The Film
It's been five years since the last installment in the Bourne franchise. Now, our action hero is back, but seems to look a little bit different. In fact, he looks a lot like that Hawkeye guy.
After 2007's The Bourne Ultimatum, star Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass opted not to return to the franchise. However, Universal figured there was still plenty of kick (and punch) left in the series, so they brought in The Town's Jeremy Renner to be the new Bourne.
In The Bourne Legacy, Renner isn't actually Jason Bourne. He's not even his weird brother, Fred. He's Aaron Cross -- well, sort of. I don't want to spoil anything, but just know that like the Bourne before him, this guy is on the CIA's shitlist. That's because the Blackbriar and Treadstone programs (remember them?) have been exposed to the public and the agency wants to cut all ties.
The Bourne Legacy is packed with so many nods to the other films in the franchise, it's practically an on-screen drinking game. Everytime you hear the name "Jason Bourne," take a drink. Anytime someone from the first three films shows up, take a drink. If you choose to accept this mission (sorry, different movie), plan to be bombed within the first 15 minutes of the film.
That's not to say that Renner doesn't try to take the torch and run with it. In fact, he makes for a fine action hero. He can wrestle wolves, kill people with the back of his hand, and scale up the side of a wall with the best of them. He also has a great supporting cast, including Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton and Stacy Keach.
All of that actually makes The Bourne Legacy a fun film; it's just not really a Bourne film. The story wasn't part of the Robert Ludlum trilogy, which would be fine, but it doesn't even follow where author Eric Van Lustbader picked up the series. The name Bourne is there in name only.
Director/co-writer Tony Gilroy, who penned the last three films, should have clipped out some of Bourne's backstory. Giving a nod to the franchise is one thing. Building a film around 45 minutes of references is another. It may leave you wondering why this is called The Bourne Legacy when no one is named Bourne. It also slows down what's an otherwise good action flick -- although that could just be me missing Greengrass' shaky-cam.
Want to unravel more about this film and its place in the franchise? Check out Joe Lozito's theatrical review of The Bourne Legacy.
The Picture
The Bourne Legacy certainly does the franchise nicely, from an image standpoint. This 2.40:1 image is exactly the stylish viewing experience you'd expect. Most impressive is the film's contrast. For instance, the horrifying lab scene and those snowy parts really pop against the film's many darker moments. Detail is also nice as well, showing off those snowflakes, the lines on Jeremy Renner's face, and the sharpness on Edward Norton's hair.
The Sound
Even more impressive is the film's DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track. Universal has upped the audio for this part of the franchise, and The Bourne Legacy uses that advantage to the best of its ability. The dialogue is always excellent, but it's the gunshots, explosions, planes and motorcycles that will completely suck you into this movie. It's an adrenaline-filled, fun track.
The Extras
Universal has delivered a good crop of extras for this release. None of the stars are included on the commentary track, but there is half of the Gilroy family and other crew members to discuss the technical aspects of the film. Otherwise, there are deleted scenes and several moments of the film are dissected in short featurettes. It would have been nice if the filmmakers spent more time on the transition of the franchise besides the 6 minutes given to "Re-Bourne" and the 7 minutes for "Enter Aaron Cross." However, everything that's featured here is really designed as a quick hit for the short attention span.
Final Thoughts
As part of the Bourne franchise, The Bourne Legacy seems too caught up in the past -- someone else's past. It's obviously difficult to pass the torch, but Jeremy Renner certainly makes for a nice action hero. Maybe in the next film, Renner will be able to make the series his own. Here, there's a little too much baggage. It's not that it's a bad movie, though, with excellent audio and video pumping up the experience to the point where you'll want to pick this one up.
Product Details
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