JASON BOURNE

What is it with Matt Damon movie posters? In THE MARTIAN, the poster said "BRING HIM HOME" as if that were the name of the movie. This time, the poster says "YOU KNOW HIS NAME" in big letters, the studio condescendingly telling dumb moviegoers, hey, this is the one you wanna see, after all, you know his name already. What they don't say but might as well have said is, "YOU KNOW THE STORY TOO." JASON BOURNE is a typical big Hollywood studio "hey let's all make some more easy money" retread of an aging spy thriller franchise that took a greatly under-appreciated detour in the previous installment---the one that didn't even have Matt Damon as a star, but was a genuinely interesting movie that has become something of a film the hipsters all find cool to hate---but like the recent STAR WARS retread, is basically a "greatest hits" of the same themes, subplots, chases, shootings, fights, and CIA directors barking silly orders. There really is nothing new here at all.

As a summer popcorn flick, it's perfectly fine escapist entertainment with plenty of gun product placement. But this installment of the series should have had Matt Damon *and* Jeremy Renner together fighting for their lives. It could have been great. Oh well. You know what they say: Forget it Jake, it's Hollywood.

SCORE: 41.