The Bourne Legacy

Though I’m not your typical action-flick-follower, I have to admit to having a bit of a soft spot for the “Bourne” movies; most probably because I also enjoyed reading the books in the not-so-distant past.

So, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I signed up to see “The Bourne Legacy”, the latest instalment in the “Bourne” franchise, which has been presented as a something of a “fourquel” to the previous three films.

Instead of starring the delicious Matt Damon as Jason Bourne, “Legacy” features Jeremy Renner as Aaron Cross – a former U.S. Army soldier who went by the name of Kenneth J. Kitson who was allegedly killed in Iraq and then offered the opportunity to serve his country by participating in the top-secret Outcome program.

The Outcome program requires participants to take a combination of blue and green pills; the green pills enhance physical capabilities and the blue ones promote mental faculties and neural regeneration.

When Eric Byer (Edward Norton) – the retired USAF Colonel tasked with overseeing the Outcome project – decides to terminate the project and its operatives, Cross finds himself being hunted down by a tracking missile sent to destroy him.

As Cross fights for his life, one of the Outcome’s primary researchers, Dr. Donald Foite (Zeljiko Ivanek) goes on a lab-wide killing spree that leaves Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachael Weisz) the sole survivor.

By this point, Cross has managed to remove the tracking device embedded in his leg and evade capture, but is desperate to obtain more of the blue and green pills that have become necessary to his survival.

When Byer sends a group of CIA agents to Shearing’s home to kill her, Cross intervenes and rescues her. Upon interrogating her about the Outcome program, Shearing reveals that he effectively “viralled off” of the green pills months ago, but is still dependent on the blue ones for his survival; however, if he is to obtain more blue pills or “viral off” of them, he must travel of their point of manufacture in the Philippines.

From here, the film segues into the typical “Bourne” car chases and fight scenes; I have to be honest here and say that although I didn’t dislike this instalment in the “Bourne” series, it did have that sort of “same-same-but-different” feel to it that sequels often have.

Although Jeremy Renner does well as the film’s protagonist and Shearing is decent in her supporting role, I can’t help but remember back to the “Bourne Identity” days of Matt Damon and Julia Stiles and how much more I loved the first couple of films in the series.

Overall, the film will probably attract hordes of movie-goers who are more curious than anything else.