The Bourne Legacy

I went into this movie with an open mind. I wasn’t looking for a continuation of the Bourne trilogy, but something similar and different. Jeremy Renner does a great job as the main character. His action scenes are good and his methods are believable. Rachel Weisz also is good in this movie as a doctor involved in a Treadstone-like project, but with no real knowledge of what the project’s purpose is.

The beginning of the movie is a little confusing, and the tie-ins to the Bourne Ultimatum don’t do much to pull you in, although they tie the plots together. I was expecting more from some of the big names from the last movie like Joan Allen, but her, Scott Glenn, and David Strathairn only have brief scenes in the movie. Maybe the inevitable sequel will provide them with more screen time.

The beginning and middle of the movie have the best action scenes in my opinion. A lot of people have complained that the final motorcycle chase is way too long. I also was disappointed with the way the super agent sent in to kill Renner and Weisz was disposed of. I would have liked to see some fighting between him and Renner like Bourne had in the previous movies with agents sent to kill him.

Edward Norton’s role was a bit confusing in the beginning, and he was definitely no David Strathairn on Bourne’s trail. I think this movie had a weak supporting cast, unlike the previous movies. There were some nice surprises throughout, but the ending was very weak: the end of the motorcycle chase as well as the final scene.

I enjoyed the movie overall, but it won’t be one I’ll be running to buy. The movie had a good cast, but I think the writing was too muddled and the suspense did not do enough to pull you in at times. Don’t go into it expecting one of the previous Bourne movies and you will probably enjoy it as a good action movie.

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