Jason Bourne (2016)

[CJohn]

Discuss it

[Ethan Hunt]

The Athens sequence x 1000

 

 

Also I love love love how they set up the whole Jason Bourne returning to the CIA thing and then at the end they were like “nah did you really fucking think we were gonna do that" I don't usually applaud at movies but that earned it for me

 

 

This is gonna have great replay value I can tell

 

A+

Edited August 5, 2016 by Ethan Hunt

[Rsyu]

Being a huge fan of the Bourne series I was at the theaters to watch this on opening day. To be frank, I was incredibly bored and disappointed by the end of the film which I hated, since I was extremely excited going in to it. The action scenes are great and much like the previous films, Jason Bourne's unconventional spy skills are a real treat to watch. What I had objections to was that the whole basis of the film, and Bourne's motivation to chase after the head of the CIA "again" felt really old and done before. Are we supposed to accept that after the debacle of Treadstone and Blackbriar, they went right ahead with an even worse program "Ironhand"? that for me was stretching reality too far. The villains were a total joke too, almost cartoonish in their absurdity. Rather than try something new, they basically copied the formula off Ultimatum which wouldn't be so bad if the parallels weren't so glaringly obvious. All in all, a disappointment for me although I still managed to enjoy it in parts. 

 

Grade: B-

[Jay Beezy]

Man, this was blase as hell.

 

Whether it be another adventure with Bourne himself or a spinoff featuring a new but similar character, they all prove the Bourne series should have ended with Ultimatum. It was mostly lacking the level of suspense that Ultimatum did so seamlessly. There was genuine uncertainty whether Nicky Parsons was going to survive the Tangiers chase in Ultimatum. That uncertainty of her fate was gone here in the Athens sequence, though partial blame goes to that one TV spot.

 

C

Edited July 30, 2016 by Jay Beezy

[Rsyu]

4 hours ago, Jay Beezy said:

Man, this was blase as hell.

 

Whether it be another adventure with Bourne himself or a spinoff featuring a new but similar character, they all prove the Bourne series should have ended with Ultimatum. It was mostly lacking the level of suspense that Ultimatum did so seamlessly. There was genuine uncertainty whether Nicky Parsons was going to survive the Tangiers chase in Ultimatum. That uncertainty of her fate was gone here in the Athens sequence, though partial blame goes to that one TV spot.

 

C

 

I didn't watch the TV spot but it was obvious she was doomed. I mean, they weren't going to kill off Bourne obviously but they would want to kill off someone to make it seem like a real sense of loss. That made it seem all the more fake to me though, too formulaic. 

[Jay Beezy]

2 minutes ago, Rsyu said:

 

I didn't watch the TV spot but it was obvious she was doomed. I mean, they weren't going to kill off Bourne obviously but they would want to kill off someone to make it seem like a real sense of loss. That made it seem all the more fake to me though, too formulaic. 

 

It felt more real and more shocking the first time we saw that kind of death in the series, when Karl Urban killed Marie in Supremacy.

[Rsyu]

1 minute ago, Jay Beezy said:

 

It felt more real and more shocking the first time we saw that kind of death in the series, when Karl Urban killed Marie in Supremacy.

 

Yeah actually I was about to mention that too. That scene was playing in my head during the whole athens scene which probably another reason I was expecting it to happen.

[Claire of Themyscira]

I was honest disappointed and upset when they killed her off though. One of my biggest qualms, if not the biggest one.

[Kalo]

8 hours ago, Rey said:

I was honest disappointed and upset when they killed her off though. One of my biggest qualms, if not the biggest one.

 

Yeah mine too, Nikki, was the only other character besides bourne who was in all three previous films, that gave us a connection and Bourne someone to play off once they killed her off the entire film went downhill imo. and we never really got what bourne was feeling and he had no one he could trust to confide in- it's been awhile since I've seen Ultimatum, but wasn't Nikki one of the main characters in it? 

 

Anyways I was super disappointed with the film, they managed to come up with organic plots for all three previous films that had pay off- for this one they added the most generic one ever Bourne wanting revenge for his father that we never had any connection with before. all the characters were underdeveloped, and aside from a great opening 20 minutes some of the action was just too over the top and felt like it was out of a Fast & Furious movie- especially the last action scene. so yeah this is the first film I've seen this year I would rate below a B- and I gave all three previous Damon Bourne films A-/A+

 

C+/C 

[Jay Beezy]

Yeah the Vincent Cassell arc was lame. He's introduced as a black ops agent whom Bourne *unknowingly* exposed in the Ultimatum leak, but then he's revealed as the very same assassin who killed Bourne's dad? It just feels too convenient.

 

Also, the constant change-ups in CIA directors is a little jarring.

 

Also, did Bourne use a pot against a knife in the final fight? I could barely tell since it was a little too dark and if so, Spy did that better with Melissa McCarthy with a pan against a knife.

[MrPink]

I thought Nicki being killed off was well done. The Athens sequence is probably the highlight of the film. Julia Stiles is terrible in this though, it seems like she had to rerecord all her lines and the delivery is super stilted as a result.

 

The entire father subplot should have been removed. It's obvious the writing team felt that Nicki's death simply wasn't enough to motivate Bourne but the father plot along with Vincent Cassel is SPECTRE levels of convenience, right down to Cassel being the one to kill his father. Absolutely terrible. The hacking/technology isn't much better.

 

It does feel like the movie is rising to a crescendo with Vegas but it never quite happens. Of course, a lot of Vegas gets destroyed but it doesn't quite have the propulsion of previous films. It doesn't leave you breathless like Ultimatum does, but there's something about Greengrass' style that keeps you engaged throughout. Of course, Matt Damon as a stoic badass is always a joy to watch and Greengrass' ability to make you feel like a personal spectator is what makes Jason Bourne work well enough. If only the writing was up to par.

 

I'd give it a B right now.

[Water Bottle]

Why does this movie exist?

 

Also ROFL at the CIA director dude resisting the idea that Bourne could be brought into the fold until Bourne knows he's the one responsible for killing his father. Like, dude, no, Bourne is obviously there to kill your dumb sorry ass. If they had nailed that final scene between Bourne and the CIA Director maybe the movie could have been good but like nope, it's not even the conclusion of the movie as there's a long chase sequence and then fight between Bourne and the agent that just happened to have killed Bourne's father AND who held a personal grudge against Bourne, blaming him (rightly) for his capture and torture at the hands of Syrians. Although how the Syrians kept him for two years when 99% of the police are easily taken out by Bourne/the Asset is a mystery.

 

Basically, the action scenes are fun but you won't care about anything that happens. Clearly a sequel that exists solely to appeal to the fans of the series. IF we get a new Bourne movie, I wouldn't mind if he went back to the program or if we got a prequel. I really don't see what other territory the movies could cover without resorting to tactics like having the CIA also be behind Bourne's mother's death.

 

C-

[RobinHood26]

I liked it. Nikki getting killed was needed, its the 4th movie, you knew it happening. It feels like a Bourne movie still, all the action is great, cast is great. The plot does feel more by the numbers and been there done that. OK Bourne we get it. But I still had a great time. I liked it more than Identity.

 

B (84) for now

[DeeCee]

I see the sense in Nikki being killed off but it was so obviously telegraphed that there was no tension. More then that it was the fact she went out almost exactly the same as Marie.  Collateral damage to an attempted kill shot on Bourne. From the moment she got on the bike I was just thinking don't do it, don't do it. 

 

With regards to Ultimatum. Nikki was only in the middle third. From Madrid to Tangier. Bourne and Nikki parted ways before he went to New York. 

[kaijukurt]

I went into this without watching any of the previous Bourne films (whoops) and I liked this a lot.

 

The Athens and Las Vegas scenes are something else really. Adored the action & pacing. 

 

3/4

[filmlover]

Entertaining, but this is definitely by far the weakest of the Damon Bourne movies (and a slight step up from Legacy). This is really just three big, extended action set pieces loosely tied together by the slightest thread of a plot, and ultimately brings little that is new to the saga, but Paul Greengrass' flawless ability to create tension and getting the blood pumping. The best thing about the movie is, of course, Damon himself; masterful pro that he is, he slips back into the role and owns it without missing a beat. The rest of the cast works in his shadow for the most part: Alicia Vikander is pretty good as a character whose allegiances are always in question, but I thought Tommy Lee Jones was really going through the motions here. B-

[Jay Beezy]

5 hours ago, filmlover said:

Entertaining, but this is definitely by far the weakest of the Damon Bourne movies (and a slight step up from Legacy). This is really just three big, extended action set pieces loosely tied together by the slightest thread of a plot, and ultimately brings little that is new to the saga, but Paul Greengrass' flawless ability to create tension and getting the blood pumping. The best thing about the movie is, of course, Damon himself; masterful pro that he is, he slips back into the role and owns it without missing a beat. The rest of the cast works in his shadow for the most part: Alicia Vikander is pretty good as a character whose allegiances are always in question, but I thought Tommy Lee Jones was really going through the motions here. B-

 

See, from my experience, Paul's ability to create tension started with a compelling story to do so, as was the case with Supremacy and subsequently outdoing himself with Ultimatum. The tension and suspense and thrills were all rooted in strong story. When you have a story that creates a false sense of emotional connection and strains to justify its existence, those thrills and tension feel inorganic and any sense of urgency goes away.

Edited July 31, 2016 by Jay Beezy

[Blankments]

In a way, Jason Bourne is as generic as its title suggests. The plot is nothing new for this franchise and the same goes for the action and direction. Luckily, the Bourne franchise has always excelled at those latter two attributes. Paul Greengrass's direction elevates the worst script for the Bourne films yet, which starts with an incredibly dull first hour and never manages to marry the personal stakes for Bourne to the more traditional Iron Hand plot. Thankfully, the second half of the movie kicks in when Bourne visits London and the setpieces from then on always are thrilling and shot and edited in Greengrass's and Christopher Rouse's winning visceral style.

 

The absence of John Powell is really felt as several action sequences are filmed and edited well, but lack the extra oomph his score added in previously installments.* Damon is great as always, Vikander is forgettable, and Jones isn't doing anything new but is still pretty enjoyable. It might not be as good as Greengrass's previous entries in the franchise thanks to a mediocre script, but Jason Bourne is still an entertaining summer blockbuster with impressive direction coupled with really spectacular action setpieces. B-

 

*I understand that John Powell is credited but I believe the credit is the vein of Doug Liman's executive producer credit he has had since Supremacy, thanks to his direction of the first Bourne film. Thus, Powell is probably credited just because of the use of his old themes, as he is currently on a break to spend time with kids. Please come back to us before How to Train Your Dragon 3.

[The Panda]

I was unenthused.  In fact, I was fighting to keep myself from falling asleep.  I guess that's a step up from Legacy, where I actually took a nice little nap during the movie.

 

The action sequences are well shot, although Greengrass' style has never been my favorite.  The villains were caricatures, Bourne's motivations seemed cliched, and everything felt as if the cast didn't care about the movie.  Several of the performances were also incredibly wooden, given I'd expect more from Greengrass.

 

There was no tension in the movie like the original three because I was never given a reason to care.  It's been a while since I've seen the Bourne movies so Greengrass can't just assume I'll care about the action because it's Bourne.

 

A really big disappointment.  C-

[newbie BO buff]

Took me a long while to recover from "Use SQL to corrupt their databases" and enjoy the movie a bit.

 

C+