Monday, October 28, 2013

Adrenalin-Fueled “The Bourne Legacy” Delivers More Than Expected


I wasn’t sure what to expect out of “The Bourne Legacy,” but I did enjoy the previous movies in the franchise. I’m not a huge fan of Matt Damon, so his absence didn’t trouble me much, though I did wonder where they might take the story. So I’ll go ahead and admit that I was pleasantly surprised by this flick.

Jeremy Renner was a revelation in “The Hurt Locker,” and I thought he was strong in this role—as Aaron Cross—as well. He was among the reasons that “The Bourne Legacy” was driven by really good acting, bolstered by Rachel Weisz, who is always very compelling and magnetic.

This franchise has been based largely on high intensity, plot twists and paranoia, and this edition certainly didn’t stray too far from those core values. “The Bourne Legacy” felt like “Alias” on steroids, and since “Alias” seemed to go onandonandonandonandon, it’s fitting that a somewhat ambiguous ending of this film set up the possibility for another “Bourne” movie.

From a branding and marketing standpoint, Renner had enormous shoes to fill in (essentially) replacing Damon, and the fact he was able to more than pull it off was the main reason why “The Bourne Legacy” overdelivered.



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