Customer Reviews

The Bourne Legacy (Blu-ray + Digital Copy + UV Copy)

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

The Bourne Legacy isn't a remake or reboot or rewhatever of the Bourne movies. It's a continuation of the series with a brand new lead actor and characters. Past events from previous films are mentioned and past characters, appearances from David Straithairn, Albert Finney and Joan Allen as their characters from the movies ensure continuity yet the whole film starts afresh with a new assassin, Aaron Cross played by Jeremy Renner on the run from the same government agency hunting Bourne and they are still hunting him according to the movie it's just you don't see it here on screen. Edward Norton and Rachel Weiss are the new cast members and although good they have both done better as has Jeremy Renner as Cross. It's a slow but tense start which sees Treadstone covering their tracks by killing or silencing anyone that could uncover and reveal their work but the 2nd half of the movie has some good action. There are ways the series could continue, either returning Matt Damon to the series or by carrying on with Jeremy Renner but maybe it's time to give the series a rest. Ok and worth a watch just not as good as the first three films in the series especially the excellent The Bourne Ultimatum.

Okay, so the original Bourne movies ( based on a series of Robert Ludlum thrillers ) followed the amnesiac super-'assassin' Jason Bourne through his attempts to recover his memory and understand how he came to possess a rather interesting skill set (gadget-master; amateur spiderman; martial arts-guru) while simultaneously avoiding the evil clutches of 'bent' US agencies and other similarly skilled bad-guys from Operation Treadstone. The last movie ended as the first one had begun with JB face down in cold water.... alive/dead? - well; if you don't already know, then go and watch one of the best movie franchises to date for the answer.
Nevertheless the premise, that Jason Bourne was not the only one of these agents, was there from the original movie. This is where the Bourne Legacy takes off.
Jeremy Renner plays another agent from Operation Treadstone minding his own business in the icy wastes of North America and getting tooled up to kill and maim; until, that is, that his employers decide that he needs more than just a P45- the operation, and it's agents need to be 'wound up' thanks to Jason Bourne who seems have fallen under the radar of The Guardian (newspaper) - and what follows are a series of "mopping up" scenes reminiscent of The Godfather and Revenge of the Sith- as Treadstoners are sent to 'swim with the fishes'. This is the cue for our man to stand up, and for the mayhem to begin.

What I really enjoyed about the movie was how the thread of the storyline was woven into the fabric of the previous films plot before threading off into it's own original material. Yes this is set firmly in the already well envisaged Bourne Universe with characters from the previous movies (Pamela Landy) still alive and well. (even one of the Dead ones is up and running- albeit briefly!) The pace is superb, with a slow start -which allows for character and plot development - but which cranks up steadily into a truly frenetic climax with action scenes that I thought were purposefully clipped to give the impression of blink-or-you'll-miss-it speed.

The main protagonist Jeremy Renner takes on the lead like he was to the Manor Bourne and shows that Bourne did more for Matt Damon than Matt Damon did for Bourne; and the fine ensemble cast do themselves proud.

The movie also does a fine job of explaining the basis of how the 'Jason Bourne's' of this world get their skills - and the underlying science of it all isn't too badly handled either.

All in all a fantastic movie to watch on the big screen, and as good as any of the Bourne sequels. I really do not know why it has received such a mauling in the UK press (2 stars Empire magazine? Shame on you!) - but audience figures seem to show that the franchise does not need a star who was Bourne in a manger to make it work.

And thanks to Moby for a revamped version of Extreme Ways!

Well I have to say I'm taken aback by the ferocious negativity of the three reviews posted here so far. I thought that Renner and Weisz made a great team and injected fresh vigour into a series that seemed to have run its course. Yes there's too much technobabble, and yes the film sags a little in the middle, as if not sure exactly where it's going, however it is still a vibrant and intelligent spy movie that re-energises the formula and provides further opportunities for the series to live on - provided of course that 'Bourne 5' comes up with an original plot..!

I have just watched The Bourne Legacy and I am staggered by the poor ratings that some people are giving it. This film is clearly the run-in to the next film and builds quite nicely - I though so anyway. No there wasn't a load of fighting in it but it has the best chase scene I have ever seen and the whole thing was quite tense. Personally I cannot wait for the next one in the series. The only thing that let it down very slighlty for me was the script that relied on total jargon in the scenes involving the 'authority' figures. Some jargon is okay but in places it was like speaking a foreign language and I had to interpret what they were talking about. Having said that it was a damned good thriller and I for one will be watching it again in the future. The sound track at the end is also brilliant on surround sound - listen to it. Don't be put off by the negative waves - watch it.

I avoided this initially, mainly because of the pain of Bourne 3, still (wrongly) considered a worthy installment by many. It managed to take the original's excellent premise and all but ruin it, although the poor script was still excellently handled by the director and star. There are only so many times a rogue agent can bring down a government agency, and as Bourne 3's stakes got bigger, so did its plot holes. There were lots of moments that were just inconsistent with the concept and the tight, cause-and-effect scripting of Bourne 1 and 2.

I was very skeptical going into this film, but I have to say it won me over. It does a lot of things well, and its flaws are relatively minor. It's not perfect, but it reestablished a firm ground for later films to build on, with a capable lead and a well-realized story.

The film repeats various tired beats from the previous films, and predictably sets up identikit 'suits' in the lead baddie roles. However, things don't pan out in the same lazily-scripted way the last film did. It repeats 'Ultimatum''s trick of re-using a previous film's footage to establish a new story thread, but after you get over this gimmick, the plot benefits from not being over-complex. The action is sparse but well done, with some expansive dialogue and a realistic pace. Jeremy Renner and Rachel Weisz are good, but perhaps a little lacking in real chemistry. Nevertheless they perform well here. Much of their relationship is borrowed from the winning dynamic of the first film, and it works well enough.

The writing is good enough to expand Bourne's world in a way that was poorly attempted in Bourne 3, but frustratingly still leaves obvious questions unanswered. Why do so many agents suddenly seem to have free will? Aaron Cross is not an amnesiac like Bourne, but seems to have freedom from whatever conditioning he went through. The plot is driven by his need for 'meds' that keep him from losing his (now established as artificially augmented) special abilities.

There are moments that grate a little. One reveal of Cross's past identity seems a little strange when you consider the selection process he must have gone through, and the last line in the hurried final scene seems silly. Moby's voice seems increasingly croaky on the newly re-recorded theme song (why not just go with a new track?). The film is patchy but good, more enjoyable than most films I've seen this year, and I'd put it up with the best of the Summer blockbusters in terms of quality. Much like the Dark Knight Rises, it has flaws that are noticeable, yet don't detract from the spectacle.

Bourne 4 breathes life into the franchise, and more in this vein would be welcome.

Seen alot of negative reviews for this movie but I've gotta say I thought it was awesome!! Enjoyed it easily as much as any of the other movies.

The Bourne Legacy is a continuation of the Robert Ludlum inspired spy series but without Matt Damon's amnesiac assassin as its focal point. To many it will feel pointless and just a cash in on the excellent original trilogy. While Tony Gilroy's fourth chapter never feels particularly vital, it's certainly not the cynical cash and grab we might've feared. For one thing it has the always excellent Jeremy Renner, capably inheriting Damon's mantle as another secret agent who finds himself at odds with his shadowy superiors. Introduced as a full bearded mountain man on a training outing in Alaska, Renner's Aaron Cross soon proves himself to be a force to be reckoned with whether dealing with freezing water, snarling wolves or an automated drone plane. He's also no slouch on a motorbike, a climactic chase through the streets of Manila giving second unit director Dan Bradley (a Bourne veteran) another chance to run riot in a teeming urban environment. This thrilling set piece isn't the only Bourne signifier. Like Doug Liman and Paul Greengrass before him, Gilroy gritty camera shaking action comes in the field with testy scenes at Espionage HQ. Here with Ed Norton and Stacy Keach as government suits battling to contain the "infection" that Jason Bourne's exploits have let loose. Fleeting cameos from Scott Glenn, David Strathairn and Albert Finney further assist the movie's aim to be a logical extension of a pre-established universe. The result is it's surprisingly easy to see Legacy as a parallel adventure, allied to yet not reliant on what's gone before, but the niggle is that some of this intrusion of Jason's outing feels a little shoe horned in. For all Renner's swagger and physical dexterity, his hounded hero simply isn't as compelling a protagonist as Damon's Jason. Robbed of his memory and sense of self, Jason's quest to uncover his nature gave the original trilogy an almost existential element as Bourne strived to reconcile the man he was with who he hoped to be. Aaron's problem is more pedestrian, a chemical dependency on the meds that make him quicker, stronger and brainier. Teaming up with Rachel Weisz's lab technician, Renner effectively conveys sweaty desperation as he races to get the pills on which his life depends. Yet because he's essentially a junkie after a fix, he's a hard man to warm to in a film that, without a human connection, feels noticeably cold to the touch. This is still a first rate thriller, but it's not in the same class as the original Bourne's. Although assured if not inspired, Legacy does keeps the Bourne engine ticking over without reaching top gear. The action's accomplished and Renner's fine. Without Matt Damon, however,it feels a little un-needed. Fingers crossed that in the future Renner and Damon team up.
See if you like......
The Bourne Identity.
Bourne Supremacy.
Bourne Ultimatum.
Casino Royale.
Quantum Of Solcae.
Skyfall
Taken.
Taken 2.

This was a present and the person loved it and said it was a great film. She says it was a great present

Not as good as expected a bit slow to get going one good chase and it ended if they do another then get jason bourne back as well matt damon is class this is not

I'd read and heard enough reviews about this film to have had my expectations dampened. Not a bad thing at all, because when I watched it on BD this weekend, I was very pleasantly surprised.

If you go in expecting a continuation of the first three films, then I think you're going to be sadly disappointed. The two things that the trilogy had that this doesn't were (a) character development (b) a good story. But both the originals and this one are high on action, and if you switch off the critical faculties and just concentrate on a good fast moving romping two hours of fun, it all amounts to a very agreeable Friday night movie. OK, the director pays lip service to the originals by slotting in a few old characters, but they don't contribute much, it's just a good high octane chase movie.

Four stars of enjoyable nonsense.