Movie Reviews: Jason Bourne ★★★☆☆

Jason Bourne (2016) 

Director: Paul Greengrass
Genre: Action, Thriller
Running Time: 123 minutes 

Starring: Matt Damon, Alicia Vikander and Julia Stiles

First of all, as I've stated in previous posts, I'm not fond of (unnecessary) sequels. Jason Bourne is, for me at least, a very unnecessary sequel, because I think the original trilogy is so good. It is, hands down, my favorite action trilogy. The story is complete, the 'mystery' about Bourne's identity is solved after three thrilling films. Then there was the dumb sequel with Jeremy Renner The Bourne Legacy (2012) which people are desperately trying to forget. Jason Bourne is not a bad film, but did we really need to see Bourne again?

Because let's face it. Matt Damon isn't the youngest man any more. I'm not being an ageist, but we knew Bourne as a young, strong killer. The action sequences are just as awesome in Jason Bourne, but narrative-wise, it doesn't quite live up to the trilogy. And here why. We've spent three films finding out about who Jason is in The Bourne Identity / Suprecemy / Ultimatum (2002 - 2007), in Jason Bourne the filmmakers add a mystery which is solved by the end of the movie. There is very little build-up and the story is incredibly rushed, especially compared to the original trilogy.

The film is not just mediocre when compared to its predecessors, but also as a standalone. The supporting characters are very flat (I love seeing Alicia Vikander, but her role confused me a bit). An actor like Riz Ahmed (who plays an alternative Mark Zuckerburg) is completely wasted in a role that didn't have to be there in the first place. Also, personally, I don't quite like long action scenes, I find them quite tedious. In Jason Bourne there are plenty of those, unfortunately. The first chase-scene (in Athens) was enjoyable, but the second one in Las Vegas was just endless.

Some parts were great, some parts weren't. A very short summary: The beginning was a little boring. Athens was great. Berlin was thrilling. Las Vegas was terrible. It's not like I don't want to see the movie again (I realise I'm being a little negative in my review), because it was an exciting thriller at some points. It's just that I'm disappointed, when I compare Jason Bourne to the original trilogy.

★★★☆☆