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The Bourne Legacy – a Review
Fresh from the original Bourne trilogy, the series is rebooted with a new leading man and a new conspiracy. But does it live up to expectations?
The Bourne trilogy of films gave us some of the best action movies of the last decade. Full to the brim with action-packed scenes, clever twists and energetic fight scenes, Matt Damon proved he was much more than the Team America puppet with each fresh turn as Jason Bourne.
The plot follows Jeremy Renner as Aaron Cross, a member of black ops programme Operation Outcome team up with Rachel Weisz’s scientist Dr. Marta Shearing to escape from the CIA’s plot to destroy all traces of the operation. Edward Norton stars in a scene-stealing role as Eric Byer, the brains behind the destruction of the programme.
What follows is 135 butt numbing minutes of subpar action scenes and worldwide chases that finds the two leads leaving the United States for Manila. Unlike the original trilogy, the action here seems forced and unoriginal, and the chase scenes last far too long without much excitement. It is during the overlong action scenes that you find yourself praying for a Jason Bourne/Matt Damon cameo to save us all from the misery on offer.
Jeremy Renner shines as the lead character, but struggles to carry the entire film alone. Rachel Weisz’s American accent falters on more than one occasion but is overall very likeable as the brains behind the original Operation Outcome development. As always, Edward Norton is on fine form, but none of the cast can save the film from its uninspired script.
Three stars
Director: Tony Gilroy
Cast: Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Joan Allen, Albert Finney
