When all is done and dusted, Jason Bourne never feels like a waste of time, but it’s unlikely you’ll pick this one as your favorite Bourne film. If thrills are all you seek, you won’t be disappointed.

Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne is back again in Donald Trump-era war against terror. It is not as much about how many lives saved, as leaving them dead.

Jason Bourne is the worst of the Matt Damon Bourne series – it might even be worse than The Bourne Legacy. But it’s almost as if Bourne knows… He knows his best is behind him. He knows he deserves better than this movie, and that makes him want to return to the only life he’s ever known, the only life he’s understood – a life in which no one is safe, a life spent looking over his shoulder.

Don’t be bothered by the flashy special effects, they can be ignored. Some people make a choice, but others are forced to make the choice by some vicious tactics employed by the masterminds, and although we are all equally in for what consequences those choices would bring, we are not all as capable as Jason, and hence we are all poised to fail. But this is not what the story is about.

Matt Damon could have made a stronger comeback with the Bourne series but if you’re a Bourne fan, watching watching Jason Bourne once won’t hurt much.

The highlight of the film is the iconic theme song ‘Extreme Ways’, which plays during the end credits. It reminds you that Bourne needs a solid script to come out of his ‘safe house’ if he intends to show up for the fifth time. The series needs to break away from its template if it seeks longevity.

Watch it only if you are a die-hard fan of the franchise. And even then, you’ll wonder why this film had to be made.

The truth is Jason Bourne hardly ever breaks new ground with its latest film, but the select elements are so much fun to watch, you almost don’t mind. This is one sequel, which wasn’t really the need of the hour, but one that the audience will not mind watching since it is so well made.

On the whole, if you view JASON BOURNE as a standalone action flick it is pretty entertaining and makes for a good watch, but when compared to the previous films in the series, the film turns out to be just another run-of-the-mill Bourne flick.

The climax especially is phenomenally fast and the action is fast and furious. Matt Damon looks a bit wrinkled but his prime physical condition (upper body muscles) just does not give the idea that he’s 46 and been missing from the super spy genre for almost a decade. He fits into the Bourne mould like a tailor-stitched glove. His presence makes the movie engaging, director Paul Greengrass’ action-blockbuster treatment takes care of the entertainment. It’s a win-win situation as long as you don’t expect any cerebral arguments. This one’s a good, old-fashioned action flick.

While the action is racy and propulsive, it does feel a little far-fetched and fanciful. Ultimately it’s Matt alone who is top draw here. His sheer personification of Jason Bourne leaves little room for others to emulate. But for him this film would have been a ‘Legacy’ re-run!

While the movie is not as hard-hitting as its prequel, there’s plenty of action, and a lot of destruction, to keep the audience engaged. Fans of the Bourne franchise may be disappointed as the plot does not live up to its reputation. But newbies can get a look at this underrated hero with a fresh perspective.

I didn’t understand why Bourne, after taking down the main adversary, still had to go on a never-ending chase to take down a lesser threat, the CIA’s asset, who takes control of a S.W.A.T truck and plays his version of Carmageddon on the roads of Vegas. But by this time, the film is simply going through the motions and hurtling in auto-pilot mode towards its rather predictable end.

At least in its refusal to give pat answers, Jason Bourne earns its place as a worthy successor to the original trilogy, but the suggested sequel is going to have to work harder in giving Jason Bourne, and the undeniably aging Matt Damon, a reason to move yet again.

Technically and logistically, Greengrass delivers everything you expect from him; there’s no one better when it comes to staging complex, chaotic action amid the real life of big cities.

Whether or you’ll enjoy such spectacle-focused bravado depends on what you’re looking for in a 2016 Jason Bourne movie.