The Bourne Legacy
When the U.S. government catches wind that several high ranking officials and top secret security programs are about to be exposed to the public, Retired Col. Eric Byer, USAF (Edward Norton), is called in to help contain the disaster. But bigger problems are in his hands as he’s forced to shut down Operation Outcome; a program related to the super soldier machine that made Jason Bourne (who’s still missing btw). Of course, stopping super soldiers has never been an easy task, and this time subject #5, Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner), just happens to be out of reach, barely. Now it’s a game of cat and mouse as Aaron runs from the government that trained him; but, to be truly free he’ll need the help of Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz). Both wanted dead, the race is on and disappearing wont be easy, can it be done, and what length will they have to go to in order to survive?
So, Jeremy Renner, action hero/uber spy? You bet, he can run, jump, duck, dodge, dive, punch, kick, and spar with the best of em. And Rachel Weisz as a damsel in distress; not really a stretch for her acting chops, but she handles the role admirably. The non-stop score from James Newton Howard here is an impressive work, and the film technically feels well put together. So what’s the issue? Well, for one the story’s a bit too convoluted. In an attempt to slowly pull back the onion peels and keep the audience in suspense, Director Tony Gilroy runs the risk of losing the audience’s attention. And two, the film takes forever unraveling its entire plot, clocking in at 2 hours and 15 minutes the film overstays its welcome by a few minutes. A number of the chase sequences feel like déjà vu material as well. Although, I suppose there’s really only so many ways you can make a rooftop chase or a motorcycle race look different right? On the flip side, critics of the super shakey action cam from previous Bourne installments will be pleased to see the handheld movement is a bit more subdued. Overall, worth the big screen, just be prepared to pay attention. The Bourne Legacy is rated PG-13.