The Bourne Identity, and its superior sequelsThe Bourne SupremacyandThe Bourne Ultimatumwere some of the best, most thoughtful action-thrillers of the 21st century. Such was the success of the trilogy that it was inevitable that another film —Jason Bourne— would follow, despite the perfect conclusion toUltimatum. StarringMatt Damonfor the fourth time as the titular character, and directed once more byPaul Greengrass, the film follows the elusive and dangerous former assassin, navigating a treacherous world where government secrets, tech surveillance, and personal vengeance collide in spectacularly explosive fashion, and fans can see it for free via Amazon’s Freevee streaming platform.
This time around, Bourne is drawn back into the shadows after uncovering new information about his past, leading him down a path that intersects with CIA cyber intelligence, rogue agents, and a sinister plot with far-reaching consequences, assisted once more by formerCIA analyst Nicky Parsons, who is played once again by franchise veteranJulia Stiles,whileAlicia Vikander,Tommy Lee Jones, andVincent Casselround out the cast. While the original trilogy was acclaimed, this outing received a much more mixed review. With a 54% Rotten Tomatoes rating, it was clear that reviewers and critics felt that this was an unnecessary and needless epilogue to a trilogy that had already finished in a fine manner.
Is ‘Jason Bourne’ Worth Watching?
Collider’sMatt Goldbergwas one of the dissenting voices against the film. His disappointment was immeasurable and his day was ruined, clearly, by the film which he felt was a cynical cash grab that lost any of the thrill and appeal of the original trilogy. He also felt that, unlike the original trilogy’s focus was laser like in its efficiency, this film’s approach was scattergun and the film suffered as a result of that approach.
BecauseJason Bourneis either rehashing what came before or a gross miscalculation of how to handle previous elements, it doesn’t move the needle forward on the character or his journey. Nothing significantly new is revealed about Bourne and his character doesn’t change in any significant manner. Damon and Greengrass may carry their prestige into this sequel, but it reeks of a moneygrab by all parties. It’s a film that’s thoughtless, lazy, and wholly unnecessary. Rather than revitalize the character for a fresh set of global crises,Jason Bournemakes us want to send the spy back into the cold.
Jason Bourneis currently streaming on Freevee.
Jason Bourne
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