The Bourne Legacy - Movie Review

Movie Review

Bourne is back. Or is he? There’s a new Bourne movie in theaters, and it takes the franchise in a new direction: sideways. The Bourne Legacy overlaps in time with the last movie, The Bourne Ultimatum, tying up some loose ends while introducing Aaron Cross, another souped-up special forces-trained agent/spy from a program similar to the one that produced Jason Bourne. Cross (Jeremy Renner) knows who he is, and what he is, and has come to terms with what he does, although it clearly wasn’t easy.

Despite the title, this movie isn’t about Jason Bourne. And it isn’t really about Aaron Cross, either, interesting though his story is. All the action in the film centers on Aaron, but this isn’t really an action movie.

It’s a psychological thriller, about the motivations causing people to do what they do. And it’s a character study, about watching as the manure hits the rotating blades and a man does whatever he has to do to contain the damage. The man at the center of the chaos: Eric Byer (Edward Norton). Byer uses all the tools at his disposal to survive in his world, even as Aaron Cross is doing the same. Byer is a cold, creepy guy with a network of underlings that have satellites, computers, security clearances, etc. at their disposal, and he knows where everybody’s skeletons are hidden. A serious power broker. Cross is cunning and physically gifted, and not afraid to get his hands dirty. But I found the scenes featuring Byer to be more interesting, as he interacted with a lot of dominant people (and didn’t simply kill them if they disagreed with him).

Norton just shines here. He is as forceful or as convincing as he needs to be, and believable as a man who has to make hard decisions. Renner (coming off Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and Avengers) has the physicality to be an able successor to Matt Damon’s Bourne-you never doubt his capability during the stunt sequences.

The doctor played by Rachel Weisz also has a lot of interesting ethical issues, but the movie glosses over them. She does well with what she is given, being scared or nervous, or just someone for Cross to talk to, but her role is as a plot convenience and they never really let the character develop. Too bad, as her internal struggle might have made for interesting viewing.

The action sequences are well-done fun, and even though they are fast-paced, you never lose track of what’s going on, and the suspense is still kept up throughout. Particularly of note is the motorcycle chase sequence: it’s long, but never boring. A tiny complaint about it-I found it a little convenient that Cross managed to steal a dirt bike, complete with knobby tires, while everyone chasing him was stuck riding touring-style bikes. He makes the most of it, taking the bike unconventional places, using its higher ground clearance to good advantage.

This one is also a real slow starter. The need to set up a bunch of things, as well as integrate pieces of The Bourne Ultimatum led to a long introduction before the audience has any clue what’s going on. If I’d been watching on cable, I might have changed the channel after the first ten minutes out of sheer frustration . . . and that’s too bad, because once it gets going, it’s worth seeing.

In the end, this is only half a movie. A fun first half, but at the end I looked up and said, “That’s it?” It’s a nice setup to continue the franchise, though-I want to see the other half! I find myself wondering where they could take these characters: What else does Byer have up his sleeve? Is there a reason Cross would chase down Bourne? How would Bourne and Cross interact if they met? Only time will tell . . .

Elektra Hammond
Buzzy Mag Editor & Reviewer


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