Review: Bad script makes ‘Jason Bourne’ year’s biggest disappointment

Posted on August 5, 2016

By MARK VIOLA

I have no qualms saying the Jason Bourne trilogy, which began with 2002’s “The Bourne Identity” and followed with 2004’s “The Bourne Supremacy” and 2007’s “The Bourne Ultimatum,” as the best action film franchise of the 21st century, not to mention one of the best trilogies ever.

So with that in mind, let me try to express just how utterly and completely disappointed I was in “Jason Bourne.” Now the movie is exceptionally well acted and directed, with Greengrass’ patented handheld style producing some incredibly enjoyable action sequences. Simply put, this is a very well made movie. Unfortunately, the script is an utter mess, filled with plot conveniences, muddled character motivations, a downright boring main plot and, despite a very personal story for Bourne himself, an emotionally flat experience.

I have seen worse movies this year–I’m looking right at you, “Independence Day: Resurgence”–but I went into those films with relatively low expectations. In contrast, with Damon and Greengrass back–I admittedly didn’t notice that screenwriter Tony Gilroy was absent–I had very high expectations that “Jason Bourne” would live up to the standard set by its predecessors, which had each improved on the last. Thus, I have to say “Jason Bourne” is easily my biggest disappointment of 2016 so far.

The story picks up roughly 12 years after we last saw Bourne falling in the water and swimming away at the end of “The Bourne Ultimatum.” Although Jason has his memories back, he is still a broken man unable to fully move on with his life. When he is given new information about Project Treadstone, the CIA block-ops division he originally worked for, he resurfaces once again to get to the bottom of a secret that goes all the way back to its creation and may have a very personal connection to his past.

Meanwhile, the CIA has moved on from ops like Treadstone and Blackbriar and has an entirely new program about to go online involving social media and data collection.
Bourne’s resurfacing, therefore, comes at a particularly bad time, and both CIA Director Robert Dewey (Tommy Lee Jones, “Lincoln”) and cyber-ops agent Heather Lee (Alicia Vikander, “Ex Machina”) are working to stop him.

It is somewhat understandable after audiences didn’t exactly warm up to “The Bourne Legacy” that Gilroy, who had penned every Bourne film up to that point, was not invited back. Instead we have Greengrass writing for the first time since 2006’s “United 93” along with longtime editing partner Christopher Rouse, who is making his screenwriting debut. Unfortunately, the resulting script just doesn’t work.

And since nearly all of my problems with this movie involve plot points, it is impossible to discuss them without spoilers. But I can sum up my feelings by saying there were many times while watching the movie I found myself silently urging the story to not go in a particular direction, only for it to almost immediately go in that particular direction.

I was among many people who were sad to see the Bourne franchise end and was hoping that Damon and Greengrass would return to continue it. Well, I really should have remembered the adage about being careful what you wish for.

The movie is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and brief strong language.

(This is a abbreviated version of the full review available in our printed or e-edition papers.)

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