Jason Bourne

Jason Bourne, the fifth film in the Bourne franchise, is a very good action thriller.  It probably would have been a great one if director Paul Greengrass didn't decide to shoot almost all the action sequences and flashbacks in a film style that I can only describe as "Shaky and Blurry Vision".  I understand that the filmmaker enjoys employing handheld cameras in his films, and while it can be effective, there are moments in the heat of action when the film just becomes a wobbly mess.  It's a good thing Matt Damon is back (after sitting out of 2012's The Bourne Legacy), as he continues to make for a strong and silent protagonist.  His Jason Bourne is not the deepest of action heroes, but he is still thrilling to watch.

Since these movies kicked off, Bourne has always stood out from most Hollywood action heroes in that he is continually haunted by his own past, as well as by many of the people he has hurt or killed.  Whereas most heroes would likely spray a room full of thugs with bullets without so much as a second thought, Jason Bourne at least has always seemed conflicted about the damage and the pain he inflects in order to learn the truth about his past.  It's been a strong enough concept to drive almost the entire series, and as this film opens, we find Jason at possibly his lowest point.  He has been living off the grid for the past couple years, hanging out in dingy rooms, and mostly making money by participating in illegal fights.  He's not exactly happy with where he is in his life, but at least he's not being chased by government agents who want to silence him.

But then, his old friend and former CIA contact Nicky (Julia Stiles) tracks him down with some troubling news.  It seems like the government is starting up the program that created Jason Bourne in the first place, and the project is going to be even stronger and deadlier.  Not only that, but thanks to some clever computer hacking, she's uncovered a few personal family secrets of Jason's that he never knew, and that the government would do anything to keep quiet.  Sure enough, those pesky and relentless agents and assassins have learned about not only Jason discovering this news, but also his current location, and start setting out to make his life miserable.  This time, the shadowy government agent behind all of this trouble is played by Tommy Lee Jones, effectively scowling and with an untrustworthy and leathery face.  He does have a new secret ally within the agency, thanks to a young agent named Heather Lane (the always reliable Alicia Vikander), who has her own reasons for not trusting the higher ups.  She seems to be set up for some big things should there be another sequel, but she's a bit underused here.

The mystery behind Jason Bourne's past still drives the main storyline, but there are also some nods to other themes, like privacy in our digital age.  This is introduced by an internet mogul character (played by Riz Ahmed) who has been helping the government keep taps on people, but now that he's starting to have second thoughts, he may not live very long.  There's also a shadowy assassin known as "The Asset" (Vincent Cassel), who is hunting Bourne down, and may have some kind of personal score to settle.  Seriously, though, the movie doesn't delve too deep into its own ideas, opting instead to be a suspense-packed thrill ride.  And unlike last weekend's Star Trek: Beyond, the characters do not seem shortchanged by the action-heavy approach.  Damon makes for a sympathetic and conflicted hero, Jones is a villain who is easy to hate, and there are enough plot threads left dangling at the end that we want to know what will happen next, but also feel satisfied.  Should the franchise not continue past this, it wouldn't feel like we were left completely hanging. 

As far as action thrillers that have hit over the summer, Jason Bourne is probably right at the top, but I can't help but imagine how I would have enjoyed it even more if the cameras were steadier when the cars are chasing each other over the streets of Vegas, or when Bourne is on the run from various assassins in London.  The shaky camera movements and blurry images really got on my nerves sometimes.  You can still make out what's going on, but there are a few moments that definitely lack detail, and make you wish you could get a better look at things.  To be fair, it never bothered me as much as it probably would have in a lesser movie, because I was at least engaged in the story and the characters, and cared about what was going on.  I just can't help but feel that this could have been a truly great summer movie with a different directing style.

Still, a lot of the movie does work, and it is often exhilarating to watch as only the best action films are.  Going back to the series' roots may have seemed like an act of desperation after the last film (a spin off that was supposed to lead into its own franchise) didn't go over as well as hoped, but in this case, the talented cast and crew have pulled together not just a strong thriller, but a strong reason for this franchise to continue.

See the movie times in your area or buy the DVD at Amazon.com!

0 comments