Film
After the death of Nicky Parsons (Stiles), Jason Bourne abandons all morality and, in this reviewer's eyes, any pretense of being the hero. The plot is ostensibly about bringing to light yet another government super-spy program, but the film quickly turns into a gory revenge flick, and even that feels tacked on, as Bourne goes on a self-serving, bloody rampage that happens to interfere with some unrelated CIA business. No plot, no rules, and no substance.
The action is over the top. The climax leaves a broad swath of Vegas destroyed, largely at Bourne's hands, and the body count is massive. The film tries to balance the mindless action out with a thoughtful plot and good performances, but falls largely flat on both counts. Matt Damon seems to be unable to play the new, darker Bourne effectively, and this reviewer can't fault him for it. Alicia Vikander is the breakout star, playing the only character with even the slightest hint of a conscience, and even her motives are somewhat questionable. Tommy Lee Jones delivers an unexpectedly nuanced performance as the main villain, and is, perhaps for the first time since the first "Men in Black", actually enjoyable to watch.
The ending is anticlimactic and ambiguous, but generally every character ends up twice as screwed at the end as they were at the beginning, and Bourne is left with little hope for his future. The viewer is left with a creeping suspicion that they just wasted two hours of their life.
In summary: It's a failure for sure. A few decent performances can't save this plotless monstrosity. In fact, they show up Damon's flat performance by contrast. Avoid seeing.
Film
After the death of Nicky Parsons (Stiles), Jason Bourne abandons all morality and, in this reviewer's eyes, any pretense of being the hero. The plot is ostensibly about bringing to light yet another government super-spy program, but the film quickly turns into a gory revenge flick, and even that feels tacked on, as Bourne goes on a self-serving, bloody rampage that happens to interfere with some unrelated CIA business. No plot, no rules, and no substance.
The action is over the top. The climax leaves a broad swath of Vegas destroyed, largely at Bourne's hands, and the body count is massive. The film tries to balance the mindless action out with a thoughtful plot and good performances, but falls largely flat on both counts. Matt Damon seems to be unable to play the new, darker Bourne effectively, and this reviewer can't fault him for it. Alicia Vikander is the breakout star, playing the only character with even the slightest hint of a conscience, and even her motives are somewhat questionable. Tommy Lee Jones delivers an unexpectedly nuanced performance as the main villain, and is, perhaps for the first time since the first "Men in Black", actually enjoyable to watch.
The ending is anticlimactic and ambiguous, but generally every character ends up twice as screwed at the end as they were at the beginning, and Bourne is left with little hope for his future. The viewer is left with a creeping suspicion that they just wasted two hours of their life.
In summary: It's a failure for sure. A few decent performances can't save this plotless monstrosity. In fact, they show up Damon's flat performance by contrast. Avoid seeing.