The Bourne Trilogy, because I'll probably see Legacy at some point. I'm somewhat reminded of my feelings on the Nolan Batmans.

Identity- is a film I still enjoy because it is both simple and refreshing in a way. It doesn't always feel like a big studio movie, and I think that's why I enjoy it so much. 95% of the book is thrown out, but the characters are allowed to interact with one another to make the film the most engaging of the three. I know it's not perfect, but it still works.

3.5 balls out of 4.

Supremacy shows things starting to go downhill. The book is lost completely, and Bourne becomes a one-note machine designed for plot advancement. It's enjoyable on the extreme surface level, but as soon as you look anywhere past the silly shakycam the extremely obvious underdeveloped writing becomes quickly apparent. A disjointed disappointment.

2.5 balls out of 4.

Ultimatum is a chase movie and nothing more. There are brief attempts to depict the initiation of Bourne into the secret government program etc. but in the end these are not developed enough to really mean much of anything. The production was working against a tight deadline without a script, so it's simple wall to wall action sequences with yet more CIA figureheads having internal power struggles. The story is woven around the end of the last film, and this leads to some overall sloppiness and repetition right down to having another fairly incomprehensible car chase that almost exactly mirrors the one at the end of Supremacy. The ending leaves room for an obvious sequel.

2 balls out of 4.

None of these have any of the complexity of the novels. The first two books are some of the finest espionage novels I've ever read, and immensely plotted. The two film sequels are one-note characterizations of the new version established by the first film. When the original director and longtime pursuer of the film rights, Doug Liman, was thrown off the franchise, the series took an immediate hit because they lost their heart.