Matt Damon has said in his previous interview, “We have ridden that horse [Bourne series] as far as we can. So, if there’s going to be another one, then it would have to be a complete reconfiguration.” Hence, upon seeing Jason Bourne and realizing that there’s no story here that director-writer Paul Greengrass has been dying to tell, I’m going to assume that Damon broke his vow. Jason Bourne could have been an easy a front-runner to this year’s best action films, however, the exploitation of the hero’s murky past as a thriller gold mine reminds us how exhausting this franchise could be. And that’s coming from someone who liked the first three films.
For a deeper appreciation (or disappointment) for this sequel, you may opt to watch The Bourne: Identity, Supremacy and Ultimatum (I’m excluding Legacy since it’s technically a spin-off), or you can just check out this video of Damon doing a quick 90-second recap on the trilogy.
The film opens with amnesiac assassin Jason Bourne’s (Matt Damon) voice in the background, “I remember. I remember everything,” he says. Well, apparently, he does not. Living off-the-grid for roughly a decade now, Bourne is brought back to the manhunt when his former colleague/Treadstone operative Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles) hacks the CIA database and incidentally discovers something intriguing in Bourne’s past. Believing that Parsons is an accomplice of Bourne, cyber-ops division head Heather Lee (Alicia Vikander) traces the security breach and brings the issue to the attention of CIA director Robert Dewey (Tommy Lee Jones), who orders the retrieval of the confidential black-ops files and for Bourne’s death as well. Pursued by a relentless hitman referred to as “The Asset” (Vincent Cassel), Bourne must yet again find the missing piece of his psychological puzzle all while trying to outwit the CIA.
Perhaps the biggest mistake of this sequel begun when Greengrass and editor Christopher Rouse decided to co-pen the script as it is evidently clear here that the uninspired plot is constructed to cater the lavish action set pieces instead of the other way around. Confused Bourne is surrounded by exceedingly familiar scenarios derivative from its predecessors: CIA officers barking orders in surveillance tech rooms, clandestine meetings in crowded places, high-speed car chases, fist-fights, and tons of Hollywood-level property damage. At one point, in an attempt to outdo the Fast and Furious franchise, a hijacked SWAT truck effortlessly rampages like a bowling ball through a line of civilian vehicles. Not to mention another scene where Bourne knocks off a hulking bruiser with just a single punch, this franchise starts to lose control, even to the point of defying the laws of physics.
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To his credit, Damon remains to be a solid movie star even if he’s operating on a weaker material. The man on action may not speak that much (he reportedly had only 25 lines), but when he does, he makes the most of it. Bourne is much buffer and tougher here, however, a less interesting character compared to those of, say, Die Hard or Taken where the protagonists have at least someone to fight for. Consequently, emotional pull strings are harder to sell for the lone-ranger Jason Bourne. The film even squanders its remaining shred of emotional investment by reducing Stiles’ reprising character to a plot device in favor of a rising female star. Oscar-winner Vikander does her best in portraying a steely-eyed and cunning CIA specialist but standing next to Jones’ world-weary and cold persona, it’s blatantly clear here that she’s miscast for she’s too young to play a role similar to Joan Allen’s in Supremacy and Ultimatum.
The film also tries to be socially relevant by poking on the issues of public safety and personal privacy through the introduction of a social media platform called the “Deep Dream” but such concept never really came into life. Perhaps this half-hearted attempt can be said the same to the fake propulsion that’s happening in Jason Bourne – it’s a strong force of motion but with a hollow emotional connection. Whatever joy you initially feel upon seeing Jason Bourne again on-screen is spoiled by the realization that this sequel offers little motivation to explore the titular hero. Yet again, if soulless, non-stop action is your thing, then welcome to paradise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4gJsKZvqE4
