Bourne Again

I have to start off by being honest: the newest installment of the Bourne series is the only one I’ve ever seen. My experience with the film may differ vastly from someone who’s a fan of the other movies, simply because I haven’t seen them all. However, I did make it to the theaters with Tye and my dad to see it, and The Bourne Legacy was amazing!

Bourne Legacy is built upon the last three Bourne films; however, Matt Damon is no longer the main character. The story expands upon the plot of the series and shows us that “there was never just one.” That phrase has been all over the movie’s posters and advertisements, because the government  program that the last Bourne movies centers on is now shown in its entirety. It turns out it’s a physical and mental enhancement process spanning multiple countries, continents, and agents.

The movie’s star is the very talented Jeremy Renner, who starred in The Avengers as Hawkeye, the more-than-competent archer. His knack for being an action hero definitely plays to his advantage in this film, because it requires so many stunts and action scenes.

On top of Renner’s ability to handle action scenes well, the characterization in this movie is fantastic. We see Aaron Cross’ (Renner’s character) reliance on the pills the program instructs him to take because he lacked the minimum IQ to enroll in the military in the first place. His recruiter was forced to add twelve points to IQ score so he could join, because the recruiter was trying to make his quota. There are several other instances of good characterization, such as the time we see Cross’ ingenuity under pressure when he cuts the tracking device in his thigh and places it in a wolf’s mouth after trapping and wrestling with it.

Renner isn’t the only star of the film, though.  Rachel Weisz appears as the doctor who’s been completing tests on the program participants, and after a brutal shooting in the lab, she’s the only one who can help Aaron get the medication he needs. They save each other’s lives in more ways than one by the end of the movie, and develop a friendship as they’re running from the government. Weisz is married to the current James Bond, Daniel Craig.

All in all, the movie was extremely entertaining and I enjoyed myself thoroughly. After it was over, I found myself jumping from high objects and sliding down rails in an attempt to be some kind of half-assed action movie star. If you want to read IMBD’s review of the Bourne film, check it out here.