Jason is back and so is Damon!
The saga continues as Jason Bourne returns to our cinemas bigger than ever. Directed by Paul Greengrass (best name ever) who has directed three of the five Bourne films, the 2016 instalment is set 10 years after the events of Bourne Ultimatum. The jump in time was perhaps an attempt to pretend that Bourne Legacy with Jeremy Renner never happened - which I think many fans of the franchise would agree is the perfect way of reviving the film. The film follows Jason as he pieces together who he was/is and how he became an Operation Treadstone assassin. Once discovering the CIA killed his father, Bourne seeks revenge and begins to hunt down the CIA director, Robert Dewey. Meanwhile, as an additional subplot, the CIA are attempting to monitor the public through a new form of social media.
The return of Matt Damon as Bourne, and in his first film since the critically acclaimed The Martian, is certainly one way to ensure a blockbuster hit this Summer. Although Matt looks a lot older than he did when he first appeared as Bourne, who can forget fresh faced Damon?, he carried himself well and certainly proved that stunts are not off the table for him yet! He was joined by several cast members from previous films including Tommy Lee Jones and Julia Stiles along with a slew of new faces. One of the breakout stars of 2015, Alicia Vikander, does exceptionally well as Heather Lee - head of the CIA Cyber Ops Division. Although at times it's hard to believe the character would make the decisions she does, Vikander portrays her well. Staying stern and emotionless throughout as she attempts to ascertain Bourne without killing him.
**SPOILERS** The action sequences, of which there were many, were amazing. Fast paced and full of destruction - that's the kind of scenes I want to see in a Bourne film! Particularly the final car chase scene which sees Bourne tracking down the CIA's Asset with the purpose of killing him in revenge for killing his father. The Asset, driving a swat vehicle, rams through traffic in a straight line which sees cars being crushed and blown out of the way. It was an incredible moment to watch. I think that a huge part of this film's success will be how straight forward it is. Yes, we jump back and forth several times throughout in terms of who the 'bad guy' is but when you consider the film as a whole - it was a true action blockbuster. Unlike many modern action films, Bourne didn't attempt to genre blend. There were no cheesy jokes or forced moments of comic relief. It was hard, gripping and intense. Our hero was not a true hero. He's a trained killer, and part time street fighter, who will use his skill base to get what he wants. There is no heart of gold in Bourne. He's focused on revenge and will continue to fight back against the corporation that made him. I was so happy to finally see an action film that didn't try to force likeability or empathy. The writers got straight to the point from the outset and it made for a fast paced but fantastically structured film.
For fans of the previous films - you will not be disappointed. I would recommend that those new to Bourne watch the first three films (don't bother with Bourne Legacy) before watching the new one. Although flashbacks (new, not in previous films) are slotted in throughout Jason Bourne to help new audiences grasp the plot, having prior knowledge of the films and of Jason's past will help enhance the experience and enjoyment of this film. It's not often I find myself wishing for the next instalment before the end credits role, but there is something about this character and these films that always leave me wanting more.
There are plenty more fish in the sea yet Disney seems hell-bent on reviving Dory.
The UK premiere for Finding Dory and the return of that adorable forgetful fish was last month at Edinburgh's International Film Festival. Despite working the festival, I never found time to sneak into the screening. So here I am, a month later, diving into the deep blue to join Marlin, Nemo and Dory yet again.
Different premise. Same old tropes. Dory is aching to find her long lost family and ventures out to be reunited with them. Suddenly, she's captured and taken to an aquarium in California. This time it is Marlin and Nemo's turn to rescue their blue friend and as you'd expect - hilarity ensues. Yes, the film was very obvious and the true moments of comedy genius were teased in the trailer but it'd be a shame to overlook this film because of its simplicity. The animation in Finding Dory is crisp and clean yet flows as though we are actually in the water. The new troupe of characters are developed and, whilst not always crucial to the plot's progression, enjoyable to watch.
The film had a lot of publicity in the lead up to its release not just because of it's A-List cast. Many speculated that a couple appearing in the trailer with a child were a same sex couple and that this was the first appearance of such a relationship within a disney animated film. Frankly, the scene came and went in the film without me noticing despite having known to look out for it. Unfortunately, this didn't seem like first appearance of a same sex couple. It just came across as two women being in close proximity. Hopefully Disney are moving in this direction and we'll see an appropriately presented LGBT character in the near future - but please, no stereotypes!
Like any other Pixar animation, this film will have you tearing up from the get go. Even the pre-film short, Piper, had me happy crying! There is something so heartbreaking about a young fish losing her parents and being unable to ask for help due to her forgetful nature. As you can imagine, the message of this film is subtly hidden in Dory's search for her family. I picked up that Stanton (Andrew Stanton, co-writer and director) had desired for audiences to recognise part of themselves in the young fish and that what he wants us to take away is the power of resilience and positive thinking. And although both of these points were explored in the first film, they resonate a lot deeper in Finding Dory.
Overall, the film was delightful and uplifting despite some dark moments. Whether you watch this at home alone or with a group of people at a screening, the humour will have you chuckling and the sad scenes will have you holding back some sympathetic tears. I feel like Finding Dory will be the benchmark moving forward for Disney in terms of sequels and is a great example of story progression done the right way. Having said that, I'm kind of done. I don't want to be brought to the brink of tears again by a school of damn fish!
