This is a tough film to judge as when it was first announced
that there would be a fourth Bourne film, many, including myself, didn’t think
that there was any real need for it. The
Bourne Ultimatum pretty much tied pretty much everything that needed to be
concluded into a neat bow. But when it was announced that it would be
sidequel(?) of sorts, exploring the affects of the three films on other
characters and expanding the world, then it began to get interesting.
The Bourne Legacy follows
Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) as he tries to survive, after his own people decide
to wipe out all of the operatives within certain programs, caused as a result
of what Bourne did in the third film, but he needs something (spoiler free this
time) that he can only get from scientist Marta Shearing who works in the
biology section of many of the programs. As they search for what Cross is
looking for, they are chased through America and Manila by their own people,
led by Eric Byer (Edward Norton), who want to silence them and then get rid of
everything that links them to the Treadstone and Blackbriar programs ( see the
original Bourne trilogy for more detail).
Unlike the previous films in the series, this one takes a
long time to get up an running, barring a few man versus the wilderness moments
in the opening five minutes you are going to be waiting for about thirty
minutes for the film to get going, there seems to be too much complicated
explanation of simple problems or motivations that are only finally got to
after conversations that go on for too long. The science in the film, I’m sure
is accurate, however at times I didn’t have a clue about what they were talking
about, until about five minutes later when it was stated very clearly and
succinctly by one of the two people in the same conversation.
The action moves away from the frantic style of the previous
films, especially the second two and adopts a more traditionally use of camera
during the chase or fight scenes that cut through the films second half. This
gives it a look of its own, which can only really help this series
differentiate itself, at least stylistically from the other films. We just
needed one or two shorter action sequences, earlier in the film.
The casting and performances of all the parts in The Bourne Legacy is first rate, in fact
if it weren’t for the calibre of the acting, this film could have dragged
significantly in it’s slower parts. The biggest question was obviously whether
or not Jeremy Renner could fill the void left by Matt Damon and mostly he does
a good job, the only reason he doesn’t is probably because of the attachment we
have to the Jason Bourne character. Renner gives Cross a feel and personality
very different to Bourne, more humorous and emotionally vulnerable throughout
than we ever really see Bourne, who different in other ways.
The supporting roles, played by Weisz and Norton could have
fallen into the same kind of area as previous characters from the series, but
Norton plays the “villain” role as a man who is doing what he thinks is best
for the country and himself, genuinely, whilst dealing with incompetency and
half heartedness all around him. Weisz gives Shearings character a fully formed
presence in the film, despite all of the scientific jargon that she has to get
out in quick bursts to move the plot along, but as with any performance from
her, it is the smaller, personal moments where she really brings the character
alive, showing both her weakness and strength at the same time, which gives her
dynamic with Cross an enjoyable feel to it.
I ultimately left the cinema with a somewhat apathetic and
empty feeling, not sure what to really make of it. As has been mentioned in
other reviews, it feels more like a set up to another series, the only problem
is that this film could well turn off a lot of people to that next chapter in
the story. We don’t necessarily need Jason Bourne and Paul Greengrass back, we
just need the film to have that kind of excitement and tension. Cross and
Shearing are interesting enough characters to use in a few films, just give
them a story that matches that.
