Jason Bourne review: Nothing that we haven't seen before

Director: Paul Greengrass
Cast: Matt Damon, Alicia Vikander, Tommy Lee Jones, Julia Stiles
Rating: **1/2
 

What's it about: 

Ten years after the events of The Bourne Ultimatum, Jason Bourne (Damon) re-emerges, an illegal fighter in a place the CIA isn't looking. His ally Nicky Parsons (Stiles) is in Reykjavik, working on leads to expose the CIA's black ops programs. She finds something Bourne might be interested in and offers to meet him in Greece. An ambitious Heather Lee (Vikander), head of the CIA's cyber ops alerts the Agency's director Robert Dewey (Jones). The Asset (Vincent Cassell) is sent to end Bourne and Parsons before the link between Treadstone and Bourne's father is exposed. Parsons doesn't last long and thereafter it becomes one long chase, with one man pulling the strings.

Lee wants to bring JB in, in person, while Dewey would rather have him dead. However, nothing is what it seems and nobody can be trusted, and Bourne's a veteran at the game.

What's hot:

Damon and Greengrass teaming up again. The feeling of unintended nostalgia for their former outings. Vikander's performance and the back-and-forth between Jones and her make for some of the film's best moments. 

What's not:

There's nothing really novel that we haven't seen in previous Bourne movies. And it's almost like the film is running auto pilot. Almost like there's no soul left. We get that it is an action film, but why a predictable ending and pointless chases?

What to do: 

Watch it only if you are a die-hard fan of the franchise. And even then, you'll wonder why this film had to be made.