or formerly happening in the world comes as something of a relief.
The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
As an action-movie travelogue, ''The Bourne Supremacy'' is unusually evocative. From its beaches of Goa to Berlin's clotted skyline to Moscow in the snow, its city lights glowing, it imparts a glamorized sense of tourism under duress.
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
For Bourne, who rises and rises again in this fantastically kinetic, propulsive film, resurrection is the name of the game, just as it is for franchises.
