Plagued by narrative re-tread and near comatose performances, Jason Bourne is saved by the energetic direction of Paul Greengrass who counters a personality bereft script with “best of the year” action sequences.

9 years have passed since Matt Damon last thrilled audiences in the Bourne Ultimatum, and a lot has changed in that time. Most notable is the shift in American politics from two terms of Republican rule under George W. Bush, to two terms of Democrat rule under Barak Obama. In terms of things Bourne this is important for the amnesiac suffering super-agent, who was very much a symbol of a crusading liberalism at war against an evil empire, comprised of a corrupt intelligence community. Hell, the Bourne Ultimatum practically endorsed The Guardian as the only news publication to trust!

So where to now for the ex-CIA killing machine after having found his identity and one-upping the CIA? Moping at the Greek-Macedonian border of course, with Bourne (an impressively chiselled Matt Damon) surviving by doing fisticuffs with an unassuming line-up of bare knuckled boxers.  It’s when past ally Nicky Parson (Julia Stiles) tracks down Bourne and informs him of yet another top secret CIA project that has direct links to his pass does the good ol’ Bourne formula kick in, yet this time to less effect as the same plot beats of man finding truth – government agency give chase – man fights super assassin, is very much ho-hum in their effect.

Such are the consequences of a tired screenplay and morose performances. Damon’s charismatic superstar wattage is squeezed to its very last drop in order to keep his fourth performance as Bourne engaging enough not to worry about the obvious lack of purpose for his return. The same can’t be said of Alicia Vikander, with the recent Oscar winner’s turn as an ambitious CIA operative obsessed with brining Bourne back to the company, one that’s drearily poker faced to the point of comatose. Luckily Tommy Lee Jones is on board to show the kids how it’s done, with a grimace from his “one wrinkle tells a thousand stories” face embodying more emotion than his co-stars combined.

With performances and script MIA, a distraction was needed and boy was it delivered in “best of the year” calibre action scenes, with the crunch of colliding cars, snap of broken bones, and the shakiest of cameras, colliding to create a thrilling collage of action spectacular, proving director Paul Greengrass a master of rumble tumble thriller cinema.

Yet missing this time out is passion in its central idea of a world on the brink of chaos and the clandestine forces who brought it there. The Bourne trilogy of films has a simmering rage in its ideology that gave power to its theatrics. Now all it has is a beat-up spirit that wants to engage in todays ripped from the headlines government atrocities, yet is only half-way motivated in doing so.