The Bourne Legacy Review: A Weak Attempt to Expand a Franchise

The cast delivers a good performance with Jeremy Renner and Rachel Weisz in the lead. Unlike the amnesiac and almost catatonic Jason Bourne, you have the mysterious yet affecting Aaron Cross. His love interest is a scientist who later on proves to be more than just a sidekick. Their subtle romance is appealing enough to root for.

While the characters move the story along, viewers who are not familiar with the previous Bourne films (or may have forgotten them) will get lost in all the dialogue in the first half of the movie. There’s a lot of jargon thrown around and info dump by top rank CIA agents who talk in some workplace lingo.

When the fight scenes finally kick in, they’re ample enough to get your attention. However, they lack the inventive action sequences that highlight the previous Bourne films.

The main action piece that’s set in Manila does provide a taut action sequence, but it’s basically just a long chase scene that starts on foot and ends on a motorcycle. Given another location with the same crowded place, you’ll more or less get the same results in a summer blockbuster movie.

Bourne Legacy is nothing less than more of the same. It’s entertaining enough, but ultimately a forgettable attempt to expand the Jason Bourne franchise.