Directed by: Tony Gilroy.
Written by: Tony Gilroy & Dan Gilroy.
Starring: Jeremy Renner (Aaron Cross), Rachel Weisz (Dr. Marta Shearing), Edward Norton (Retired Col. Eric Byer, USAF), Stacy Keach (Retired Adm. Mark Turso, USN), Dennis Boutsikaris (Terrence Ward), Scott Glenn (Ezra Kramer), Corey Stoll (Zev Vendel), Neil Brooks Cunningham (Dr. Dan Hillcott), Zeljko Ivanek (Dr. Donald Foite), Albert Finney (Dr. Albert Hirsch), David Strathairn (Noah Vosen), Louis Ozawa Changchien (LARX #3).
Through the first three films in the
series, the Bourne movies represent modern, American action cinema at its
finest – especially the two installments directed by Paul Greengrass. Yes,
Greengrass likes to use the shaky camera work and rapid fire editing that I
often find annoying, but he does it better than just about anyone else working
right now. When The Bourne Ultimatum came out in 2007, it seemed like a good
place to end the series – it brought the series to a fitting conclusion, and
nothing more really needed to be done. But movie studios don’t like to leave a
profitable franchise until they have wrung every last box office dollar out of
it. So, after a five year layoff, the Bourne movies are back – but without
Jason Bourne, and perhaps even worse news for the franchise, without Paul
Greengrass. Instead of Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne, the trained assassin with
amnesia, we get Jeremy Renner’s Aaron Cross, who knows exactly who he is, but
is still on the run because Bourne has become a news story, and the government
needs to clean up the mess he has created – including the program that Bourne
led to, which Cross was a part of. And instead of a great action filmmaker like
Greengrass, this film was co-written and directed by Tony Gilroy (who has
writing credits on the previous three Bourne movies), whose only
directorial credits are the brilliant legal drama Michael Clayton, and the
comedic heist picture Duplicity. And yet, while I know that this movie is in
many ways just a cynical attempt to make money off a franchise that has reached
its natural conclusion, and while I will admit that the film is not nearly as
good as any of the previous Bourne movies, I do have to admit that The Bourne
Legacy works. This movie is much better than it really should be.
Much of the credit for the
success of the movie is due to Jeremy Renner, who had big shoes to fill in the
lead role, and does an excellent job. Renner has a natural believability about
him – most likely forged in his years as a character actor before The Hurt
Locker made him a star. Renner has to perform physical feats that are,
logically, impossible, but because he has an effortless charm, and look of
fierce determination, you do believe him. You also like him, which isn’t an
easy thing considering we know that he voluntarily turned himself into a
killing machine. Still, you root for him, which is essential in this movie. He
is ably supported by the rest of the cast. Rachel Weisz, an actress I run hot
and cold on, hits the right notes as a doctor who finds herself in way over her
head, and having to depend on Aaron for her life. And Edward Norton and Stacy
Keach are well cast as the two head government honchos bad guys because both
are capable of appearing to be really bad guys – and that’s all that is required
of them. And that great TV baddie Zeljko Ivanek may have a small role,
but it is unforgettable, as he goes on one of those infamous work place
shooting sprees, which is simply chilling – even more so given recent events.
And it also must be said that Gilroy
acquits himself quite nicely behind the camera. On the basis of his first three
films, it doesn’t appear like he has much of an original style behind the
camera, but he does quite ably steal from Greengrass – using a little less
shaky camera work and rapid fire editing, but still incorporating enough of it
that this movie certainly feels like a member of the same series as the
previous films.
The Bourne Legacy cannot
possibly have the same impact as the previous films in the Bourne series,
simply because this is now the fourth time were seeing it. And yet, as a film
unto itself, it works quite nicely. It is exciting, well-acted and not quite as
dumb as most action movies. It also has one of the best car chases (ok,
motorcycle chase) in recent memory. No, The Bourne Legacy is not a great film,
but it is an entertaining action film.
Nice review Dave. Is it as memorable as the franchise that came before it? No, but what really makes this film even slightly memorable is that it’s very thrilling, has a fun time with itself, and also features plenty of great characters that I would like to hold onto for a whole new franchise. Hopefully that actually happens though.
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