The Bourne Legacy

Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Stacy Keach, Scott Glenn

Dir. Tony Gilroy
Scr. Tony Gilroy & Dan Gilroy

The Bourne trilogy – Identity, Supremacy, Ultimatum – were smart, visceral, tightly-plotted films. They challenged Bond to step up his game and made Matt Damon a truly bankable star. And I wasn’t really expecting more. So the idea of continuing the Bourne story without, you know, Bourne, was intriguing and a tad terrifying. Legacy is a good film. Some great action, solid performances, a spark of chemistry and a good (if somewhat convoluted) plot. But I left the cinema asking ‘why?’ and lamenting opportunities missed.

Legacy picks up towards the end of Ultimatum. While Bourne has come back to the US and is going after his creators, we are introduced to a couple of his fellow “outcomes”, including Aaron Cross (Renner). Because of Bourne’s actions, their continued existence is a liability. Armed with the knowledge that there is a target on his back and an overwhelming need to get more of the meds that make him what he is, Cross tracks down Dr Marta Shearing (Weisz). Together they try to outrun the shadowy forces that want them dead.

It’s not an easy story to summarise into a paragraph. The first 30 minutes are a whirlwind of intel and jargon. I don’t really see how this would be a rewarding movie-going experience if you hadn’t seen the first three instalments and some would say that’s a major flaw. I don’t disagree, but I have bigger fish to fry here. While it moves along at a clip and is a compelling film, Legacy really misses out on an opportunity. By the end of the film, the story is near identical to Identity. I just don’t know where they can go from here. What makes Bond work so well and for so long is that he is employed by someone. Sure, he falls out with his bosses frequently. But, ultimately, he’s answerable to something. What we have here is another story of a highly trained agent who wants to break free, does so, and now what? I fear the next film, if there is one, will be a rehash of Supremacy. And so on and so forth. They really missed a trick on potentially taking this story in a very different and interesting direction. And while the action scenes are thrilling, they are also copies of what we’ve seen before. In fact, the last hour is so similar I thought I was in the wrong film.

Having said all that, there are elements introduced in Legacy that viewers can really sink their teeth into. The conspiracy we have come to know in the first three Bourne films is certainly more sinister and far-reaching than we ever thought.

What I really can’t fault are the performances on offer. Renner is star waiting for a star-making vehicle. I’m not sure this is it, but he shows here that he can easily carry a big budget film and do so with depth and charisma. Weisz is extremely good in support and takes to the action like a fish to water. What’s more, there is palpable chemistry between them that draws the viewer in. Norton, the baddie of the piece (although, baddie is a relative in the Bourne universe), is cold and calculating and very good indeed. Characters from the previous films are incorporated with finesse.

Legacy is a good film. But, when it comes to Bourne, I expect more than good. I expect new and surprising and intriguing and thrilling. What we have is largely a rehash, which is disappointing. I will, however, watch with interest to see what they do next. Maybe Renner and Damon in a double-act big-bang finale? Stranger things have happened.

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Eric Byer: Jason Bourne was just the tip of the iceberg.