After "Legacy" it was, I believe, mandatory to change course... it was time for the "Bourne" franchise to get back on course and get some quality back. For this, they called back Paul Greengrass who, this time, ensures the direction and script. The film is not brilliant, however it manages to fulfill the expectations of the audience, although Greengrass has lost its freshness and intensity, offering us a listless and tiring effort.
The script begins with Nicky Parsons' attempt to publicly expose various CIA operations. She contacts Jason Bourne, who tries to dissuade her from doing so. The CIA, however, was following in her wake, and it didn't take much for them to suspect Bourne's intentions and attitudes, and go back to hunting him, as they had done before. From there, what the film gives us is more than what we've seen in other films in the franchise. The script, however, seemed simpler and more direct in the way it presents itself, without the twists and subtleties that previous films sometimes had. Another thing that needs to be said: in this film, the tension and suspense are not as palpable as in previous films. That, in fact, is something I regret, it would have made the film work better.
To the delight of many, and after his disappearance in the previous film, Matt Damon is back to the main role, one of the most important roles in his acting career. He is impeccable and perfectly at ease with the work and material. However, I've felt several times that the rest of the cast doesn't have the material or time to partner with him. Vincent Cassell, for example, is an excellent actor and is very good at this kind of characters, but his character is basic, merely a sketch, and the actor doesn't do much because he doesn't have much to do here. Tommy Lee Jones also has reasons not to miss this movie. Equally talented and competent for action characters (who doesn't remember his performance in "The Fugitive" a few decades ago?), he simply hasn't received decent material and his character is underdeveloped. Alicia Vikander appears just to give a feminine touch to a movie full of testosterone.
On a technical level, this film manages to maintain the quality standards of previous films in this franchise. It features beautiful cinematography and satisfying camera work, despite a little overuse of the handheld, with those blurry images. It knew how to make the best use of the filming locations, carefully chosen, and the effects of light and shadow. The editing work leaves something to be desired, giving the film an uneven pace, with scenes that take too long for no apparent reason. As in other films in the franchise, the strong technical bet is the special, visual and sound effects used in the action scenes. Everything is done with great rigor and gives the film a pleasant feeling of realism.
The script begins with Nicky Parsons' attempt to publicly expose various CIA operations. She contacts Jason Bourne, who tries to dissuade her from doing so. The CIA, however, was following in her wake, and it didn't take much for them to suspect Bourne's intentions and attitudes, and go back to hunting him, as they had done before. From there, what the film gives us is more than what we've seen in other films in the franchise. The script, however, seemed simpler and more direct in the way it presents itself, without the twists and subtleties that previous films sometimes had. Another thing that needs to be said: in this film, the tension and suspense are not as palpable as in previous films. That, in fact, is something I regret, it would have made the film work better.
To the delight of many, and after his disappearance in the previous film, Matt Damon is back to the main role, one of the most important roles in his acting career. He is impeccable and perfectly at ease with the work and material. However, I've felt several times that the rest of the cast doesn't have the material or time to partner with him. Vincent Cassell, for example, is an excellent actor and is very good at this kind of characters, but his character is basic, merely a sketch, and the actor doesn't do much because he doesn't have much to do here. Tommy Lee Jones also has reasons not to miss this movie. Equally talented and competent for action characters (who doesn't remember his performance in "The Fugitive" a few decades ago?), he simply hasn't received decent material and his character is underdeveloped. Alicia Vikander appears just to give a feminine touch to a movie full of testosterone.
On a technical level, this film manages to maintain the quality standards of previous films in this franchise. It features beautiful cinematography and satisfying camera work, despite a little overuse of the handheld, with those blurry images. It knew how to make the best use of the filming locations, carefully chosen, and the effects of light and shadow. The editing work leaves something to be desired, giving the film an uneven pace, with scenes that take too long for no apparent reason. As in other films in the franchise, the strong technical bet is the special, visual and sound effects used in the action scenes. Everything is done with great rigor and gives the film a pleasant feeling of realism.