Way over-the-top action for ‘Jason Bourne’ fans

BY

Nine years after the Bourne trilogy, Jason is Bourne again. Academy Award winner and all around nice guy Matt Damon returns as the former CIA operative chased by what seems to be the entire free world. Tommy Lee Jones joins the cast as evil CIA Director Robert Dewey, who asks, “Why would he come back now?” To most fans, why ask why?

Four years ago, Jeremy Renner starred in a spinoff, “Bourne Legacy,” but just didn’t pack the same punch. Sure, there will be a sequel in 2018, but Damon is the real deal that agreed to this flick only if Paul Greengrass (who also co-wrote with Christopher Rouse) returns as director. They create another action-thriller for their devoted fan base.

“Jason Bourne” is shorter on narrative and heavier on action than prior features. However, most of us already understand that our hero is being pursued by the U.S. Government for his prior work as a super-soldier in a covert paramilitary program. Now, we just want to see the guy wreak some havoc and mayhem against the system.

Overcoming his government-induced amnesia, Bourne realizes, “I know who I am. I remember everything.” Friend Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles) warns, “Remembering everything doesn’t mean you know everything.” Nicky tries to provide Jason new information, so they arrange to meet in the midst of an angry mob scene in Athens.

The plot includes topics ripped from the headlines, such as the Snowden-like issue of individual privacy vs. public safety as a product of illicit hacking. Alicia Vikander (“Ex Machina”) joins Damon and Jones as the third Oscar winner in this cast. As CIA analyst Heather Lee, she hopes to convince Bourne to return and rejoin the CIA, instead of being killed on sight by their goon, called The Asset (Vincent Cassel, “Black Swan”).

Haunted by a series of flashbacks, Bourne recalls more of his past, “I volunteered because of a lie. They said my father was killed by terrorists! He wasn’t killed by terrorists, was he?” There’s something rotten in Denmark; or in this case, Washington D.C. Therefore, the next chase scene will be in Berlin (what?).

Greengrass effectively utilizes a frenetic musical score and relentless pace to amplify the tension. The chase and fight scenes are magnificent, but seemingly edited by a meat cleaver. Each extended scene is filled with hundreds of sub-second shots from a shaky-cam that prevent the audience from actually experiencing the event. It makes us appreciate Jackie Chan’s single shot choreography that remains unique in the industry.

The Las Vegas car chase strives for a “Fast and Furious” style and approach. It never reaches that level, but is still solid popcorn entertainment. Shooting between the hours of midnight and sunrise, it took five weeks to shoot and wrecked 170 cars. Give credit for the effort to prevent this perpetual pursuit from getting monotonous.

Novelist, Robert Ludlum wrote numerous Bourne books, but the movie trilogy seemed fairly complete. So, in some ways, this could be viewed as a cash grab. There are some flaws, but fans of the Matt Damon character won’t be disappointed. We’re reminded of the time accomplished actor/director Ben Affleck was describing his relationship with Damon to some younger actors. The newbies shrieked, “You know Jason Bourne?”

“Jason Bourne” is 123 minutes and rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, action and brief strong language. Whether it’s Operation Threadstone, Blackbriar or Ironhand, we’re ready for more black ops as long as Damon continues a war against the CIA as big as the war going on in his head.

Damon has said the titles – including the words “Identity,” “Supremacy,” “Ultimatum,” or his character’s name – is meaningless. Maybe, but for an “intelligent” action-thriller, the action is way over-the-top and implausible circumstances needed to make the plot work are absurd. However, the tone remains thoughtful and serious. In this political season, our foreign policy should include two words, “Jason Bourne.” Boom! Any questions?