Jason Bourne
by Paul Greengrass & Christopher Rouse
Universal Pictures
Jason Bourne is the fifth movie in the Bourne franchise, and marks the return of Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon to the series. In a year full of franchises, sequels, and reboots, this was one I was kind of looking forward to. Along with Matty, in the cast we also have Tommy Lee Jones, Alicia Vikander, Vincent Cassel, and Riz Ahmed.
It’s okay? It takes the best bits (and one really terrible bit) from Bournes 1, 2, and 3, and recycles them. Not much is added, save Vikander, who brings the number of Oscars in this movie to three. It’s profoundly frustrating that like in Bourne 2, a woman gets killed off in the first act to kickstart the action. But we have the Big Bad of the CIA as the puppetmaster, someone within helping Bourne out, another assassin trying to kill Bourne, and Bourne JUST. TRYING. TO. FIGURE. OUT. THE. PLOT. (Also we throw in some “hey, this whole privacy thing is a mess, eh?” which, yeah, it is. Hey, Russia. What’s good?)
The best part was the main climax took place in Vegas, and having decided that I dislike Vegas a LOT, it was fun watching the Strip get smashed up. Also, Greengrass is great at action scenes. Plus, we (the Bitchery) had dinner at Aria during RT, where the non-car chase action happens, and it’s a pity that no one stopped to grab some tapas. Why is everyone so mad? Have some creme brulee and everyone will be MUCH happier.
Jason Bourne is in theaters (US) and you can find tickets at Fandango and Moviefone.
My dad called after he saw this and told me ‘it’s decent enough when you’re mom wants to go eat some popcorn, but you don’t need to see it’ and I almost died laughing. Shame to see the franchise waste such a capable cast.
I love that there was no traffic on The Strip in the film. (Which was perhaps not as huge a stretch as Bourne Legacy — never had I seen Manila so clean or so free of traffic.) Also, there was no Guy Fieri cameo. Felt like a different Vegas to the one I saw…
I thought it was ok, a good popcorn movie, but I was upset with the woman killed in the first act as I saw the movie to that point as their working together. Her brain, his muscles. The chase through the strip was so over the top, it took me out of the film and it was quite the contrast to the grittiness of the fight that followed.
I know Greengrass is supposed to be edgy and all, but the quick cuts in the editing are so jarring, they triggered a migraine. It wasn’t as bad as the second Bourne film where I had to leave the theater for five minutes to breathe, but still. I just closed my eyes and took my pills (always handy in my big purse) and my friend would tell me when the scene went back to normal.
Not a fan of the shaky cam!!! Mass crowd hysteria, fist fighting and car chases. Even my husband said the Bourne series has “jumped the shark”.
“OK” would be my assessment, too, along with several “Wait, what?” moments. Escapism, which isn’t a bad thing, just know that going in, and don’t expect things to make a whole lot of sense.
I was excited to see it when the trailer first came out, then learned about the fate of my favorite character, so have no desire to ever watch it now.
Having lived in Vegas for nearly 20 years, I find I don’t like films (or books) set there as they often get so much wrong. But that scene is why my mom wanted to see it. My dad took her (since I’m the one who usually does) and he hadn’t been to a movie in at least ten if not 25 years. She gave it a lukewarm “The car chase was good” and my dad gave it a weird noise I can’t spell/thumbs down.
Such a bummer as I really had been excited. The problem with sequels/remakes is I’m at an age where I’d rather leave my good memories intact. So I’m better off just not seeing the new.
The first Bourne movie was quite good then they killed the woman off in the second one and that was it for me. I also dislike Vegas, or at least the Strip/downtown area. I thought I was the only person on earth – I always feel like a party pooper when I admit that like somehow my dislike of Vegas means I’m against fun or something.
Niki could have been so much more of a character. That part disappointed me. But otherwise, watching Matt Damon flail around sometimes even shirtless, that continues to not get old.
The fun quotient on the Bourne movies is not high enough for me to overlook the excessive shaky-cam, the Tourette’s editing, and the fridging.
Matt Damon took off his shirt within the first maybe ten minutes of the movie, which was no accident. I was disappointed by the plot, especially killing off Nikki. As soon as the sniper showed up I knew that was going to happen. I also thought the Las Vegas car chase went on far too long. I’ve been watching the Jeremy Renner Bourne movie more often lately – at least Rachel Weisz lives! And gets the last bad guy!