Review: ‘Jason Bourne’ Rehashes Familiar Plot With The Greengrass Style

Matt Damon is Back as the Globe Trotting, Ass-Kicking Jason Bourne!

Matt Damon is back in his iconic role as the super human killing machine Jason Bourne in the appropriately titled “Jason Bourne.” While Matt Damon’s career has had its Oscar winning/nominated ups and his box office disappointing downs, we can always rely on him to be an effective leading man in the Bourne movies. The result this time around is mixed to slightly positive. Audiences familiar with the plots of previous Jason Bourne movies will know the rhythms of “Jason Bourne.” Haunted by his past yet again, Jason seeks answers about close connections that come back to linger within his memories as the American government is hot on his trail.

Cinematics (Cinematography, Acting, Plot, etc.) – 3

Paul Greengrass continues the stylistic tradition of crafting a frantic and chaotic action thriller with a complex/convoluted plot we have come to expect with a Jason Bourne movie.  The last time Greengrass made a Bourne movie it won three Academy Awards (in technical categories of film editing, sound mixing, and sound editing). The editing here is very frenetic and cinematography shoots the actors way too close. The editing cuts too quickly – even more so than previous installments of the series.

The cast was a let down especially compared to the previous movies where David Strathairn and Joan Allen provided good performances. Alicia Vikander is the best thing in this, but you can tell she’s patiently waiting for her starring role. However, the rest of the cast just showed up to collect a paycheck. Director Dewey (played by Tommy Lee Jones) and a skilled sniper (Vincent Cassel) are the villains chasing Bourne during the second half of the movie. They are adequate, but forgettable.

I recall audiences complaining about the film making techniques in the previous Bourne movies as being too jarring embracing the “Saving Private Ryan” shaky cam with quick cuts to inflame tension. For “Jason Bourne,” this ups the ante to new levels. At times, I struggled to follow the progression of events because of the filmmaking. There was a scene when Riz Ahmedas as entrepreneur Aaron Kalloor is addressing an audience during a meeting at a conference and the camera is “Tom-Hooper-too-close.” Maybe this was inspired by Universal’s “Steve Jobs?” We don’t see the stage nor get a sense of the size of the room.

Entertainment Value – 4

The strongest element in “Jason Bourne” is the entertainment value. The Bourne movies are usually absorbing for higher minded crowds as well as casual moviegoers who like to check out. This one doesn’t disappoint in this category. Jason jumps, runs, yells, throws technical jargon, blows things up, and points guns (among many more things) in an exhausting series of events. Spectacular car chase sequences also truly put audiences on the edge of their seats.  The action effectively garners attention.

Audiences get their action bang for their buck with “Jason Bourne.” What comes to mind was the climatic corporate conference and the aftermath felt unsettling. We could see something like this easily play out during our chaotic and fragile world. Fans of the Jason Bourne series will enjoy “Jason Bourne” especially with how timely it is to current events. Uncomfortable moments feel too real which makes it even the more gripping.

Re-Watchability – 3

A lot of “Jason Bourne” feels aimlessly repetitive not for plot advancement but to mindlessly recreate what made the series tick. It felt like once you’ve seen one Jason Bourne movie, you had seen them all. The thrilling espionage drama seems to be losing steam with the latest installment. “Jason Bourne” feels like a “going-through-the-motions” type of movie that audiences might not want to re-watch anytime soon (unless they are binging all of the movies back-to-back). The moment “Jason Bourne” ended with a slightly remixed version of Moby’s “Extreme Ways” song, just like previous Jason Bourne movies, I even found myself saying, “Again!?” Even the closing moments felt like a rehash!

4K Blu-ray Extras

“Jason Bourne” is not a visually dependent film so you may not get the eye candy you’d hope for in a 4K copy. There are moments that truly make the 4K aspects of the film shine, but those are mostly limited to the key action sequences and sound quality. Although, there are a lot of intriguing extras that may sway you in the direction of a purchase. The evolution of Jason Bourne and some of the mechanics behind the key chase scene and bare knuckle boxing hold interest. Check out the full unboxing below.