Not the greatest spy movie, but better than most.

Rating: 8/10 (20 January 2016)

I don't consider this to be the absolute epitome of spy action movies, but it does have some things that many spy movies do not. The most prominent of these is an internal conflict. Many spy movies make an attempt at internal goals, but most of these involve under-developed love interests, and even Bourne is not entirely exempt from this. However, his main internal goal is to discover who he is. The way it balances out is great because he wants to renounce his former life as an assassin, but that doesn't mean he isn't willing to use his awesome skills to do so. It seems a little contradictory to escape a life of violence by means of violence, but it's a lot more believable than many of the other peace-loving action heroes that movies have featured.
The form of amnesia that Bourne has is a little too convenient and is not unique to this movie, as we've seen it featured in the two most recent Fast and Furious movies (6 and 7). From what I know of the book, I think we only see Bourne's point of view, but it was good that they show some of the story from the perspective of Clonkin and the Treadstone division. A lot of what goes on within Treadstone is a little confusing, but it's okay because all we really care about is how it impacts Jason Bourne, and that usually becomes pretty evident soon afterward. Some of the story is just driven by the audience's desire to see Bourne fight paid guns with skillful and brutal technique. But we end up caring about him finding himself and protecting Marie as well. It's not boring when there isn't a fight scene going on like some action movies.
Jason Bourne is a likable character because he's a human wrecking machine, but he's emotional as well and you can sympathize with him. This is shown with the help of his companion Marie. It's true that her and Bourne ending up together is as expected and unlikely as in any other movie, but at least Marie has personality and actually likes Jason rather than just falling for him inexplicably like a Bond girl. There isn't as much development from our numerous antagonists, which include Wombosi, Clonkin and his staff, and the various unnamed people that Bourne has to fight. They mostly exist to drive the plot rather than create any real conflict. Additionally, I felt like the scenes with the antagonists were some of the worst executed. They featured dialogue and computer-style cinematography that is very generic to spy movies. It wasn't necessarily bad, but it felt like it didn't belong in this kind of movie where it's more a battle of wits and skills than of technology and gadgets.
This brings us to the action scenes. I thought the car chases were well done, which unfortunately cannot be said of The Bourne Supremacy. The hand-to-hand combat is very fast paced with tons of shot cuts to emphasize how superior Bourne is to most of the people he fights. They are well choreographed and have some original touches to them, like Bourne using a ball-point pen to fight one of his foes. Matt Damon gives a performance that surpasses what one usually expects from someone in his role. The same goes for Franka Potente in the role of Marie. The script is decent as is the directing and camreawork.
If you're looking for just an action movie, this will be satisfactory, but it has more to offer than action. Still, you probably won't enjoy it if you are averse to spy or action movies in general. If you liked the novel, I'll just say that from what I've heard the movie seems to deviate enough from the book that it might be disappointing for you. So if you decide to watch it, enjoy but be prepared to pay more than normal attention. Overall Rating: 8.2/10.