What happened to Jason Bourne?
I’ve watched all the movies in the Robert Ludlum’s Bourne franchise except the last one, The Bourne Legacy. It was released in 2012, but I just never got around to seeing it. I decided to watch it and to catch up; I recently watched a back-to-back marathon of the Bourne series, (Identity, Supremacy, Ultimatum, and Legacy). I enjoyed seeing Matt Damon in these international espionage thrillers, with their obligatory car chases, over-the-top hand-to-hand matches (with really bad shaky cam), and twisty plots that lead to the already known villain. I know they were loosely based on Mr. Ludlum’s novels and having never read them, I enjoyed them with an open mind.
With much anticipation and trepidation, I was ready to watch the final installment which doesn’t star Matt Damon at all (only as photographs) but Jeremy Renner as Aaron Cross. Last I saw Renner was in a modern-day re-telling of Hansel and Gretel. Two words…Really Bad. Before that, I saw him in the Avengers, or should I say ‘forgot’ he was in the Avengers. I don’t have anything against him as an actor or otherwise but I don’t think he has any acting ability. Not that you would need much for an action movie anyway. I was surprised to know that the female lead was Rachel Weisz. I’ve enjoyed her acting in earlier movies. Edward Norton and Stacy Keach are also in the movie and I’m really starting to like this cast. I felt like maybe this might not be too bad after all. Can Rachel carry the acting weight? Will Edward play out masterfully in his role? Can Jeremy not be a wet piece of cardboard again? Will the story be anywhere near as suspenseful and full of action?
NO!
It fails horribly. Thankfully, it wasn’t that Aaron Cross (Renner) was replacing or becoming Webb/Bourne (Damon) like I’ve heard before. This storyline runs parallel with Ultimatum and ties up some loose ends. Which is good but this movie is such a disappointment. No flashy explosions except for one in the first 15 minutes. No fire fights and very little in hand-to-hand combat. But a 30 minute (or so it seemed) motorcycle chase scene that ended in such an anti-climactic way that I thought to myself, “No, it couldn’t end that way? No really? Really?” Fast forward another 5 minutes and end credits roll. I about lost my mind and wished I had the last 2 hours of my life back!
In conclusion, stay away from Legacy. Stick to the trilogy. Read the books if you want to, but don’t expect them to be even remotely what the movies are since Daniel Webb *SPOILER ALERT* (Jason Bourne’s real identity) was in the military during the Vietnam War. Not so in the movies. The only glimmer of hope there is for a new Bourne movie is that recently in an interview on CNBC; Damon has announced a desire to reprise his role as Jason Bourne. Hopefully someone or some studio will give Bourne another go with Matt Damon!
About Thomas Strubinger
Husband, Father, Foodie, Cardinal Fan. I am just an average joe, trying to make my way in this world. Living the dream in Juno Beach, Florida, and raising my kids right. I believe the most important things in life are your health and happiness.
