Jason Bourne (2016)

It's a Jason Bourne movie. Can I tell you what happens? Do I NEED to tell you what happens? Like with some other long running franchises (The Fast and The Furious) you are hoping for a nice game of cat and mouse between Bourne, his female ally and the government chasing him with their assassins and high tech help.

But computers can never ever fully compensate for a creative mind with a knack for escape and that is what I watch a Jason Bourne movie for, the elaborate escapes - the thrill of the chase. I want it to begin and never let up. This movie does that right from the get go and I appreciated the by the numbers approach and resolution even though I have seen this all before. If this was the first film in the franchise I would give this a much better review than I have planned. It's not a terrible movie.

Matt does seem to be at a phase in his career where maybe one in four of the movies he does is a fresh revelation and not a lazy retread of road he has already walked as an actor. The Martian was a fresh performance. This one seems to be a lot of effort to pay the bills. He deserved his paycheck but the movie is nothing we haven't seen before. Bourne is even more indestructible this time and smarter than everyone else and someone with a gift for massive coincidences, ones that keep him out of confinement no matter how many people are trying to bring him down. I wonder how he can travel the world. His image and remarkable resemblance to actor Matt Damon would keep him from any airline's ticket desk lest he be recognized. But have no fear. He will arrive just before his enemies do so he can be ready to take his revenge at will. His plane is never delayed.

The scenes during the riot are chaotic as is the hand held camera work. At times I had difficulty putting myself in a place where I didn't feel so disorientated. By the time the police bike chase began I just said FUCK IT and let the goofiness take me. Any normal person running from the police on unfamiliar streets, during a riot on a motorcycle at insane speeds, without a helmet, would have DIED and solved everyone's problems right there. But then we wouldn't have us a movie now would we? The stunt work is exciting to watch but you have to keep from blinking lest you miss all the quick cuts. No one lingers over a shot anymore. That technique makes this movie feel longer than it is.

This is one of those films that you instantly forget after you see it because you have seen this all before. Snappy editing and the same story of a man searching for the truth has been done to death in the same FRANCHISE. The age really shows on this concept and all the new revelations really don't add up to much because we know next week Bourne will be involved in yet another search for the truth and some sympathetic girl will once again help him - well if they can sign up Matt for another movie.