Matt Damon is back playing Jason Bourne in the latest installment of the super spy franchise, but is it return to form?
Walking into the cinema last Friday night I felt a sense of anticipation. Straight away I'll admit that I loved the first three Bourne films. I went out and bought the entire Bourne box set(yes Legacy included) in order to prepare myself. As a trilogy the first three Bourne films were unique in that the quality got better as the series progressed. That in itself is quite an achievement considering how good the Bourne Identity was, but somehow the Bourne Ultimatum provided the perfect ending. Matt Damon played no part in the Bourne Legacy spinoff which starred Jeremy Renner and that was widely regarded as underwhelming, so how would number 5 fare with Damon back at the helm.
I wondered what would bring Bourne back from the brink of isolation. Times have changed and espionage has evolved. Snowden gets name checked a lot as the films plays on people real life fears. Social media, surveillance, and privacy all feature in this technology filled flick. While many films try and make people forget about the real world Jason Bourne constantly reminds people of the perils and that is what makes it feel so compelling. An anti-austerity riot in Athens acts as the first set piece as Bourne tries to evade the CIA in a cleverly crafted chase sequence. The cinematography is clever, clean and concise which makes the film feel real and gritty which brings Bourne back to its roots.
A lot of people say that the film feels like a greatest hits album rather than offering something new and that is a fair observation. The film does draw a lot of inspiration from its predecessors especially in terms of narrative and locations, but why break from such a good format? The film takes the Bourne concept and applies it to a modern landscape. Is it as good as Ultimatum? Probably not, but only because the bar was set so high. Damon is as good as ever despite not speaking much throughout as he lets his body language do the talking. Tommy Lee Jones and Alicia Vilikander put on a good performance to play a pair of contrasting CIA agents although their roles and motivations are very similar to what we have seen before and one could argue that they are filling in for Brian Cox and Joan Allen. The Asset ,a role that is often forgettable in previous installments, is actually an integral part of the movie and that is really refreshing as Vincent Cassel puts on a great performance and makes a really good villain.
Overall if your a fan of the Bourne franchise or just love a well crafted film then it is defiantly worth a watch. There is something in this film for everybody. If anything the new rendition of Moby's Extreme Ways accompanying the final moments of the film and leading into the animated end credits is worth the admission price alone.
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