The Bourne Legacy

Film

Thrillers

Bourne Legacy.JPG

Time Out rating:

<strong>Rating: </strong>2/5

User ratings:

<strong>Rating: </strong>3/5
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Time Out says

Thu Aug 9 2012

Tony Gilroy penned the Bourne trilogy and turns writer-director for this reboot of the series, which shares crucial DNA with the earlier films but is drawn from the shallower end of the gene pool. A committed performance from Jeremy Renner breathes life into his Bourne-like character, Aaron Cross, but it’s harder to identify with this genetically enhanced superspy than with Matt Damon’s highly trained but emotionally vulnerable agent. In box-office terms, the Bourne legacy is safe, but there are doubts about its creative sustainability.

Exposed by the media fallout from Jason Bourne’s very public ultimatum, Colonel Eric Byer (Edward Norton) orders the immediate termination of the parallel programme Outcome – and its agents. But Aaron Cross survives, and goes on the run with Dr Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz), a scientist with access to the pills his body craves. Funded by Byer’s shadowy research group, a pharmaceutical company has used behaviour modification to create a new breed of pumped-up, hyper-intelligent field agent. Now one of these agents has gone rogue with a civilian female in tow. So it’s déjà vu, as Byer’s team track Cross and the doctor to the Philippines – the exotic location for a string of competently staged action set-pieces. These mildly suspenseful scenes showcase Renner’s physical agility and screen presence as well as Weisz’s talent for credible crying and screaming, but they scarcely trouble their respective acting abilities.

Particularly irritating are the plot contortions needed to accommodate pointless cameos by familiar faces from the trilogy: Paddy Considine, Albert Finney and Joan Allen. Not to mention the repeated, cryptic flashbacks designed to sketch in Cross’s murky military past. It all falls apart during the climactic foot and motorcycle chase, which is more exhausting than exciting, and features a cypher-like villain who utters not one word of dialogue.

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Release details

UK release:

Fri Aug 17 2012

Cast and crew

Director:

Tony Gilroy

Cast:

Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz

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Comments & ratings

Rated as: 3/5 (14 ratings)
  • I actually enjoyed it more than the Damon films (although very good) and Renner was a more human character than Damon's robot-like hero. However, there were too many 'talky' scenes after a decent action set-piece and Norton's character fizzled out. Would be happy to see a 5th one though!

    Andy S Sun Feb 24
    Rated as: 4/5
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  • Kudos to the people on this site that solidly rated this film. Personally I thought it was refreshing having Jeremy play the key role. He brought a different edge and the action was full on and sharp. Put another way the story line was tight and it wasnt full of excessive fighting. Yes parts of the plot were a bit complicated but you come to expect that from these types of films. Its all too easy to pick out the flaws in any film..non-speaking evil guy on the motor cycle at the end...but thats just cherry picking...there was more than enough to keep people busy and on a personal note I thought it held together better than the latest Bond flick which was akin to Rambo in the Scottish Highlands...a yawnfest

    Rick Sat Jan 5
    Rated as: 5/5
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  • Yawn,what a dull plot. Or maybe thats from the bourne saga continuing?...all i can say is its a letdown. Wait for it on dvd.

    Ric Fri Sep 7 2012
    Rated as: 2/5
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  • Not a patch on the first three. Should have dropped the project when Matt Damon pulled out of it. They will need to up their game if they are considering a fifth, but to be honest if its the same production / writer team again, please dont bother.

    K. Flyer Sun Sep 2 2012
    Rated as: 1/5
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  • Though thin on plot, it was sort of a Bourne 'Lite' version of the series, it was still enjoyable.

    Sutton Sun Aug 26 2012
    Rated as: 3/5
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  • This film is to the Bourne stable what “Quantum of Solaceâ€� is to the Bond films – distinctly flat, and in no way memorable, other than for being poor quality. Worth giving this one a miss.

    VioletP Sat Aug 25 2012
    Rated as: 1/5
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  • I do wonder how a top agent, alert at ALL other times fails to notice the busy Shanghi (or where ever) street a floor below has suddenly fallen deadly silent......but that small gripe aside (other than the plank that is Renner and an over po faced approach by all involved) this rattles along at a fair crack (rather shocked to find the credits rolling, esp. after a pancake flat final exchange!) and is at least worth a cheapo watch. Id go again if asked...not with any relish, but I wouldn't find it a chore, so all in all, roughly on par with The Expendables 2. And, for added entertainment, J. Renner has an amazing knack of transforming into J. Kyle in numerous scenes. 6/10

    scrumpyjack Thu Aug 23 2012
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  • Complaint, too right mate........both points annoy me too. Anyway, off to see this today (rating above)...........and have you seen the cost of a first class stamp? Scandalous!

    scrumpyjack Thu Aug 23 2012
    Rated as: 3/5
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  • enjoyed this a lot despite all the gripes being true! The car chase/bike chase was very very boring (but car chases always are) and the guy chasing them was supposed to be some no-empathy killing machine - really????????????????????????????????? But somehow I was entertained! I don't know, maybe I just enjoyed the whole medication plotline, plus the way it's meant to be happening at the same time as the last bourne film - and I like Renner and Weisz.

    Enjoyed it Wed Aug 22 2012
    Rated as: 4/5
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  • to be fair it was far better than expected after the critique which is very unfair in this case and the anti war ,anti corporate theme might be the culprit here with the state to blame for the mess too .-flawed but fun to watch

    miles Wed Aug 22 2012
    Rated as: 4/5
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