WARNING: This TV spot contains SPOILERS for Jason Bourne
You have no idea who you’re dealing with. This July, Matt Damon is #JasonBourne.https://t.co/49DkZZdaBZ— #JasonBourne (@jasonbourne) June 7, 2016
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Even though Jason Bourne, the fifth installment of the popular Bourne action franchise, hits theaters in just over a month (as of this writing), very little is known about the film. Star Matt Damon is reprising his iconic role, and his Bourne Supremacy and Ultimatum director Paul Greengrass is once again calling the shots, but most of the details revealed have been vague teases of a post-Edward Snowden world and the idea that this movie is larger in scope when compared to the earlier entries. Jason Bourne’s only official trailer set up the bare bones of a plot, while still keeping many aspects under lock and key.
Now, Universal is altering their marketing strategy a bit. A new television spot for Jason Bourne (watch it above) runs just 30 seconds, yet it gives viewers a clearer picture on the conflict this time around and what exactly draws Bourne back into the fold after years of living off the grid.
The commercial begins with an extended look at the meeting between Bourne and his ally Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles) under cover of darkness during a nighttime riot in Greece. It’s here Bourne learns that the CIA is operating a new assassin program called Iron Hand, which is considered worse than Treadstone. This is presumably the information that Nicky stole when she hacked into the organization’s servers, a beat covered in previous advertising materials.
From the looks of it, Nicky won’t be accompanying Bourne on this journey for very long. It’s difficult to tell for sure, but it seems as if she is killed in the Greece-set action sequence, which is said to kick off the film. From there, Jason makes it his mission to take down Iron Hand and expose their secrets. It’s similar to his motivation in Supremacy, where the death of his girlfriend Marie was the catalyst for Bourne seeking vengeance.
Longtime Bourne fans will recognize the setup as inherently familiar, as Greengrass appears to be working with the classic cat-and-mouse trope that’s defined the series to this point. New character Robert Dewey (Tommy Lee Jones) says, “he has to be put down,” referring potentially to Bourne. Some may have been hoping for a fresher angle in the latest installment, but the earlier outings with Damon were all critically acclaimed box office hits - so the formula does have a proven track record. Greengrass and Damon always maintained they wouldn’t come back unless they had a great story in place, and they’ve earned the benefit of the doubt for now.
Chances are, the TV spots and previews are only presenting the surface level elements to hook moviegoers on thrilling action and stakes. The Bourne series has always been smart, offering thoughtful social commentary as America transitioned into the post-9/11 world. Ideally, Greengrass incorporated that substance into this new narrative, making Jason Bourne just as well-rounded as his other efforts. The film certainly looks promising, so hopefully it can be a satisfying conclusion to Bourne’s journey.
Jason Bourne hits U.S. theaters July 29, 2016
Source: Universal Pictures
