In 2007, Matt Damon went on the run again after bringing down a deadly government program of assassins and becoming a free man at the end of The Bourne Ultimatum. Well, it wasn’t quite the end for Bourne…he’s back again in this fifth installment that makes a refreshing return to the first three movies and nearly wipes out all memory of The Bourne Legacy.
Damon is once again back as Bourne, this time living off the grid over in Greece and scrapes a living as a bare-knuckle fighter. It’s not long before his old comrade Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles) tracks him down with more news of his past. Just when he thought he was out, they pull him back in.
Tommy Lee Jones costars as the new director of the CIA who urges his agency to track down Bourne and make him obsolete. Vincent Cassel is a rogue assassin commonly named The Asset who tries to make that happen. With a name like The Asset, the franchise is borderline close to self-parody, but Cassel pulls off the performance with enough intensity and prowess to match Bourne himself.
Bourne isn’t alone in trying to stay one step ahead. Oscar winner Alicia Vikander stars as an agent who attempts to earn Bourne’s trust, but I think considering everything Bourne has been through it’s pretty hard to earn it.
Director Paul Greengrass of Supremacy and Ultimatum once again brings his shaky camera work to the forefront and there are a couple of sensationally executed sequences. The best being the climax in which Bourne and The Asset are having a car chase through the bright lights of Las Vegas. I thought it was impossible to top the New York chase in Ultimatum, but Greengrass and crew have done it.
I felt everything was wrapped up in a thoroughly satisfying conclusion at the end of the third film, but the filmmakers are able to introduce an element of emotional gravity that makes another story worth telling. Damon is once again in prime form with his stoic presence and silent-but-deadly demeanor. The rest of the cast delivers fine work as well, particularly Jones’ deadpan presence in contrast to the more self-consciously serious Damon.
Normally, I think a franchise is pretty much exhausted of its possibilities by this point, but I think I may be in the minority in saying that I wouldn’t mind seeing Damon come back one more time.
Grade: B+
(Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and brief strong language.)
