Jeremy Renner takes over the reigns from Matt Damon as director Tony Gilroy’s The Bourne Legacy breaks out of the Robert Ludlum’s Bourne trilogy and enters a new realm. The movie is a good example of the fact the franchise still has a few stories to tell.
Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) finds himself at the edge of termination as the CIA decides to dismantle the Black Ops division. His survival instinct sees him team up with a geneticist, played by Rachel Weisz, who holds the key to his immunity. The plot sees Cross dodge several drone attacks, satellite cameras and CIA agents to find his way from a forest in Virginia to Maryland and finally, Manila in Philippines.
Gilroy brings something fresh to the espionage genre and his obsession with logic and correctness makes the film very believable. But the first half hour feels like an information overload and the presentation is uninteresting. However, things begin to fall into place by the time we’re half-way into the film. The plot becomes clear and so do the allegiances of the audience.
The action sequences are the highlight of the film. There are some things that leave you with a déjà vu feeling, but quite a few scenes – like the motorcycle chase sequence in the climax, throw up a few surprises. Tony Gilroy, who has also edited this film, has done a brilliant job in arranging the scenes so as to keep the pulse high. The editing pattern at the start of the film and in most high-adrenaline sequences is noteworthy.
The characterisation, however, falls short on a few accounts. Jeremy Renner’s Aaron Cross finds it hard to fill Jason Bourne’s shoes. Edward Norton plays Retired Colonel Eric Byer and is a vague reminder of what he usually does on screen. Although the primary antagonist, his role is pretty short and doesn’t get enough screen time. Rachel Weisz’s Marta is just another woman with valuable information, who needs to be saved and is a prize for the hero – the same old story.
For the fans of this franchise, this might be a little difficult to embrace right away. But apart from that, The Bourne Legacy is a decent action thriller which does not disappoint. If the fans are to take any positive, it’s in the fact that they get a chance to re-visit Bourne-ville.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on August 11, 2012
Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) finds himself at the edge of termination as the CIA decides to dismantle the Black Ops division. His survival instinct sees him team up with a geneticist, played by Rachel Weisz, who holds the key to his immunity. The plot sees Cross dodge several drone attacks, satellite cameras and CIA agents to find his way from a forest in Virginia to Maryland and finally, Manila in Philippines.
Gilroy brings something fresh to the espionage genre and his obsession with logic and correctness makes the film very believable. But the first half hour feels like an information overload and the presentation is uninteresting. However, things begin to fall into place by the time we’re half-way into the film. The plot becomes clear and so do the allegiances of the audience.
The action sequences are the highlight of the film. There are some things that leave you with a déjà vu feeling, but quite a few scenes – like the motorcycle chase sequence in the climax, throw up a few surprises. Tony Gilroy, who has also edited this film, has done a brilliant job in arranging the scenes so as to keep the pulse high. The editing pattern at the start of the film and in most high-adrenaline sequences is noteworthy.
The characterisation, however, falls short on a few accounts. Jeremy Renner’s Aaron Cross finds it hard to fill Jason Bourne’s shoes. Edward Norton plays Retired Colonel Eric Byer and is a vague reminder of what he usually does on screen. Although the primary antagonist, his role is pretty short and doesn’t get enough screen time. Rachel Weisz’s Marta is just another woman with valuable information, who needs to be saved and is a prize for the hero – the same old story.
For the fans of this franchise, this might be a little difficult to embrace right away. But apart from that, The Bourne Legacy is a decent action thriller which does not disappoint. If the fans are to take any positive, it’s in the fact that they get a chance to re-visit Bourne-ville.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on August 11, 2012
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