Jason Bourne

Yep, my movie marathon continues.  Today I went to see Jason Bourne on the day it opened!! Woohoo!!!
No, I didn't go to the very first showing. It was the XD version, which means 3D, greatly enhanced sound, and shown in a very luxurious theater with fancy seats equipped with electronics...It also means a "greatly enhanced" ticket price, too.  Besides, a Bourne movie isn't what I want to see in 3D - almost too much action as it is.

I made it to the first "regular" showing which started an hour after the XD one.

This is a great film franchise with the hero going through incredible scenes and always coming out at the end with no one he can trust.

This film, Jason Bourne, is no exception to the pattern of the series. We find him deep undercover, his whereabouts literally unknown in the beginning. He is fighting for money in the countryside near the Serbian border.  Crowds of men encircle him and the huge Serbian champion betting on his opponent to win.  Of course he doesn't. Bourne makes enough money to continue his travels.

Meanwhile we find his old partner, Nicky (Julia Stiles) in Iceland going to a secret facility for world-class hackers. She hacks into the CIA and finds all the dirt they don't want publicized. She copies the files and plans to broadcast them to the world. While doing that, she finds out info on Bourne - how he was recruited, who he was, and who his father was. Trouble is, the CIA noticed those files being hacked, slipped in some malware, and pinpointed the location. Nicky got a copy of the files on a drive and was about to leave when the systems there went down.

Yep, the CIA pinpointed their location and sent a missile, or drone to destroy the place.  Nicky got out just in time before the place exploded. She contacts Bourne who tells her to meet him in Athens. Trouble is, the CIA has found her picture on facial recognition entering the airport and traces her to Athens.  They are on the move, figuring Bourne will be there, too.

Tommy Lee Jones reprises his role as Dewey, the head of the CIA. He wants Bourne found and wants him taken out. Bourne is such an inconvenience, knowing where all the bones are buried. A young woman who found the hack asks to be put in charge of the operation. Heather Lee (Alicia Vikander) is ambitious and cold, just the kind Dewey likes. But he mistakenly thinks she can be easily manipulated.

I have to say Tommy Lee Jones is a marvelous actor.  Recently I watched a repeat of the last episode of Lonesome Dove, in which he played Captain Woodrow Call. He was magnificent as the crusty ex-Texas Ranger.  In the end, he had me weeping buckets.

Quite a difference from his portrayal of CIA Director Dewey, an arrogant, frostbitten villain.

He calls in his Asset (chillingly played by Vincent Cassel) to find Bourne and "neutralize" him.

Thus begins a murder spree and a hair-raising series of car chases, culminating in the big one through the Vegas strip.  It's a particularly fast-paced thrill ride. No, I didn't want to see this one in 3D.

When it's all over, Bourne is battered but still free.  Lee makes one more attempt to get him to trust her and come back to the CIA.  Bourne, however, is way ahead of her. He leaves her and walks away.  When she gets into her car, there's a camera waiting on the front seat which contains her meeting with the head of National Security in which she says she can make Bourne come back and if he won't he can be taken down.

Thus, Bourne is seen walking away, once more alone and friendless, but living to fight another day. He has avenged his father's murder in this one, but still has some scores to settle.

Never boring, this movie flies along at warp speed. The reason I don't want to see it in 3D is an unfortunate tendency at times to get motion sickness with a lot of fast moving action onscreen. Today in the regular movie format, I bitterly regretted downing the protein bar I brought from home. I just wanted to alleviate the yearnings when I could hear and smell everybody else enjoying their popcorn. Big mistake there. Note to self: don't ever eat ANYTHING watching another Bourne film in the theater.

Actually, this is a great action picture. There is literally never a dull moment. Matt Damon is a wonderful actor who plays Jason Bourne with ruthless efficiency and world-weary disgust at what he has to do. He is essentially a good guy stuck in a nightmare world.

I saw him interviewed recently in which he was asked if he would do yet another Bourne film. His answer? Of course he would...Looking forward to it.

What a great way to get out of the summer heat and become engrossed in a good movie.

Until next time...