'Jason Bourne' is one of the better entries in the series
It鈥檚 taken many movies for Jason Bourne to finally regain his memory,聽but, if 鈥淛ason Bourne鈥� is any indication, he鈥檚 still unhappy. He probably聽will continue to be unhappy for as long as this franchise has a future.聽Since this new installment in the series is one of the better ones, it鈥檚 a聽good bet that Bourne鈥檚 memory issues will continue to wend their way聽through ever more punch-outs, sniper attacks, and skidding U-turns.
Matt Damon is once again Bourne, who is first glimpsed on the skids,聽bare-knuckle fighting in Greece for chump change. It鈥檚 not long before the聽stunning action set pieces ensue, expertly (if sometimes too busily)聽directed by series veteran Paul Greengrass (who co-wrote with his editor,聽Christopher Rouse). Before the film runs out of steam by the end, we鈥檝e聽been treated to some whizzing crash-and-burn theatrics in Athens, London,聽and Las Vegas. The nefarious CIA director (Tommy Lee Jones, craggier聽than ever) wants Bourne eliminated, and his hired French assassin聽(Vincent Cassel, appropriately wolfish) is just the man to do it.聽Other welcome faces include Alicia Vikander as a CIA analyst who has聽a better bead on Bourne than her superiors; Julia Stiles, in a repeat聽appearance as the spy鈥檚 former contact; and Riz Ahmed as a Silicon聽Valley billionaire.
Some lip service is paid to the conflicts of global security in the Internet聽age, but basically 鈥淛ason Bourne鈥� is a political thriller with politics as聽window dressing. Grade:聽B (Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and brief strong language.)
