Jason Bourne sees the return of both Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass to the franchise in a movie which tells the story of Bourne after the events of the original trilogy. When a former ally returns into Bourne's life with information concerning his past, he sets off on a mission to uncover the truth of those events and to exact revenge upon those responsible for doing him harm. I was hugely anticipating this film given that you have the exact same talent behind it that made the original trilogy of movies so fantastic, and I'm also a huge fan of competently made action. While I have to admit this movie doesn't quite capture that exact same sense of awe and mystery the first three films of this franchise did, this doesn't change the fact that this film is an entertaining and well made summer action flick with some memorable sequences and overall a strong set of performances.
It goes without saying that Matt Damon is great as Bourne as he slips back into this role as if he hadn't been away from it for almost a decade. But this is something you already knew would be the case given how well he understands the character, but I was hugely surprised with the directions they decided to take this already fascinating character in. While for a time this movie feels like the original three with Bourne searching for answers, the second half is really a tale of revenge which I thought was an effective direction to the steer the character in. Also, I give major props to Damon for coming back and once again committing himself into the stunt work and the action sequences.
What this movie lacked a little bit for me was Bourne's physical and emotional vulnerability, even if there are some strong glimpses of it throughout. For me, what makes an action movie great is having your protagonist feel vulnerable, as if he/she is always prone to making mistakes and/or dying. Just a smidgen more would've made the already brilliant action sequences even more thrilling and investing. The direction of this film is very strong, as I feel nobody better understands this character and the need for fast-paced storytelling than Greengrass. I also feel he utilises his typical shaky cam techniques to the best possible use. Although its usually something I loath, Greengrass' technique doesn't give you motion sickness and isn't used to hide poor stunt work. I believe his documentary style of directing and editing is perfect for this franchise and I hope if a sequel were to be made he would return to helm it.
The action in the movie is helmed beautifully. It's thrilling, investing, tension-filled and you actually do care about what is happening on screen. And as a bonus its coherently shot so you can actually tell what is going on. In my opinion, the stunt team did an excellent job on this film, as did the filmmakers tasked with shooting and editing all the action footage together. As an action film, this does not disappoint with three memorable sequences that stick to mind; a bike chase through the rioting streets of Athens, a car chase down the Vegas strip and a white knuckle fight scene towards the movie's climax.
I also think for the most part the performances given by supporting actors were really strong, as were the characters they were portraying. Tommy Lee Jones is unquestionably a talented performer and I feel he played a great antagonist, and enjoyed how like other Bourne movies, the antagonist isn't an out-and-out villain. Yes he has a questionable moral compass, but his agenda is completely accessible and understandable if you were to place yourself in his shoes. The other villainous character goes by the name of "the asset" and I enjoyed the attempts to humanise him and give him motivation and a personal connection to Bourne, something I feel was done just the right amount.
But for me it was Alicia Vikander who stole the entire film. Her character is as smart as she is cunning, as manipulative as she is likeable, and is one of the best new faces this franchise has ever seen. The direction they take her character is the most fun the movie's screenplay has as you're never quite sure as to where her allegiances lie and exactly what is motivating her actions. She's a very ambitious woman with a fabulous streak of deviance. If there's one thing I am looking forward to the most in future instalments in this franchise, it is the dynamic between her and Bourne.
One thing that did really irritate me about her performance in the first half of the film though was her inconsistent accent, where she doesn't lock down whether or not her character has a British or an American one. And unfortunately that wasn't the only issue I had with some of the acting performances in the film. With the exception of one moment which delivers a strong emotional punch, I was disappointed with the performance given by Julia Styles. Maybe I'm just being harsh but there was something about her line delivery that didn't immerse me into her character, and I never truly got behind what she was saying.
Minor flaws aside, my biggest personal issue with this film is the way the screenplay handles a sub plot involving the launch of this social media platform. It's not a dead end plotline as it does tie into stuff going on with the CIA and Tommy Lee Jones' character, but it's the most un-Bourne thing in the entire movie. Every time it cuts away to it, the movie lost my interest. One of the clear strengths of this franchise in the past has been how even when attention is not on Bourne, the conflicts between the human characters trying to find him always pull you in. In this film, I didn't care about the Mark Zuckerberg-type character they introduced, and thought it detracted from the overall point of the film, which was Jason Bourne pursuing vengeance against those who had wronged him. I understand they were trying to bring Bourne up to present day and I appreciate the attempts at presenting a personal rights vs. public safety debate, but that wasn't what I was there for. I was there to see Bourne kick a load of ass.
Overall, Jason Bourne is far from a disappointment, it's just not as intriguing or as magical as the first three movies were. It's a great action movie with a decent yet flawed story. It's well acted for the most part, the action is directed really well and it presents some interesting character conflicts throughout. So because of this, a few issues I had with some of the acting, story and dialogue don't detract from the fact this was a thoroughly enjoyable time at the movies:
Rating - B
Thanks for reading,
Matt
