Movie Breakdown: The Bourne Legacy

People are doing traditional-style reviews all over the web, so we decided to try something different.  In each “breakdown” we’ll take a look at what a film’s marketing lead us to believe, how the movie actually played, and then what we learned from it all.  Read on!

The Impression:

Jason Bourne is back! Well, actually, no he isn’t. It’s just the world that he exists in that is making a return via The Bourne Legacy. Jeremy Renner stars, and the movie was written and directed by Tony Gilroy, who penned the original trilogy.

The Reality:

While I really liked this movie, I have zero issues noting that it’s not an easy watch. The original three films are referenced frequently, and this will certainly prove to be an annoyance to some. After all, isn’t this sort of supposed to be a standalone entry full of more action and less drama? Nope!

If you’re patient and attentive, though, The Bourne Legacy does still offer a lot. Both Jeremy Renner and Rachel Weisz turn in great performances, and I felt like they had good chemistry throughout their frantic scramble for answers and safety. Edward Norton, who plays the guy doing the hunting, is stellar as well. There’s also a ton of rather specific information thrown around in regards to government programs and the fallout of Jason Bourne’s actions, and the movie seems focused on showing you how intricate of a scheme it has conceived. I greatly enjoyed this, but I expect that it’s going to result in a lot of shoulder shrugs from any of you that want more action and less talking. In other words, The Bourne Legacy requires your brain, so don’t go in expecting nothing but explosions.

The Lesson:

Starting anew sometimes means going deeper into the world already created.