The Bourne Legacy

Starring Jeremy Renner and Rachel Weisz

Star rating: ***

When i heard this film was coming out, i wasn't sure what to expect. I am a huge fan of the Bourne trilogy and i didn't know whether this film would carry on the legacy, pardon the pun. The trailers hinted at a typical action packed film that Bourne films are famous for but no sign of Matt Damon which made my heart drop a little bit, would this film deliver?

This film runs along side the third Bourne film where Jason Bourne is still on the run and The Guardian journalist Simon Ross has been shot dead after threatening an expose on the CIA's projects including their experiments with neuro-physiology. One of Jason's fellow agents Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) is away on an assignment in Alaska when the decision to kill off all the agents is made through various methods. Cross narrowly escapes and heads back to the US to find the scientist who has been providing him with medication to keep going. Dr Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz) is busy in her lab when the project termination is decided and one of her own is turned to assassinate everyone involved in the experiments with agents. Cross gallivants to her rescue and there begins their run from the CIA to try and keep hidden to stay alive.

Story wise this film is not something new to Bourne fans with the car chases, motorcycle stunts and leaping through shanty towns in a third world country, this time it's the Philippines. Matt Damon always made Jason Bourne seem invincible with nothing but his fists and his immediate environment as his weapons, putting James Bond to shame. Though the plot for this film is a bit all over the place, Renner does sell himself to the audience bringing with him a grittiness to the character. He has weaknesses and his addiction to the transplanted medication from the CIA into his body is one of them. Instead of looking for outright revenge like his predecessor Jason Bourne, Renner is looking for answers as to why he is the way he is. Weisz does a reasonable job playing the damsel in distress and she looks bewildered and out of breath throughout the film. It will be interesting to see where this film takes us as the audience and whether Cross and Bourne will ever meet. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing it.