Budget Bond is back. Will he be as damaged and angry as before, drive a bike down stairs, fight with odd utensils or has he been reborn…?
Enter Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles), the only face Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) does not associate with trying to have him killed; ironic, given her penchant for bringing assassins to his door. True to form, Parsons, waist deep in the bad stuff, makes a beeline for Bourne like a muddy labrador to a brand new sofa. Armed with new information about the most broadcast medical file in the world she opens the can of worms like a pro.
Matt Damon reprises his role as Jason Bourne
The plot develops as Bourne is drawn back into the web of international intrigue. Running headlong into danger like his life doesn’t depend on it we visit Berlin, London and Las Vegas on whistle stop tours. Focusing more heavily on a bigger picture, it feels lacking on Bourne’s skill at crossing continents and cities undetected. The emotional pay off’s for his trips are also so brief they begin to lack emphasis in drawing you into his story. The car chases are higher budget and less gritty perhaps due to the cost of ruining a Mustang being higher than a Lada. The fight scenes are brutal but so efficient it feels like Bourne just wants to get it done and go home.
The theme of bigger things in play is a large part of the movie, and although ultimately an interesting new twist it makes Bourne feel like a side show. Given that this movie could be a final send off and titled with his name, it seems an unfitting end to leave the character so emotionally unresolved. Director Greengrass has obviously tried to tackle some salient common topics and Bourne puts a nice full stop to the end of the plot, so it is hard to damn the film entirely, but I have to say Jeremy Renner in the Bourne Legacy is looking pretty good right now.
With most action films the skill is to go in with low expectations and come out pleasantly surprised. Matt Damon’s Bourne has earned some expectation, but of what exactly; affinity for the under-dog? Damsels dragged into trouble? Free running? Obscure combat techniques? Non-glamorous location shooting? Constant use of a handy cam on full zoom? These recurring themes are what made us love Jason Bourne for better or worse, and while it is a bonus that the plot extends to grasp a more modern audience and send a message, it feels like it left the good old days behind. The international man of medical mystery is no more.
Author: Joe, Bath store
