Jason Bourne (Rated C)
Cast: Matt Damon, Tommy Lee Jones, Alicia Vikander, Vincent Cassell
Genre: Action Thriller
Dwight's Rating: 2.5 Stars
On the eve of its release last week, a colleague of mine begged that I be kind and not write a bad review for the new film, "Jason Bourne".
I can't blame her; the Bourne franchise is highly regarded and beloved, having over the past 15 years, deftly blended intense and expertly choreographed action sequences, with its compelling storyline involving amnesiac fighting-machine Jason Bourne. We have been enraptured with his quest to learn his true identity.
Beginning with "The Bourne Identity" in 2002, and straight through "The Bourne Supremacy" (2004) and "The Bourne Ultimatum" (2007), Matt Damon as Bourne has been at the heart of a unique franchise that has transcended the largely brainless and overly destructive action genre. Even when a fourth film -- "The Bourne Legacy" (starring Jeremy Renner in 2012) -- neither included Damon nor his character, that well-established high standard still held firm.
So, fans have a vested interest in this, and everyone is hoping for the best. But Hollywood's record with sequels has not been good. In fact, it's been a pretty awful year, as we've witnessed the churning out of countless cookie-cutter films that pale in comparison (even more so than usual) to their predecessors. Would "Jason Bourne" fall prey to this scourge?
It's been almost a decade since we saw Jason Bourne in "The Bourne Ultimatum" when he walked away from the agency that trained him to become a deadly weapon. Hoping to draw him out of the shadows, CIA director Robert Dewey (Tommy Lee Jones) assigns hacker and counterinsurgency expert Heather Lee (Alicia Vikander) to find him. Lee suspects that former operative Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles) is also looking for him. As she begins tracking the duo, Bourne finds himself back in action battling a sinister network that utilizes terror and technology to maintain unchecked power.
There's good news and bad news. The good news: it is action-packed from beginning to end, as much (if not more) than we've seen in this series. Director Paul Greengrass -- who was also at the helm of "Supremacy" and "Ultimatum" -- is back here. The incessant cat-and-mouse nature of the film creates edge-of-your-seat excitement, until it gets very silly (more on that later).
The problem is that the Bourne films were more than just action flicks. And hence, the bad news: "Jason Bourne" is just an action film.
Something feels very different. Damon is clearly 15 years older now than when we first set off on this journey, but still moves like someone much younger than 45. And while he is charismatic in almost every role he undertakes, for the time as this title character, Damon seems to struggle garnering and maintaining the sympathy we've had for Bourne's plight over the years. It's not necessarily any fault of Damon's. More likely, it's the script, which mainly requires him to hold his head, as if in the middle of a full-on migraine, while flashbacks are superimposed on the screen.
One common thread from the previous films missing here is Tony Gilroy. He was either the principal writer or co-writer on all four previous Bourne installments, and even directed "Legacy". Instead, Greengrass and Christopher Rouse -- who won an Academy Award for Film Editing on "The Bourne Ultimatum" -- have screenwriting credits. That might explain why the emotional impact seems to be diminished, and why the emphasis appears to be on a visually stunning thrill-ride.
Damon feels almost like a supporting character now, taking a back seat to multiple "villains." The major bad guy is perhaps the character played by Jones -- who at almost 70-years old (but looking about 90) is now so deeply and sharply wrinkled, that the many extreme close-ups on his face could easily classify this as a horror film. As the dark and sinister CIA director, Jones seems to get as much screen time as Damon, and almost certainly has more lines.
Then, there's the weird Terminator-like character called the "Asset." You'll swear French actor Vincent Cassell is a robot from the future as he pursues Bourne and carries out directives like a computer. Asset and Bourne's inevitable showdown is cold, extremely brutal, cringe-worthy and almost painful to watch. Perhaps because of Asset's one-dimensionality, there's no real cathartic moment when we finally see these two pummel each other. I don't even think they ever say a word to each other.
More interesting is the addition of the wonderful Vikander -- the actress of the year for 2015, with her three amazing career-making roles in "Ex Machina", "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.", and "The Danish Girl". For most of the film, her character, Heather Lee, seems like a distressing waste of the talents of this Oscar-nominated actress -- someone any day-player from Central Casting could have portrayed. But, patience!
Still, it would have been nice to see Vikander and Damon have more screen time together. Clearly, the focus of this edition of the Bourne series is not witty conversations and wordplay, but almost solely on gratuitous action. What are initially exciting car chases and fight scenes, give way to complete nonsense -- as excessive as the worst summer superhero action flicks. Most ridiculous is a scene in which Asset takes a fortified SWAT truck and essentially annihilates the city Las Vegas. Why?
So, as much as Jason Bourne doesn't know who he is, neither now do we know this "Jason Bourne" in the Bourne franchise universe. If you've never experienced any of the previous movies, you'll likely see this as an enjoyable summer action film (if a bit heartless and emotionless). You may even say it's one of the best action films of the season. But loyal fans may be a bit disappointed.
In the end, it is now I who must send out an appeal, begging whomever will direct and write the next installment -- if this franchise is to continue -- to get back to the roots of the original three films, and aim beyond mere explosion-fests and one-dimensional grunters, and return the hero we actually still care about.
o Dwight Strachan is the host/producer of " Morning Blend" on Guardian Radio. He is a television producer and writer, and an avid TV history and film buff. Email dwight@nasguard.com and follow him on twitter @morningblend969.
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