Jason Bourne Review: 7 Ups And 3 Downs

Downs:

3. But It Is Still Taking From The Previous Movies

But yeah, for all I've just said, it is still taking from the previous movies. While Jason Bourne is enjoyable, it doesn't feel all that envelope pushing as a result.

It's a common reboot tactic to reconstitute previous movies into something new, and while Jason Bourne isn't as explosive as some of the more obvious recent examples, there's an underlying sense that more new stuff could have been in here. There's not as much advancement on a structural level, so while the plot is modern, it's a little too stuck in the past. Nothing totally wrong with that - look at how quickly we've forgotten how every sequel used to be just a retread - but it means the film isn't as forward-thinking as it seems to think it is.

One thing that really did get my eyes rolling is the list of ten different secret black ops departments; it does fit in the film, but that's the same reveal we've had in every other movie, and the "oh no, there's another secret CIA program" schtick was getting really tired by Legacy. If we are getting more Bourne, it'd be good to drop all that rubbish.