 Tagline: There Was Never Just One The Bourne Legacy takes the action-packed Bourne series to an explosive new level. On the verge of having their conspiracy exposed, members of the government's intelligence community will stop at nothing to erase all evidence of their top secret programs - even the agents involved. Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) must use his genetically-engineered skills to survive the ultimate game of cat-and-mouse and finish what Jason Bourne started. Also starring Academy Award winner Rachel Weisz and Academy Award nominee Edward Norton, critics are calling this a "thrilling, edge-of-your-seat heart-pounder" (Meg Porter Berns, WSVN-TV (FOX), Miami). Storyline: The events in this movie takes place around the same time that the events in The Bourne Ultimatum. When a British reporter was writing an expose about Black Ops operations Treadstone and Black Briar, and the ones responsible for them are concerned. And when Jason Bourne, former Treadstone operative got the file on Treadstone and Black Briar and gave it to Pamela Landy who them passed it to the media. When the men behind Treadstone and Black Briar learn of this, they're concerned how this will affects other ops they have. They decide it's best to shut down all ops and make sure make everyone involved disappears. They try to take out Aaron Cross who is part of another op called Outcome, but he manages to survive. He then seeks out Dr. Marta Shearing who worked on him when he began. It seems part of the program is for all subjects to take medications but he has run out, which is why he seeks her... Written by rcs0411@yahoo.com Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Kenneth Brown, December 2, 2012 -- Attention. The filmmakers of 'The Bourne Legacy' would like to remind viewers that Matt Damon does not appear at any point during the film. While his likeness does indeed grace the screen via various photographs, the actor and series mainstay does not. The filmmakers would also like to issue a reminder that Damon's character, Jason Bourne, does not appear in the movie either. Rather than recast the titular black ops agent, the filmmakers have instead developed an entirely different character in the hopes of still creating future entries in the series starring or co-starring Matt Damon. As such, the fourth film in the franchise is an official sequel, a spin-off, a companion piece to 'The Bourne Ultimatum,' a reboot, an expansion, and a catchall in every conceivable way. To eliminate any further confusion, the filmmakers have inserted a barrage of additional reminders throughout 'The Bourne Legacy' via contrived bits of dialogue and copious exposition. Thank you. That is all. Running parallel to the events of The Bourne Ultimatum, The Bourne Legacy simultaneously shifts perspectives to a different war room, adds another layer beneath the already top secret Blackbriar and Treadstone programs, and introduces Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner, The Avengers), a U.S. Army private recruited into a separate program called Operation Outcome. There, Cross is chemically and genetically enhanced as one of several cutting edge super-soldiers, and sent out into the unforgiving wilderness to test his mettle in a series of survival trials. But when ties between Treadstone and Outcome surface, Cross and his brethren are unceremoniously marked for termination on the order of retired U.S. Air Force colonel-turned-CIA heavy hitter Eric Byer (Edward Norton, Fight Club). Cross narrowly escapes death of course, and soon goes in search of someone who can supply him with "chems," a regiment of green and blue pills that regulate his body and keep the super in Cross' super-strength, super-intellect and super-abilities. Unfortunately for Cross, after Byer ordered the deaths of the Outcome field assets, he also activated Dr. Donald Foite (Željko Ivanek, In Bruges), a brainwashed sleeper agent from yet another sub-sub-black ops program dubbed LARX. ("Treadstone without the inconsistencies. Outcome without the emotional attachment.") Locking himself in the central Outcome medical lab, Foite murders the scientists who manufacture and distribute the chems. All except one lucky doctor, that is! (Detecting a pattern?) Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz, The Fountain) survives Byer's execution order, not once but twice, and eventually hits the road with Cross. Their destination? Manila, where Cross hopes Shearing can take chems out of his diet without sacrificing his super powers. Er... skills. If The Bourne Legacy were a grainy, gritty, shaky-cam'd Avengers spin-off -- specifically some sort of Hawkeye origin story starring Renner and a bow -- the chems, brainwashed sleeper agents, super-soldiering shenanigans, chromosome alterations, jargon-littered sci-fi plot, relentless Terminator-like assassins, superhuman feats and motorcycle chases would go down a lot easier. But as a Bourne movie? It all feels off. Too over the top, too comicbook, too Hollywood. Over-plotted and underwhelming. Desperate even. Writer/director Tony Gilroy and co-writer Dan Gilroy have crafted a break-neck actioner in the vein of Bourne's best action beats, but neglected to provide a character that doesn't feel like a downgrade from Jason Bourne. Cross' past isn't nearly as interesting, his encounters are laced with inevitability, the dangers he fends off aren't as grounded or unnerving, and his adversaries exchange the veiled agendas and containment protocols of past films for cold villainy and "find that guy" and "kill that guy" barks and bites. Come to think of it, Norton and company say an awful lot, and yet don't say much of anything. Legacy is essentially two competing films: one that wants to be a Bourne contender and one that wants to be a Bourne competitor. When everyone stops talking and Cross does his thing -- take out a drone with a sniper rifle, clear a farm house of heavily armed agents, fight off a team of security guards, race to save Shearing, hop from rooftop to rooftop or weave through traffic within an inch of a bitter end -- Legacy fits right in, Damon or no Damon. When the Gilroys' story is given room to breathe, though, the film falters. Broadening the scope of the Bourne universe was a necessity; injecting more and more unreality into that universe was not, especially in a series that, for all intents and purposes, is Bond stripped of the girls, gadgets and cheeky humor. (So much so that Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace were criticized for being more Bourne than Bond.) Yes, The Bourne Legacy has a lot going for it. Renner is strong (even if Cross is underdeveloped), Weisz delivers, Norton elevates his scenes, the brief nods and connections to the events of Ultimatum are fun bits of fan service, the fight and chase scenes are staged with hard-hitting gusto, and the film ends with enough promise to suggest a second Aaron Cross outing wouldn't be a terrible idea. Sadly, it also has a lot working against it as the tug of war between the Gilroys' smart and not-so-smart decisions knocks it down time and time again. Of the four Bourne movies, Legacy comes in last. Pretend The Bourne Legacy is Avengers Origins: Hawkeye. You'll enjoy it a lot more. Otherwise you'll merely be left with a hit-or-miss entry in a franchise in flux; a solid actioner that has trouble gaining and sustaining momentum. Renner and Weisz are great, though, and suggest the Bourne series might just have life beyond Jason Bourne. Only time -- and a fifth film -- will tell. Universal's Blu-ray release won't leave anyone wanting. A few more special features would have been nice, sure. But with a near-perfect video transfer, an outstanding DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track and a solid selection of extras, The Bourne Legacy fits in a bit better with its predecessors. [CSW] -4- Too many reference to the last of the Bourne trilogy almost ruined an otherwise poor and barely ok script. Despite that I still liked it. Cast Notes: Jeremy Renner (Aaron Cross), Scott Glenn (Ezra Kramer), Stacy Keach (Retired Adm. Mark Turso, USN), Edward Norton (Retired Col. Eric Byer, USAF), Donna Murphy (Dita Mandy), Michael Chernus (Arthur Ingram), Corey Stoll (Zev Vendel), Alice Gainer (Lean Forward MSNBC Anchor), Prue Lewarne (CNN Reporter), Howard Leader (MSNBC Man Analyst), James Joseph O'Neil (Sterisyn-Morlanta Gateman), Rachel Weisz (Dr. Marta Shearing), Tony Guida (Dr. Benezara), Sonnie Brown (Dr. Lieberburg), Neil Brooks Cunningham (Dr. Dan Hillcott). IMDb Rating (10/31/12): 6.9/10 from 43,689 users
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