New on DVD: 'The Bourne Ultimatum' and 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'

Matt Damon finds himself on the run once again while the teen wizard finds himself in trouble with the law – and his new teacher.

December 14, 2007

The Bourne Ultimatum (PG-13) The third in the trilogy based on the Robert Ludlum books of CIA intrigue, this hyper-action film easily upholds the high standard set by the first two, with quick-cut camera-work and another unrelenting global chase. Matt Damon really inhabits the edgy role – amnesiac agent gone rogue, and now finally closing in on the creators of the dark program that reduced him to a killing machine. Very compelling "making of" extras include a short on the filming of the climactic New York City car chase – a logistical Mt. Everest. Another shows the work – by cable-cam and leaping cameramen – behind a stunt-stacked Tangier rooftop scene. Says director Paul Greengrass: "We've definitely got a bit of adrenaline going." Bit of an understatement. Grade: A – Clayton Collins

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (PG-13)

After Harry Potter defends himself against an attack by Dementors – ghouls that could give even Stephen King nightmares – he stands trial for the underage use of magic. Then, when he returns to school, he is confronted with a new teacher, Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), who has her own "brand" of corporal punishment. All the while, the forces of Voldemort's Army gather in the outside world. We're definitely no longer in "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" territory. This is the shortest, but best, film in the series thanks to improved acting by the teen principals and a villainess for the ages in Staunton. Fans incensed by the curt abridgement of the brick-sized book will find crumbs of comfort in a few deleted scenes and a tour of the set by Natalia Tena, the actress who plays Nymphadora Tonks, the witch with chameleonic hair. Grade: B+ – Stephen Humphries