It’s hard to overstate how dramatically The Bourne Identity changed action cinema when it first debuted in 2002. While the action films of the 1990s had begun to prioritize spectacle and camp, The Bourne Identity told a grounded espionage story that felt far more realistic. Director Paul Greengrass eventually took the franchise to new heights with the two subsequent sequels, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, which saw Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne examining the conspiracy involving the covert Treadstone program. The franchise briefly took a detour with The Bourne Legacy, a spinoff that focused on the new hero Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner). However, Greengrass and Damon reunite for the underrated sequel Jason Bourne, a colossal box office hit that nonetheless deserved better than the mixed responses it received at the time of its release.

‘Jason Bourne’ Moves the Franchise Forward

Jason Bourne takes place many years after the ending of The Bourne Ultimatum, as Jason is now committed to trying to live off the grid as he deals with the repercussions of exposing the Treadstone conspiracy. While he has managed to remain anonymous by serving as a street fighter in Athens, Jason is reunited with his old ally Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles), who informs her that his father had secretly been involved in a black ops program that the government has tried to mask from the public. After Parsons is tragically killed in a brutal chase, Bourne returns to the world of espionage as the CIA Director Robert Dewey (Tommy Lee Jones) and Cyber Ops head Heather Lee (Alicia Vikander) try to track him down.

Jason Bourne helps expand the Bourne franchise in a compelling way by showing that the Treadstone program that the original trilogy spent so much time developing was merely one example of a much more systematic issue. Bourne discovers a link between the government’s surveillance program and a new social media platform known as “Deep Dream,” which is run by the enigmatic CEO Aaron Kalloor (Riz Ahmed). While he is now confident in his identity for the first time, Jason Bourne examines the titular character’s path to becoming a hero. Parsons’ death serves as a reminder that those with power do not pay any attention to those who get in their way. Bourne’s advanced abilities and knowledge of the governmental programs give him a responsibility to hold those in power responsible, and expose them for their misdeeds.

‘Jason Bourne’ Was a Necessary Reset

While narratively it may not be as structurally sound as the first three installments in the series, Jason Bourne features some of the greatest action sequences in the entire franchise. The chase through Greece exemplifies the type of tactile, detail-laden set pieces that Greengrass does so well, as the film is well aware of the collateral damage that an incident like this would inspire. A final battle between Bourne and the new villain known as the “Asset” (Vincent Cassel) is also a highlight, as the franchise finally managed to conceive of an antagonist who was Damon’s physical and intellectual equal. Damon is also notably playing an older version of the character who has been beaten down by his experience fighting for justice.

It’s a shame that Jason Bourne is still the most recent entry in the Bourne franchise, as it ended with some exciting clues about where future installments in the series could go. Heather has seemingly become aware that Bourne may share some of her interests, but it is left ambiguous whether they would actually want to pursue a full partnership. The full ramifications of Deep Dream and the remnants of the Blackbriar program are also not resolved, suggesting that Bourne may need to dig deeper into his own family history if he wants to understand the truth of what happened to him. Many franchises seem to be steadily churning out sequels without a clear creative direction in mind, but Jason Bourne was a satisfying new entry that set up what could be a very exciting next chapter in the Bourne saga.

Release Date July 29, 2016 Runtime 123 minutes

Jason Bourne is available to rent on Amazon in the U.S.

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