Jason Bourne (I) (2016)
6/10
Action-Packed, but Clichéd, and Unnecessary
31 July 2016
Jason Bourne, the next entry in the Bourne Franchise is here, but it isn't as good as the original Bourne movies. Matt Damon is back in this entry, and so is director Paul Greengrass (Bourne Supremacy and Ultimatum), which means the style and feel of the original films is there. Jason Bourne is entertaining, but is riddled with clichés, and feels like a somewhat irrelevant entry in the franchise. The problem for this film is that many of the biggest plot points are featured in other modern spy films, and at this point are somewhat overdone.

Jason Bourne is action packed and offers fans of the originals more of what they love. The film is action packed, despite that some of the action has too much shaky cam, which is common within in this franchise, but annoying nonetheless. The acting in this film is one of the best parts of this movie, as Damon is great in his return to Bourne, however Alicia Vikander and Tommy Lee Jones are both also great in their roles, conveying complex people very well. The major problem with this film is that it's riddled with clichés.

If this film had been made 5 years ago, it would have been timely and groundbreaking, and while it's still timely the subject matter is somewhat worn out. Jason Bourne latches on to the same theme as various other spy films today, which is how much can we infringe upon privacy for security. That isn't to say Hollywood needs to abandon doing films about the ongoing privacy vs security argument that is plaguing our society today, but they need to make it original. If you need an example, Captain America: Winter Soldier was a far more entertaining and well-rounded version of the same film, that came out 2 years ago.

Beyond being clichéd and not really offering anything new to the privacy vs security argument, this film feels detached from the other Bourne films. By that I mean that the original 3 Bourne films had an overarching story, and they all felt as though they were necessary for that over arching story, this film isn't part of that story. The story never really feels connected to the original films, and instead feels like an unnecessary cash grab. Above that the film refuses to offer anything new to the franchise, recycling the same cinematography and themes of other films.

Jason Bourne is a fairly entertaining action/spy film, and it comes at a time when spy films are all the rage, because the public knows so much about the imperfections of the system. That being said this film piggybacks on other, better, films so as to continue Jason Bourne's storyline. The film is action-packed, well-acted, and loaded, but is also unnecessary, recycled, and frankly lacks a fresh look problem. That being said fans of the original franchise likely will enjoy this film.
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