By Colm McCall
The original Bourne movie trilogy holds a special place in the hearts of many movie fans. They are cool, slick and generally fun action flicks. The last time Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting 1997) reprised the spy alias was back in 2007. However, a fourth movie was added to the franchise five years later without the presence of Damon, instead placing Jeremy Renner (The Town 2010) in the central role. Unfortunately, spinoffs in most forms fall short in comparison to their predecessors and that was certainly the case with The Bourne Legacy (2012); which was met with average reviews from critics and fans alike. Thus major buzz was generated when it was revealed that Damon would be returning to the franchise alongside director Paul Greengrass (Captain Phillips 2013) for the fifth fix of Bourne.
I often find that following a major detour from the original film origins, franchises can lose their steam and disrespectfully exploit what had made it so great previously. All in the name of that dollar I suppose. Don't believe me? Cast your mind back to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) or Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003). All too frequently filmmakers and studio executives attempt to recreate or even leech off something unique which came before it, simply to inflate their bank accounts. Exploiting genuine moviegoers nostalgia may seem like a good idea on paper, how it plays out on screen is another story though.
The story goes: Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is finally lured back from hiding in a bid to uncover the grisly secrets of his past. In the meantime, the head of the CIA (Tommy Lee Jones, Double Jeopardy 1999) is involved in a shady operation with a software organisation which could have devastating consequences on modern society going forward. In comparison to the original three movies, the story is inferior. Of course, there are aspects of intrigue which hold viewer interest, but these are a little too sporadic. The movies 'high points' are a little disjointed and lack cohesion. It was rather like a poorly mixed cake; all of the appropriate ingredients, they just didn't bind correctly. This is probably a flaw attributed to the efforts of both the screenwriters and Greengrass himself.
There are two big action scenes in the film, which were like chalk and cheese. The first one is an adrenaline inducing thrill ride whereby the audience follow a cool motorcycle chase through the Greek streets of Athens during a riot. This scene is really well shot with some awesome crosscutting between the various parties. There isn't too much shaky cam and does not indulgent in excessive cuts between frames. Taken 3 (2014) did the latter and it made for a very sore head and eyes. Speaking of the Liam Neeson franchise, the second chase scene, this time on the streets of Las Vegas, was more akin to that franchise than what we are used to from Greengrass. It was so over the top, it really withdrew from my investment in the plot, which up until that point was quite strong.
The acting from the storied cast can't really be criticised. Damon's stock is pretty high right now following his Oscar-nominated exploits in The Martian (2015). His performance was solid once more despite not actually having a great deal of dialogue. Tommy Lee Jones, who has slowed down somewhat in cinema, does a nice job as the hard-nosed CIA director. Also, it was really cool to see Julia Styles (10 Things I Hate About You 1999) in a high profile movie again; I'm surprised she never became a bigger star. The two standout performers, however, are Vincent Cassel (Black Swan 2010) and Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl 2015). Cassel is such a great villain, he actually seems like he will do anything to kill his adversary. Vikander, another fantastic talent hailing from Swedan, is highly convincing in her role and ought to be given major props. Often female characters and actresses in high profile action movies don't get the recognition they deserve, as they are overshadowed by the male protagonists, and I think this certainly is a case in point.
There are some good visuals and strong acting but overall the film as a whole is damaged by its erratic pacing and weak plot.
Jason Bourne scores 6.5/10 on the MACmeter.
