Director: Paul Greengrass.
Starring: Matt Damon, Tommy Lee Jones, Alicia Vikander, Vincent Cassel, Julia Stiles, Ato Essandoh, Riz Ahmed.
Quite like his right hook and left jab, that came around quick! I was surprised when I heard the announcement which doesn't seem that long ago, this year even; the studio managing to keep that convert really well. Matt Damon has historically refused to make another Bourne movie unless Paul Greengrass is at the helm and lucky for us, he returned bringing Bourne back from the dead, like, again.
I'm eager to know which Bourne movie is the most popular because Identity was mine, the birth of Bourne and sharing that trip of rediscovery kicking ass. Identity is one of those rare films where I'm totally blown away by the actor and not having faith in Damon as an action star was quickly squashed when watching Identity. I want to know which one is everyone's favourite so to compare, because if it's Identity then surely Doug Liman should be the director instead of Greengrass? Don't get me wrong, I both like Supremacy and Ultimatum equally.
The plot thickens and delves deeper making this one personal, but maybe too personal to the level I was annoyed. We've been watching people trying to catch Bourne for fourteen years and now all of sudden, it's more personal than anyone can imagine. I suppose it's meant to be a massive twist like when finding out Darth Vader was Luke's father but it lacks the impact completely.
It seems to annoyingly follow suit of all the previous ones, with having a corrupt head-of-department in the form of Tommy Lee Jones (not the first time I've shouted "STOP CHASING PEOPLE TLJ!" Though he does it from a director chair.) Chris Cooper, Brian Cox, David Strathairn and now Jones. Alicia Vikander kinda mimics Joan Allen's Pamela Landy role from the previous Damon/Bourne films.
Bourne looks weathered and is up against or in the sights of the Night Fox, Vincent Cassel who does good as expected but... The action is really shaky, more so than all the others previously, very fast yet the tension is there but there's so many cuts and handycam shots it's quite disorientating and there's really only one decent punch-up.
It feels like a Bourne movie, but I couldn't help and think something was lacking. All the Bourne ingredients are there, knock-outs, deaths by strangulations, bike and car chases, but maybe there just wasn't enough of it, or could it be I was unimpressed with the lack of fast-thinking super assassin scenarios. The script is minimal, and poor, with Damon hardly saying anything but we know he isn't all talk.
All the pervious Bourne's have had elaborate plot holes filled which I think we forgive being Bourne but this is fast suffering the same fate as the Pirates of the Caribbean vehicle, milking the franchise so not to ever end. I love Bourne, I really do, but there's a part of me that just wants him put out of his misery.
It's entertaining, but it's getting tiresome. Less of the shakycam and I think it's gone in the wrong direction. What's going to happen next? Is Aaron Cross and Bourne going to cross paths? There's no mention apart from file reading the Larx project. There bound to be another chief who wants to hush everything all up, when will it end?
Running Time: 8
The Cast: 8
Performance: 8
Direction: 6
Story: 4
Script: 4
Creativity: 8
Soundtrack: 6
Job Description: 6
The Extra Bonus Point: 0
58% 6/10
