Operation Treadstone. Blackbriar. David Webb. It’s fair to say that parsing the lore of one Jason Bourne can prove quite difficult, particularly if you haven’t checked in on Matt Damon’s elusive super-spy since Ultimatum in 2007.
Leave it to Damon, then, to get you up to speed on all things Jason Bourne by recapping Universal’s celebrated action franchise in 90 seconds or less. Quietly ignoring the mooted spinoff of Legacy, the series stalwart recounts the events of Identity, Supremacy and Ultimatum. It’s the CliffNotes version, essentially, and though we wouldn’t consider it an out-an-out alternative to marathoning all three movies, it’s a concise info dump for those who have forgotten some pertinent details in the intervening years.
Returning to the fray after a brief hiatus from the series is Paul Greengrass, and it’s fair to say that both director and series star Matt Damon have become something of a package deal when it comes to Bourne. That, and Universal are keen for the creative duo to keep mining the Jason Bourne well for as long as possible.
Held up as the “best Bourne yet,” Paul Greengrass’ long-awaited franchise revival makes a beeline for theaters on Friday, July 29. Tommy Lee Jones, Alicia Vikander, Vincent Cassel, Julia Stiles and Riz Ahmed are among the principal cast for the imminent reboot/sequel.