Despite what the director, lead actor and (especially) the trailers may make you believe, Green Zone is anything but the 4th Bourne film.  In fact, if it’s part of any series, it’s part of the seemingly never ending line of political thrillers revolving around the ongoing conflict in Iraq.  Soldiers are just pawns in a game put together by the fat cats in Washington, the public doesn’t know the truth, and honestly, you’ve seen this story told a thousand times before.

You’d think that with a great cast including Matt Damon, Brendan Gleeson, and Amy Ryan, you could at least count on Oscar quality performances, but no, Green Zone’s cast seems to sleepwalk through performances as basic and predictable as the script.  The only bright point seems to be Greg Kinnear, who chews scenery as Clark Poundstone, a member of Pentagon Special Intellegence.  His character is a cut throat political player, and Kinnear seems to revel in every minute he’s on screen.

But the real issues of the film come down to an awkward, action-heavy third act, which seems tacked on to please audiences who need a resolution to a real-life conflict that has yet to have one, and the heavy handed direction of Paul Greengrass.  Look, I loved the shaky feel of the Bourne films too, but not every single scene needs to rock back and forth like they’re at sea.

It all comes down to this - if you’re looking for a great film set against the backdrop of the Iraq conflict this weekend - don’t go see Green Zone. Redbox a copy of The Hurt Locker instead. At least Kathryn Bigelow knows how to set a camera steady.