5/10
Out of the ashes and Bourne-again – apologies, that’s my bad pun of the week. Matt Damon returns to add another worthy addition to an almost 15-year-old franchise. It doesn’t reach the heights that the third film in the series achieves but it still warrants a good reason to see it on a booming boisterous cinema stage.
After the disappearance from the conclusion of The Bourne Ultimatum, we once more meet up with Jason Bourne who now survives as a lone wolf going from one street fight to the next. Thankfully Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles) resurrects life in the surprisingly ageless Matt Damon and the two begin to track down a new program called Ironhand. Paul Greengrass who directed the third Bourne film is back and has brought in two new opposing forces in the elusive Vincent Cassel as the Asset and the bearish Tommy Lee Jones as CIA Director Robert Dewey. His last name might sound silly but…well yeah it’s just silly.
As mentioned Paul Greengrass returns to the helm of this franchise and the only person who wasn’t happy with that decision had to be the editor. There are numerous close-ups from different angles and fast-paced action shots that makes it quite a feat to have been put together. I understand this might seem trivial to others but it represents yet again another unsung hero of this film and I believe appropriate to shine a spotlight on.
I also bring this up because Greengrass style might distract viewers from the plot that is going on hand. Quite a few moments, the cameramen who also deserve kudos, would zoom in and out and shift around on simply a still subject. The demands to see it from these different perspectives are almost ludicrous and especially within the vast amount of close-ups used in this film where something far simpler could have been used for the same effect. However, these work great within the action scenes which is an aspect Greengrass excels at as each sequence is fast paced and quite enjoyable to watch. Yet in terms of its impact on the rest of the story’s scenes, it could do without.
Speaking of which, what about the story. The main heart of any movie and why you read any review to see if it’s worth seeing. The answer to that is that it’s good – not great or amazing but a clear setup for something more. It follows quite similarly to that of the third movie with a few motifs remaining that won’t surprise any Bourne fans. However what it does excel at is introducing an updated modernized threat whilst simultaneously revealing more about his past. Yes, we again are searching for more into Bourne’s past but goddamn is it ever so interesting to know about and I’m certain that this is only beginning for another sequel around the corner.
If you love action films you’ll more than likely love this film. Greengrass knows how to amplify each scene and keep a consistent threatening tone throughout the movie. There was only one scene, albeit quite an important one at that, where I couldn’t help but think how Bourne survived falling off a building had he not been the luckiest man in the world. Perhaps you’ll notice it within the fast edits. Other than that I loved every action scene and in particular with the opening and closing sequences which were done with the intended colossal effect. I wish the ending was improved but as I said again, I’m sure that we haven’t seen the last of him and I’ll be back for more.