The Bourne Legacy (2012)

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

This was pretty good. A decent story, good stunts and action. I really liked the inclusion of the parallel time line this runs on, with flashes to the three other Jason Bourne movies.The new hero here is Jeremy Renner, a scientifically engineered, genetically enhanced CIA agent who goes on the run when his program is cancelled and everyone included is ordered eliminated. Along the way he kidnaps/rescues the research scientist (Rachel Weisz) who helped create him.The story opens in Alaska where a bearded Renner as Aaron Cross is training 'Rocky 4' style, climbing snow capped mountains, doing tasks in very cold water and hanging out in the snow. Lots of running, some OK fight scenes...not cool Jason Bourne style but good enough. A couple decent chase scenes too with motorcycles through the streets of Manila.Edward Norton is one of the suits trying to take him out from some office headquarters somewhere bland- he doesn't really add much. Stacy Keach is there and all the other series veterans show up as well; Scott Glen, Joan Allen, Albert Finney.

An almighty cash-in, or for once a clever spin-off from the Bourne trilogy? I'm afraid mostly the former. Now I was suckered into the trailer for Legacy, and even the tagline: "There was never just one" I couldn't argue against, after all, Matt Damon's Jason Bourne was part of a super soldier program. Plus this film takes place during the events of The Bourne Ultimatum, the third (and most exciting) in the trilogy. But unfortunately what we get is a pretty big case of "missed opportunity".Aaron Cross is another man with no past, but unlike Jason he was not part of the Treadstone program but a sister program were participants are trained and enhanced with pills. When Jason Bourne's actions trigger the Treadstone program's assets and agents to be erased, the same must be done for the other programs and Aaron finds himself hunted down. His only ally is a scientist, Rachel Weisz, who is also marked.The film takes an age to get started. We are subjected to an onslaught of crazy editing and ambiguous character development as the film tries to establish Ultimatum's storyline, Aaron's storyline, the multiple programs, and how these relate at all. When things go wrong, the film has the unsettling sense that something more interesting is happening elsewhere (read: Ultimatum). Most of the dialogue dissolves into "What's going on??" "I don't know anything!" for nearly half the film, poor Edward Norton is given little to do except tell brainless executives over-and-over what's happening.The action is crammed into the last thirty minutes (yes, I checked the time…) and it is greatly underwhelming. In fact, the whole film is underwhelming. It is terrible because Jeremy Renner plays an interesting variation on the Bourne character and there is potential in some scenes, but the story around him is such a rehash that I couldn't find myself caring.Not enough synchronicity with the previous films, if establish characters had been used more I may have accepted Legacy as more than just an unnecessary addition. I love the Bourne trilogy, and perhaps Legacy would benefit as part of a film marathon… but I somehow doubt it.

*SPOILERS* Oh boy The Bourne Legacy is not a good movie, but it is way better than Jason Bourne but worse movie than The Bourne Ultimatum. It has great action sequences better than In The Bourne Ultimatum, but that doesn't say much. I never liked The Bourne Ultimatum and I don't like this movie ether. It is not a good movie and I really don't care that there is no Jason Bourne in this movie. I would say it is solid but the character Aaron Cross does not work for me, he is selfish and useless to me a real dead agent! All he cared was to get the Virus and those pills to survive. He saved Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz) by agents only to used her to get the pills and the Virus so that he could survive. Seriously this movie is horrible, the plot is weak, not logic and an interesting science fiction movie the lead character Aaron Cross is not likable.This movie is way too long and really boring at sometimes. I like Edward Norton in this he was fantastic I love the actor he is acting skills are fantastic. I actually cared more about Norton's character than Renner character. The airplane vehicle Predator, an unmanned aerial vehicle like the one featured was excellent weapon and I like it. The motor chase was a really decent action stunt in which Jeremy Renner and Rachel Weisz real performed. That is why I can say the action sequence is much way better than it was performed in Bourne Ultimatum. Rachel Weisz and Jeremy Renner were fantastic and acting from them was really good and I like it. I only liked these three actors I mentioned Edward Norton, Jeremy Renner and Rachel Weisz and the motor chase sequence an that is all the rest of the movie is useless to me and an watchable except if I want to waste my time. The plot, the sci-fi and the story just didn't worked for me. I didn't like how this movie crucified Pamela Landy (Joan Allen) as the fall guy and the CIA covered everything up and get away with their crimes I really did not like that. I don't understand this movie, Aaron almost did not do anything trough entire movie, he escaped the CIA agents but the bad guy got away he didn't expose them he did not do nothing but run which it is stupid. Someone said it is way better than The Bourne Identity well it is not, it is worse than Bourne Identity. This is not a real spy movie, there are no espionage in here at all. I would rather watch James Bond Movies, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, XIII: The Conspiracy, The Hunt For Red October, Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger miles way better movies than Bourne Legacy.The rating for me is F 1/10 I don't hate the movie, but I don't like it, it is not a good action movie like everyone is saying it is just a waste of time. The movie starts slow, it is boring, not enjoyable and forgettable.

A waste of 2 hours and 41 minutes. Time which I'll never get back.Although the genetically enhanced agents theme follow-up to the original Bourne series had promise, it fails to deliver.The drug-addicted super agents are supposed to be better than human, but you'll never see anything supporting that claim Yes, it has plenty of action, but not much thought was put to the story line and background of the characters. One walks away without ever caring about any of them.A filler movie, intended to satisfy the desire for the public desire for more Bourne movies. Kind-of like 'New Coke' was suppose to replace the original Coke.