Plot
Nikki Parsons is now a former CIA operative who is trying to bring all the secret Operations down, with the help of a group of likeminded individuals.
She discovers secret information about Jason “David Webb” Bourne’s recruitment into the agency, and hunts him out in his ‘off grid’ life to let him know what she found.
However, her investigations are alerted to new CIA director Robert Dewey, who orders his “right hand woman” Heather Lee, and a skilled “asset” or to hunt them both and terminate them.
Will they finally uncover the truth behind Bourne’s past, and the reveal the secrets that the CIA has been trying to keep buried????
Direction
Paul Greengrass’ rapid cut direction is back, having sat out Bourne Legacy. It is exactly what you want from a Bourne film, and his co writing is a fast paced, well paced action flick! There is some great choreography too.
A minor down, some of the ‘more practical’ effects seem to be dumbed down with help of computer imagery. This might have something to do with Matt Damon being 46 at time of filming, as apposed to 32 when he filmed the first film.
Cast
Matt Damon returns to the fray of playing Bourne. He was sorely missed in the previous film. He is the most physically impressive he has been, especially impressive given he is 16 years older than when he began the franchise.
Tommy Lee Jones plays Dewey, the new CIA boss, who has links to Bourne’s past. He is perfectly cast as the antagonistic bureaucrat who is ‘hiding in plain sight’
Alicia Vikander plays Heather Lee, Dewey’s ‘right hand’ who ‘grows a conscience’ throughout the film, and begins to assist Bourne following… what happens to Nikki…
Julia Stiles returns as Nikki (making both her and Damon’s fourth entry each in the franchise). She is now an ex CIA agent, who is trying to bring them down for the ‘illegal operations’. She gets the “Marie” treatment midway through the film.
Vincent Cassell plays “The Asset” – the assassin hired to kill both Bourne and Nikki (and later Heather). He too has a link to Bourne/David Webb’s past.
Other cast of importance are Riz Ahmed as a tech billionaire who has history with Dewey, Bill Camp as Malcolm Smith who was responsible for recruitment within the CIA, and helped recruit David Webb/Bourne, and Gregg Henry plays Richard Webb, Jason/David’s father – shown in flashbacks.
Breakdown
Once again giving us what we want in a Jason Bourne movie, Jason Bourne. Damon is back, quite possibly in his most physically impressive performance in the character to date. Jason/David Webb is still living off the grid, still haunted by his past – and trying to gain his memories back from before his bout of amnesia.
Nikki, is now a former CIA agent, who is trying to out them to the world for their ‘secret’ orginaisations/operations such as Treadstone, Blackbriar and Outcome. When she steals some secret files on Bourne/Webb, this gets the new CIA director Dewey’s attention – and he (much like those before him) vow to put an end to Nikki and Bourne.
This sets in motion the enlistment of a sociopathic “Assett” who, like Dewey has a background with both David and his father that is planted throughout the movie.
Both of these ‘new’ characters are faces of Bourne’s past – that we’ve never seen before – and are brought in in the fifth film of the franchise in order to ‘tie up’ loose ends, and seemingly finalise Bourne’s past that we’ve been following. This could be done with lazy writing, but they are both introduced quite well, and have some solid moments throughout the film. The fact that they are responsible for deaths in Bourne’s past (his father) and in the present (poor Nikki).
I enjoyed the introduction of Alicia Vikander as Heather, who seemingly sides with Dewey to start with – but at times shows a more compassionate side (wanting to bring Nikki and Jason in rather than take them out). We’re not sure of why she is so involved – but her mid film turn on Dewey to side with Bourne makes Dewey and even slimier antagonist. The arc in which Dewey has ‘The Asset’ take out Heather’s team that is trailing Bourne is cold and calculated, and you just can’t wait for him to meet his maker.
I thought the Aaron Kalloor (Riz Ahmed) CEO of Deep Dream, and Dewey tension was just one arc too many, and could have been left out. It really only served to show how cold Dewey was that he’d be willing to take a snipers bullet (in the shoulder) just to have two ‘loose ends’ assassinated next to him.
The real up for me was the pacing. One thing the previous film did poorly, but here, we have a genuinely thrilling chase sequence between Bourne and The Asset after the primary antagonist has been killed off. Cassell’s the asset isn’t even the primary villain – but because of what he did in Bourne’s past – he is just as important. Great writing, and great choreography!
Overall
This is exactly what was missing from the last Bourne film… Bourne.
Damon’s physical prowess, a great villain in Jones and Cassell, some great pacing (you have the chase sequence with the secondary bad guy after the main bad guy is dead), and a decent female lead (Vikander is solid in all I have seen her in, and I have not seen her Oscar winning performance yet).
This is currently the final movie in the franchise, and I’ve enjoyed almost all of them!!!
4/5
Please also check out my Podcast on Youtube, where we review a new movie every week! Please subscribe!
Ryan's Movie Reviews 