While The Bourne Ultimatum perfectly tied up the story of amnesiac super spy Jason Bourne, when he started moving in the water in the final scene (a shot echoed in the opening of this film), it was pretty evident that this wasn't the last time we would visit this conspiracy laden world. But when word filtered down that both Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass were finished with the property, many wondered could a new actor and director do justice to the franchise. So now we have The Bourne Legacy. Tony Gilroy, screen writer on the previous Bourne films, is at the helm, with Jeremy Renner playing a new spy with connection to the project that made Bourne.
Picking up from Jason Bourne's exposing of Threadstone and Black Briar to the public during the previous film, the heads of other morally dubious government programs decide to save themselves by sacrificing Outcome, a project that uses genetic modification to create the ultimate soldier, before any link can be made by the media. Surviving an attempt on his life, Outcome agent Aaron Cross (Renner) turns to project scientist Marta Sheering (Rachel Weisz) for help, all the while being hunted by the CIA, led by Eric Byer (Edward Norton).
Considering Gilroy's hand in the previous Bourne movies, The Bourne Legacy adds quite a bit to the mythos of the franchise. There are more stories left to tell that don't necessarily involve Jason Bourne, and this movie really goes out of it's way to expand the world created in the first three films. But what hurts it the most is the fact that there is too much story. It's not till an hour into the movie that it really hits it's stride, with the first and a bulk of the second act setting up the story, and getting us familiar with our new hero and antagonists. At times it feels like a rehash of the The Bourne Identity, using much the same story beats as that movie, but while Bourne was out to find out who he really was, all Cross is concerned with is survival, his motivation for the entire film being getting the medicine which grant him his soon to be gone enhancements. It doesn't really carry the same weight, and there is really no sense of threat for Sheering and Cross. It's obvious this movie is being set up for a sequel, and I believe, with the set up of new characters and story out of the way, the story will really come into it's own then.
One of the aspects where the film does deliver is the action, with some standout scenes, including a one shot free run up the side of the building, livening up proceedings. It carries on the style of previous outings, but is more polished overall. You really feel every punch and gun shot, and a fourteen minute motorcycle chase, while a bit over long, proves to be an outstanding set piece.
While I have issues with Cross's motivations, Jeremy Renner really excels in his role. He brings a bit of humour to the franchise after the pretty dour take on Jason Bourne, and throws himself into the action scenes. He plays well off Rachel Weisz, who adds much more than her damsel in distress role asks for. Norton feels a bit wasted, mostly relegated to watching computer screens, but he does add some real menace to the bad guy role, seeing Cross as nothing more than a dirty secret that needs to be squashed.
The Bourne Legacy is a good film, but shackled with the burden of continuing on an existing franchise, it falls down in some places. While not on par with previous outings in the franchise, it is still a enjoyable night out at the cinema.
