The Ultimate Ultimatum

After going to the theater to enjoy the third installment of the Bourne series, “The Bourne Ultimatum” this past weekend, I just couldn’t help noticing how bad-ass Jason Bourne is. If you’ve screened any of the three films in the trilogy, you know exactly what I mean. He uses any item in the room to gain an advantage, he can “man” car wrecks (sustain, for the goobers out there), and he doesn’t ruin the film with overly complex monologues. But later that night at a party, the ultimate debate began. Is he truly the best? In a tournement of the strongest action fighters, would he prevail? Only one way to find out. Tournement to the death!!!

Just a few rules…These guys need atleast two action films to their credit, ya’ know, for clout and shit. Also, no super powers. So Wolverine and Hulk have to hang back on this challenge. Sorry fellas. Attributes are listed on a five point scale.

Keep in mind, these aren’t the actors at stake here. The votes should be cast based on the role for the specific movie(s) listed. So no fat Russell Crowe votes, and no Good Will Hunting Damon votes either. Without further adieu…

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#1 Seed – Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) .VS. #8 Seed – Nathan Jones (Nathan Jones)

Jason Bourne is the star of the best action film of 2007, hands down. He isn’t a superhero, but he was programmed with some serious shit. If you haven’t seen the flick yet, jus’ wait til’ you see how he works a villian down using a hardback, George Wilburn novel. His opponent, Nathan Jones, started as a pro wrestler before becoming the guy that Asian martial artists beat up on in the movies. Jones is cool, and strong too, but leaves something to be desired when it comes to hand-to-hand combat.

Bourne	vs	Jones
/td>	Power	**
****	Speed	*1/2
/td>	Intimidation	**1/2
*****	Skill	*1/2
*****	Ruthlessness	***
Bourne Series	Claim to Fame	Troy, Protector

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#2 Seed – Liu Jian (Jet Li) #7 Seed.VS. “Iceman” Chambers (M. Jai White)

Here’s the thing. I had a hard time trying to decide which Jet Li would get the nod. There are vast differences in Liu Jian from “Kiss of the Dragon” and the Jet Li that appears in “The One”. If you don’t feel me, jus’ check out the final scene in “The One” where Li fights hundreds of his clones, who are damn near super-human. So to give “Iceman” a chance, we held back a bit. Chambers appeared in Undisputed II (straight to DVD) and was the protagonist from Spawn. Before you hand the match over to Li, download Undisputed II and reconsider.

Jian	vs	Chambers
1/2	Power	**
*****	Speed	***
/td>	Intimidation	*
****1/2	Skill	***
****	Ruthlessness	**
Kiss of the Dragon, The One	Claim to Fame	Undisputed 2, Spawn

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#3 Seed – Kham (Tony Jaa) .VS. #6 Seed – Maximus (Russell Crowe)

I know that Maximus is the shit. No argument here. Hell he is probably the only fighter in the tourney, vocal and intimidating enough to lead a Roman army. But…did you see “The Protector”? If you haven’t, you should think twice before picking on elephants or eating Elephant Ears at the state fair for that matter. Kham, the lightest fighter in the tourney next to Li, doesn’t need a weightclass because his skills make it a non-factor.

Kham	vs	Maximus
*1/2	Power	*1/2
****1/2	Speed	***
/td>	Intimidation	*
*****	Skill	****1/2
****	Ruthlessness	***
The Protector, Ong-Bak	Claim to Fame	Gladiator

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#4 Seed – Frank Martin (Statham) .VS. #5 Seed – Jackie Chan (Chan)

I like Jackie Chan as much as the next action film fan. He was the guy who introduced most of my generation to the genre of kung-fu flicks. He’s also the only guy that can beat your ass in the midst of running from your strikes. And he jumps through ladders. Frank Martin is still relatively new to the scene, only making films from 2000 on up, but that doesn’t change the fact he’s bad-ass. Check out the opening from Transporter 2 where villians catch a “L” with everything from a steel pipe to a industrial water hose. This one is a toss up.

Martin	vs	Chan
****	Power	**1/2
****	Speed	****1/2
****1/2	Intimidation	***
/td>	Skill	*
***	Ruthlessness	1/2
Transporter Series	Claim to Fame	All Chan Movies

Check back in a week and a half for fight reviews as well as the winners that advanced. What do you think? Place you votes for each of the four fights with the comments, your votes will affect the outcome.