The Bourne Legacy Review

The legacy lives...for the most part.
Full spoiler-free review by Isaac Handelman

The Bourne Ultimatum put a definite bookend on one of the greatest espionage trilogies to grace recent cinema. But of course, those films pulled in too much money at the box office to end the franchise there, so here we are almost exactly five years later with The Bourne Legacy. It’s not a prequel or a sequel or a “spiritual successor”; Legacy tells a story that’s mostly distinct from the events of the original three Bourne films, and its relative success is thanks mostly to this smart decision on the screenwriters’ part.

Much of Legacy’s narrative runs parallel with the events of Ultimatum, but there’s not much connecting the two films as far as their base narratives go. There’s more than one mention of Jason Bourne, to be certain, but this, as aforementioned, is mostly a stand-alone experience. The film follows Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner), a participant in the fledgling genetic alteration program spearheaded by Jason Bourne. Bourne’s escapades drive CIA big-boy Eric Byer to pull the plug on the program, killing every agent on the field. Cross gets lucky and escapes, securing himself on a globe-trotting quest to get some meds he needs with a little help from Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz). 

No, that’s not a joke. The central conflict revolves around Cross’ need to acquire the chemical medication necessary to support the physical and mental alterations that have been made to his chromosomes. Thankfully, it works, for the most part, allowing for the two leads to have an explosive cross-country adventure with a clear goal in mind throughout the film’s duration, even if it’s not as interesting as the desperate pursuits of Jason Bourne.

As you may have guessed, Legacy is nowhere near as intricately plotted or complicated as any of the three other Bourne movies. That’s not to say it’s simple -- there are a few moments throughout the film where viewers are bound to be scratching their heads (I'm sure I was). However, this entry is definitely a step back for the franchise in this area, though that’s not necessarily a criticism. The narrative of Legacy is far more approachable and easy to follow than that of the original films, and as such it’s a solid jumping-off point for those new to the franchise. I’d still recommend seeing the originals before Legacy, just to catch all the references to Matt Damon’s super-spy that are thrown into the mix, but newcomers will still find Legacy to work fine as a stand-alone film.

The biggest departure this time around is, quite obviously, the absence of Matt Damon as the leading man. That’s sure to upset longtime fans of the series, but I’ll have you know that Jeremy Renner does a mighty fine job taking up the considerably high mantle set by Damon. Legacy isn’t as pivoted solely on his character as Identity, Supremacy and Ultimatum were on Jason Bourne, and as result we don’t learn quite as much about Cross’ background as we did Bourne’s, but still, the Aaron Cross character is a more than serviceable lead. 

Shearing’s incessant panic and common pouting can get rather irritating throughout the film, but for the most part Weisz plays the part just fine. Norton’s Byer brings a slightly more youthful spirit to the antagonists of the franchise, and the raw power to locate people in a flash that his department possesses is portrayed well throughout.

Tony Gilroy’s direction doesn’t always make for glossy action sequences, as the shaky camera goes a bit overboard at certain points, but he also ensures a few particularly stylish shots, often at the expense of the lives of a few goons. Tony and Dan Gilroys’ screenplay works for the most part, but there are a few-too-many instances of characters thrown into the mix and then disposed of too quickly to gain any clear vision as to who they are, let alone why they’re doing what they’re doing.

Perhaps Legacy’s biggest drawback is its lack of closure. The film gains a huge amount of momentum during its slightly overlong but nonetheless exhilarating climactic chase sequence, and then flushes it all down the toilet with one of the most abrupt, unsatisfying endings in recent cinema memory. Just before the film’s credits rolled, I thought to myself, “Man, how are Cross and Shearing gonna get out of this one?” And it would seem the screenwriters had a similar thought. The signature Bourne music started and my heart skipped a beat as I realized the movie was over and I’d already seen the film’s climax. Luckily, the fact this Legacy is part of the Bourne series means that this wide-open ending will surely be continued, but it’s still disappointing for the time being that what could have been a great standalone spy thriller begs so plainly for continuation.

I enjoyed The Bourne Legacy. It’s got its fair share of problems and lacks satisfying closure, but it’s great fun and is undeniably smarter than your average action flick. Don’t expect anything near the masterclass of Ultimatum, but also don’t dismiss Legacy just because it’s a fourth installment. And hey, you never know; maybe, just maybe, Aaron Cross and Jason Bourne will team up sometime in the future -- wouldn’t that be a sight.

Final Score:

6.5/10

“Satisfactory”