Film Review: "Jason Bourne" (2016).

"You know his name." It's Jason Bourne. This action thriller film directed by Paul Greengrass, written by Greengrass and Christopher Rouse, and based on the characters created by Robert Ludlum. It is a direct sequel to The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), and the fifth installment of the Bourne film series. Jason Bourne, the former CIA agent, is drawn out of hiding by CIA director Robert Dewey. He then sets out to discover more about his past, family and his father's death.

In May 2007, prior to the release of The Bourne Ultimatum, Matt Damon stated that he would not be interested in returning for a fourth Bourne film. Ironically, in the subsequent years, Damon has stated numerous times that he would only return to the Bourne series to reprise his role if Greengrass would return to direct. However, Universal released The Bourne Legacy, on August 10, 2012, with Jeremy Renner replacing Damon as Aaron Cross. Despite the mixed reception and commercial disappointment, Universal noted that they planned to continue with the series. Initially a sequel was announced with Renner reprising his role, Justin Lin directing, and a rumoured July 2016 release date. However, in November 2014, it was announced that Damon and Greengrass would return to reprise his role and direct for the next Bourne film, with Greengrass and Rouse penning the script, under the rumoured title The Bourne Betrayal. By early September 2015, Julia Stiles, returned to reprise her role, Tommy Lee Jones, Alicia Vikander, Vincent Cassel, Riz Ahmed, Ato Essandoh, Scott Shepherd, and Bill Camp rounded out the film's cast as new additions. At the same time, with the budget of $120 million, principal photography commenced, and wrapped in early February 2016. Filming took place in London, England; Berlin, Germany; Washington, D.C. and Las Vegas, U.S.A.; and Tenerife island, Canary Islands, Spain. For the Athens, Greece protest scene, the producers asked the Greek Government for permission to shoot the film in the actual location. However, due to high taxes and bureaucracy, this never happened. Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, doubles as Athens in the movie. For the Las Vegas car chase, city officials and the producers reached an agreement to only shoot the Las Vegas car chase sequence from midnight to sunrise. The sequence took five weeks to shoot and at the end, the sequence wrecked 170 cars. In early February 2016, during the Super Bowl 50, the first trailer was released and revealed the film's title as Jason Bourne.

The film stars Damon, reprising his role as the former CIA assassin, Stiles reprising her role, Lee Jones, Vikander, Cassel, Ahmed, Essandoh, Shepherd, and Camp. Damon still has the required intensity and physicality to make his iconic character completely believable. Damon radiates a powerful undercurrent of danger. He is the perfect Bourne.

It isn't quite as compelling as the earlier trilogy, but Jason Bourne proves the franchise has stories left to tell - and benefits from Jeremy Renner's magnetic work in the starring role.

Simon says Jason Bourne receives:

Also, see my review for Captain Phillips.