The Bourne Legacy (2012)

December 8, 2012September 29, 2016 Dave Adi Hanash, Albert Finney, Ali Reza, Clayton J. Barber, Corey Johnson, Corey Stoll, Dan Gilroy, David Strathairn, Dennis Boutsikaris, Donna Murphy, Edward Norton, Elizabeth Marvel, Gita Reddy, Jennifer Kim, Jeremy Renner, Joan Allen, John Arcilla, John Douglas Thompson, Michael Berresse, Michael Chernus, Michael Papajohn, Neil Brooks Cunningham, Oscar Issac, Page Leong, Rachel Weisz, Robert Christopher Riley, Robert Ludlum, Scott Glenn, Shane Jacobson, Sonnie Brown, Stacy Keach, The Bourne Legacy, The Bourne Legacy Review, Tony Gilroy, Tony Guida, Zelijko Ivanek

Summary:An expansion of the universe from Robert Ludlum s novels, centered on a new hero whose stakes have been triggered by the events of the previous three films.

Year: 2012

Australian Cinema Release Date: 16th August, 2012

Australian DVD Release Date: 13th December, 2012

Country: United States

Director: Tony Gilroy

Screenwriter: Dan Gilroy, Tony Gilroy, Robert Ludlum (book)

Cast: Joan Allen (Pam Landy), John Arcilla (Joseph), Clayton J. Barber (Gene), Michael Berresse (Leonard), Dennis Boutsikaris (Terrence Ward), Sonnie Brown (Dr. Lieberburg), Michael Chernus (Arthur Ingram), Neil Brooks Cunningham (Dr. Han Hillcoat), Albert Finney (Dr. Albert Hirsch), Scott Glenn (Ezra Kramer), Tony Guida (Dr. Benezara), Adi Hanash (Outcome #1), Oscar Isaac (Outcome #3), Zeljko Ivanek (Dr. Donald Foite), Shane Jacobson (Mackie), Corey Johnson (Ray Wills), Stacy Keach (Retired Adm. Mark Turso USN), Jennifer Kim (Outcome #4), Page Leong (Mrs. Yun), Elizabeth Marvel (Dr. Connie Dowd), Donna Murphy (Dita Mandy), Edward Norton (Retired Col. Eric Byer, USAF), Michael Papajohn (Larry), Gita Reddy (Dr. Chandra), Jeremy Renner (Aaron Cross), Ali Reza (Dr. Talwar), Robert Christopher Riley (Outcome #6), Corey Stoll (Zev Vendel), David Strathairn (Noah Vosen), John Douglas Thompson (Lt. Gen. Paulsen), Rachel Weisz (Dr. Marta Shearing)

Runtime: 135 mins

Classification:M

Dave Griffiths’s ‘The Bourne Legacy’ Review:

It’s hard to fathom that a team could put together a film with the word Bourne in the title and not feature the character of Jason Bourne (made famous by Matt Damon), yet that is exactly what happens in The Bourne Legacy, a film that may not be as good as the others in the series but certainly holds its own.

This fourth film in the series follows Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner – The Avengers, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol) an Outcome Agent who is left on the run after Outcome is official closed down by Eric Byer (Edward Norton – Moonrise Kingdom, Stone) after all the trouble that Jason Bourne has caused for the Blackbriar and Touchstone projects.

Of course closing down doesn’t simply mean shutting down the programs it instead means that agents such as Aaron and #3 (Oscar Isaac – Revenge For Jolly!, For Greater Glory: The True Story Of Cristiada) are to be assignated. After surviving the initial attack Aaron goes on the run and decides to rescue Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz – Dream House, The Deep Blue Sea) the one person who he believes can answer all his questions.

While director/screenwriter Tony Gilroy (Duplicity, Michael Clayton) does come up with some interesting ways to get around having Jason Bourne in the film (and to his credit they do work) he also decides not to go to far away from the formula created by director Paul Greengrass in the last three Bourne movies. Certainly the flashy editing, roof top chase and massive car chase are there for all to see.

Gilroy however does take a massive step this time in the way he brings characterization to his characters. He has the advantage of Aaron knowing about his past to aid him (whereas Jason Bourne was suffering from amnesia), but the amount of work put into the character of Dr. Marta Shearing makes her an extremely interesting character that the audience can quickly warm to.

As a result Rachel Weisz laps up the role and puts in a stunning performance, so good is she in fact that she overshadows Renner who to his credit again shows that he is capable of pulling off some amazing action sequences but also has the ability to act his way through the more dramatic dialogue parts of the film. It is also good to see Aussie Shane Jabobson (Beaconsfield, Surviving Georgia) getting a chance to show off his skills on the world stage.

The Bourne Legacy may not be the best film of the series but thanks to a creative storyline it does work despite the fact Matt Damon (aka Jason Bourne) is nowhere to be seen.

Other Subculture Media Reviews of The Bourne Legacy: http://www.helium.com/items/2366760-movie-reviews-the-bourne-legacy-2012.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

IMDB Rating: