Jason Bourne (2016)

Director: Paul Greengrass

Starring: Matt Damon, Tommy Lee Jones, Alicia Vikander

The CIA’s most dangerous former operative is drawn out of hiding to uncover more explosive truths about his past.

It had to happen. Hollywood never knows when to stop. When money talks, they will always concoct ideas for sequels, prequels and reboots… And so, nearly a decade after ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’, the story continues. Poor Jason Bourne just cannot shake the CIA and settle down.

If ‘Jason Bourne’ was the first Bourne movie I’ve seen – with nothing to compare it to – I’d probably have enjoyed it. However, as a sequel to an amazing trilogy, it felt like a rehash of the previous three films, and therefore felt stale. I was already tempted to stop watching early in the film, but gave it the benefit of the doubt.

We now know Jason remembers his past. We also know his real name is David Webb, and so does he. So, where do we go from here? Oh, we delve deeper into Jason’s life, and now his father was also involved with Treadstone, and Jason has been watched by the CIA long before he decided to become Jason Bourne. Oh, whatever…

Here are my issues with the film. There seemed to be very little enthusiasm from the cast (compared to the previous films). Alicia Vikander tried so hard to mimic Joan Allen as the determined CIA operative, but failed miserably. Tommy Lee Jones sounded like he was merely saying his lines to get a paycheck (is it just me, or is he always mumbling without talking properly?). Even Matt Damon looked tired of portraying Jason Bourne, as if he, too, realized this was an unnecessary sequel. The character actions in the previous films were swift and focused, whereas here it was dull and dreary. The film has a very somber tone.

There’s a lot less action and a lot more talk. The film is much slower paced than the trilogy and a lot less interesting or engaging. Everything’s been said and done, so this was pretty much a case of been there, done that. I was bored. There were no memorable action sequences. The first real action sequence arrived at the end during the climax, and at least it was very good, but way too late to redeem the movie.

First there was Treadstone, then Blackbriar, and now Ironhand. How many more? And what the hell did Deep Dream have to do with the Bourne premise? The ending leaves the door open for yet another sequel. Oh, please, no more!

Since ‘Jason Bourne’ was a box office success earning $415 million on a $120 million budget, studio executives are no doubt coming up with ideas for another Bourne movie. Pfff!!!

Would I watch it again? No.