There’s something delightfully scrappy about Jason Bourne. The fact that Matt Damon, boy-faced dreamboat from Good Will Hunting, carved out his own tough guy series is incredibly endearing. It doesn’t hurt that the Damon films are all solid little thrillers, filled with memorable action, satisfying mysteries, and relentless pacing. The series tried to go a different direction with the last entry, The Bourne Legacy, but it leaned a little too heavily on science fiction for most fans. Plus, it didn’t feature Jason Bourne as the protagonist. Looks like that mistake has been rectified with the newest installment, Jason Bourne. Check out the brand new trailer:
The new title alone seems to indicate something of a soft reboot. Jason Bourne is meant to work as an entry point for new viewers, but provide an equally rewarding story and character development for long-time fans. The action we see in the trailer looks pretty bombastic even for this franchise. That’s not necessarily a bad thing — that SWAT van tearing through some cars is exciting — but it certainly feels a little slicker than the gritty brutality of The Bourne Supremacy.
Regardless, Matt Damon looks like he never left the role, and he feels more intense than ever before. His one punch knockout is one of the simplest and most effective moments of badassery the character has ever displayed. It’s also great to see Julia Stiles returning as Nicky, and adding Tommy Lee Jones into the mix can only mean great things. That man is a national treasure.
Universal is obviously very confident when it comes to the Bourne name, sticking this new movie with a release date on July 29. The Bourne films have all done very well at the box office, and with the added marquee value of Damon’s (and director Paul Greengrass’s) return, it’s very likely that Jason Bourne could be one of the summer’s biggest hits.
