Rated
PG-13 (Violence and Action Sequences)
Running
Time: 2 Hours & 15 Minutes
Cast-
Jeremy
Renner-Aaron Cross/Kenneth Kitson
Rachel
Weisz-Dr. Marta Shearing
Edward
Norton-Retired Colonel Eric Byer
Stacy
Keach-Retired Admiral Mark Turso
Donna
Murphy-Dita Mandy
Joan
Allen-Deputy Director Pamela Landy
David
Strathairn-Noah Vosen
Albert
Finney-Dr. Albert Hirsch
Scott
Glenn-Ezra Kramer
Dennis
Boutsikaris-Terrence Ward
Michael
Chernus-Arthur Ingram
Corey
Stoll-Zev Vendel
Zeljko
Ivanek-Dr. Donald Foite
Oscar
Isaac-Outcome Operative #3
Louis
Ozawa Changchien-LARX Operative #3
Directed
by Tony Gilroy
 |
| Jeremy Renner proves that he's cooler than Matt Damon in the spin-off "The Bourne Legacy." |
Based
on Robert Ludlum's 1980 spy-thriller novel of the same name, 2002's "The
Bourne Identity" was a mid-summer sleeper hit that grossed a solid $214
million worldwide while receiving positive reviews from critics with 83% on
Rotten Tomatoes. Not only did it transform Matt Damon into an action star but
it also kick-started one of the most lucrative and critically acclaimed
franchises of the past ten years. Each successive installment earned more than
its predecessor, culminating in a pitch-perfect conclusion with 2007's
"The Bourne Ultimatum," which went on to win Best Film Editing, Sound
Editing, and Sound Mixing at the 80th Academy Awards. With a total franchise gross of $945 million
(unadjusted for inflation), there was little surprise that Universal wanted to
keep the money-train going for as long they're able to. A fourth installment
with Damon involved did enter
pre-production but this project was cancelled when director Paul Greengrass
announced in 2009 that he would not be returning as he wanted a 'different
challenge.' Damon dropped out as well since he didn't want to do a fourth one
without Greengrass at the helm but Universal didn't let that stop them and moved ahead with "The Bourne
Legacy," a spin-off written and directed by Tony Gilroy, who has been involved
with the franchise from the beginning. Taking Damon's place is Jeremy Renner,
whose popularity has sky-rocketed since his critically-acclaimed performance in
Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker" four years ago. "The Bourne
Legacy" does not reach the heights of its predecessors due to an overlong
running time and a noticeable lack of action but this 'sidequel' remains a
compelling and solid entry in the franchise thanks to a magnetic Jeremy Renner.
Due to Jason Bourne's actions in "The Bourne Ultimatum" that led to
the exposure of Operation Blackbriar, the CIA is thrown into chaos with the
arrests of Blackbriar director Noah Vosen (David Strathairn) and Treadstone's training
program director Dr. Albert Hirsch (Albert Finney), with a criminal
investigation of CIA director Ezra Kramer (Scott Glenn) pending. Putting the agency
into damage control mode, retired Colonel Eric Byer (Edward Norton) and Admiral
Mark Turso (Stacy Keach) begins to shut down every black ops program with ties
to Treadstone and Blackbriar, leading to the deaths of numerous operatives and
support staff. Meanwhile, Operation Outcome agent Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) has
just completed a rigorous training exercise in Alaska and rendezvous with
another Outcome agent known only as 'Number Three' (Oscar Isaac), who lives
alone in a small cabin out in the wilderness. However, Number Three is killed by
a drone sent by Byer, forcing Cross to go on the run and escape to the United
States mainland to look for 'chems,' drugs that allow him to retain his
enhanced abilities or risk regressing to a lower mental state. A mass shooting
occurs at Sterisyn-Morlanta, a drug company that developed the
performance-enhancing drugs that all Outcome operatives rely on to function
properly. The only survivor of the shooting is Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz),
whom Cross seeks out in an effort to obtain the medication he desperately needs.
The two travel to Manila in the Philippines while Byer and his agents
relentlessly pursue them.
For those who saw DreamWorks Animation's
"Shrek" in 2001, you'll recall the titular character famously
comparing ogres to onions because both have layers. Like onions, "The
Bourne Legacy" features a multi-layered plot from Tony Gilroy (whose
credits include 2007's "Michael Clayton") but at times it can get
bogged down by too much exposition as the film does double duty by frequently
making references to the previous installment while introducing a whole new set
of characters. In fact the first hour comes off as muddled and slow-paced due
to Gilroy awkwardly cutting back and forth between Aaron Cross completing his
training exercise in Alaska and Byer trying to contain the fallout of Bourne's
actions. Fortunately, the second hour picks up considerable speed as Cross struggles
to deal with his dependency on his 'greens and blues' while trying to discover
why he is being targeted. Gilroy expands upon the mythology by revealing that
Bourne and Cross didn't just go through behavioral modification to break down
their morality but were also genetically altered to make them stronger and
faster. However, the operatives from later iterations of Treadstone like Operation
Outcome have to rely on drugs to retain their abilities or they would regress.
The only way to make these changes permanent is to be injected with a special
virus. Gilroy clearly did his homework but although this adds a new wrinkle to
the series, it tends to make the plot feel needlessly complicated with a number
of characters functioning as little more than mouthpieces for expository plot
dumps.
At 2 hours and 15 minutes, the film is just too long and Gilroy could've tightened up the pacing by shaving off
a good twenty minutes without damaging the narrative. There's also a noticeable
lack of action due to its dialogue-heavy approach but what little there is
manages to get the adrenaline pumping even if it does not reach the heights of
its predecessors. There's the obligatory explosion but the highlights include
an intense shootout at Shearing's home and Cross demonstrating his lightning
fast reflexes as he takes down three security guards without breaking a sweat
before capping off with an engaging (albeit long) motorcycle chase through the
crowded streets of Manila as police come out of the woodwork while a stone-cold
operative (Louis Ozawa Changchien) attempts to kill Cross. The editing during
this scene can be too frenetic and lacks the camera-shaking finesse of
Greengrass. Disappointingly Cross and this operative do not engage in any melee
brawl so no everyday items like pens and magazines being used as weapons! From
a cynical point-of-view, "The Bourne Legacy" is little more than a
cash-grab and while it should've ended at number three, Gilroy does succeed in justifying another
installment by treating the material seriously despite some stumbles with its
story.
The "Bourne" series has always delivered on some excellent
performances and Jeremy Renner proves himself to be more than a capable
replacement for Matt Damon as new assassin Aaron Cross. Renner handles the
killer vibe with aplomb but unlike the more solitary Bourne, Cross is talkative
and quite curious, asking questions and trying to glean more information about
the situation he's in and the enemies he's facing. Rachel Weisz is equally as
compelling as Dr. Marta Shearing, a brilliant researcher and scientist who just
happens to know too much but her moments of panic do feel overacted. Cross and Shearing's relationship represents a
welcome callback to "The Bourne Identity." Despite spending the
entire film looking at a computer screen and barking orders, Edward Norton's
Eric Byer is a menacing and unscrupulous villain and it's a shame that outside
of a flashback, he and Cross never meet face-to-face. Hopefully, this is
rectified in the sequel. Donna Murphy and Stacy Keach round out the rest of the
cast and while their roles do not amount to much beyond assisting Byer in
hunting down Cross, the two handle all the spy jargon convincingly. Despite
their names being on the poster, Joan Allen, David Strathairn, and Albert Finney
have what amounts to cameo roles in order to tie into the events of "The
Bourne Ultimatum."
Released on August 10, 2012, "The Bourne
Legacy" has received mixed reviews with 51% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics
admitted that the 'it isn't quite as compelling as the earlier trilogy, but
[the film] proves the franchise has stories left to tell—and benefits from
Jeremy Renner's magnetic work in the starring role.' Although it is poised for
a solid $45 million opening weekend debut at the box office, I feel that
Gilroy's emphasis on dialogue over action will not be well-received by
audiences as during an advance screening, people immediately bolted for the
exit once Moby's Extreme Ways began
playing. Yes, "The Bourne Legacy" is not as good when compared to
what came before but such an expectation is unrealistic. The plot suffers from
uneven pacing and too much exposition yet this fourth entry remains a solid
espionage thriller with strong dialogue and performances. I dare say that the
"Bourne" franchise is in good hands and I look forward to a sequel
with Renner.
Final
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
"You
think that Jason Bourne was the whole story? There's a lot more going on
here!"
Posts
