Jason Re-Bourne. He's back, but is he welcome? Film Review - Jason Bourne ★★★

Thursday, July 28, 2016


In a summer of film resurrections (Independence Day, Finding Fish etc.), one of the standouts on my list was Jason Bourne. But, like others in its field, it's not exactly the most necessary of sequels. It's a reunion with Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass teaming up again, but not quite as good as the "original" - even if it does offer a fresh perspective and new (or rather, old and incumbent) issues. Both have previously stated that the Bourne story was complete after the events of The Bourne Ultimatum, but if you've ever sneakily thought, "Ah I wonder what would have happened next, that wasn't The Bourne Legacy" then here you have it. A fifth installment in the series that shows just what a force of a series it's been. The next chapter even if you didn't actually want it written. We're spoiled by Greengrass's recognisable high-speed editing and high-octane thrilling action sequences, but with a modern-day update, a few variations and another passable excuse/layer to the backstory to allow for such a sequel. It's no longer about regaining his memory, but about uncovering more of the story.

It's been a good few years since Ultimatum, but Bourne shows us by whipping his top off within the first few minutes that he's still in prime shape and ready for this film. Hint: he's ripped. He also still knows every single road on a map off by heart, shortcuts included. He's still got that tortured, angry but lost look. And he's still resourceful - having mastered hand-to-hand combat with a biro, we've now got breaking off chair legs as the latest DIY weapon. We repeatedly hear "you don't know who you're dealing with" (uh, yeah we do cos we've seen 3 films of it), and everyone in the paranoid CIA seems to think Bourne is still a huge threat. Truth is, he's been getting by all these years in European street fights and exposing the CIA's naughty list isn't exactly high up with the priorities. Anyway, the storyline rests on a new revelation uncovered by former ally Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles) involving not only Bourne's past, but his family too. His former life as a super covert black ops assassin in the top secret Treadstone programme was murkier than he realised, and even though it was all exposed, it never really goes away does it? Enter Ironhand, even though it ends up playing a backseat role. And let's face it, the new questions will never quite compare to the fundamental "who the heck am I!?" in the first three films.

Bourne may be good, but when watching the original trilogy, I was always sure he was in control, and that he knew exactly what to do, when to do it etc. This time round, I wasn't so sure. Sure, he still walks with purpose, however he's lost the sense of purpose that drove his actions so strongly and defined his identity. He's shaky, vulnerable in his own way, for example not being able to avoid surveillance as flawlessly as he used to. With Alicia Vikander's character Heather Lee we see a younger, ambitious and tech-savvy worker who knows exactly what she wants and how to get there, and is sneaky in a less obvious way. She offers a new Bourne dynamic and interaction with a new character. And he doesn't usually like to socially interact with humans. She's different to Tommy Lee Jones's Robert Dewey, who is totally reminiscent of the previous CIA Directors - except he's creepier. Oh, and there's also a token evil assassin asset whose name is most likely Asset. He's a fan of rooftop views, and is so dedicated (read: obsessed) to the cause he changed it legally and everything.

Jason Bourne jetsets around the world, more so than ever - Berlin, Reykjavik, Rome, London, Athens, and more - culminating in a less than glamorous Las Vegas showdown. It all seems rather familiar, especially with the dizzying fight scenes and numerous car chases, all impressive except now we've fully entered the Digital Age. Social media and technology is a big thing in this - we're treated to a Mark Zuckerbeg-esque entrepreneur (Riz Ahmed's Aaron Kallor), we have social listening and CCTV surveillance, plus several Snowden references. The big thing is big data, quickly becoming as big a trend on screen as it is in real life. (Privacy = freedom - do you agree?) As Heather Lee will tell you: it's a new generation now. This is a character who can erase a computer drive via a nearby mobile phone. This is a film with all the millennial references; but is Bourne still relevant? Yeah, I think so. The proof is somewhere in the 2 hours running time.

A few other things I noticed during the film...you could probably fit all of Bourne's spoken lines on a side of A4. He's always been a silent deadly type though, and it's not obvious as he makes up for it with scowls and steely purposeful looks. Also, apparently CIA Directors are now good keynote speakers for Vegas tech conventions. Who knew?

I can barely remember the events of The Bourne Legacy (unless I re-read exactly what I wrote about it 4 years ago). I'm afraid the events of Jason Bourne will go down in history in a similar way. It's not a bad film by any merit, and I'm more than thrilled he returned; the thrill's there, some elements are bigger and more explosive too. Bourne is back, and he's more than welcome. Hey, there's even a new window and a teeny tiny possibility he'll be back for (even) more. But this time, the plot is less compelling and if you're not really engaged in the story and especially if you haven't watched the trilogy, it will seem dragged out. It's a resurface after 9 years, one that packs a punch but with less impact than we're used to, even if Matt Damon still excels in every scene. It sits nicely within the franchise, but it also sits away from when the franchise peaked. I'm such a big fan I'll always be up for some more Bourne action, but I think we're good for now.

Jason Bourne is in cinemas now.



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