Thanks Juicy Popcorn- It’s been a fun ride!

Hollywood loves sequels, they must, because it seems like every movie made these days has one. In the case of the “Bourne” franchise there are three. Movie goers must love sequels also, because they continue to pluck down their hard earned cash to watch them. But at what point does it become too much? Maybe when the main character is replaced with a totally different character, while keeping the first character’s name in the title. Hmm… could this movie possibly work?

THE BOURNE DOUBLE-TAKE BREAKDOWN REVIEW: “The Bourne Legacy” is the fourth and final installment in the “Bourne” saga. This time without Jason Bourne. Now it’s Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) who takes the reins, as a genetically engineered super-spy trying to stay alive in a no-holds-barred fight to the death. While training in Alaska it becomes shockingly apparent that the government wants him dead. There are other spies like him out there and they are being killed one by one, and when he realizes that they’re playing the ultimate killing game, he’s about to enter a world of hurt. Now on the run he has to seek out answers to why they want him dead, but it’s a race against the clock, and he has run out of the rare medication necessary for him to even function.

OK, So I had my doubts about this one. They are replacing Bourne with Cross in a “Bourne” movie, really? But then I thought, who knows, this just might work. The movie opens in the Alaskan wilderness, with beautiful wide shots of the snow-covered Alaskan mountains. It’s the cinematic mother lode of opening shots. And man, the first part of this movie wowed. Smart, fast, intriguing, it hummed along with a promise of greatness. Cross is a man obsessed, training in Alaska, and he defies the elements on his way to check into a remote station. There he meets the station keeper ominously named Outcome Number Three, played so well by Oscar Issac, who seems to not want Cross around. The station scenes are great and filled with tension; are they friends or will they kill each other? Then the government makes its move on Cross. Soon after, the movie goes south, both metaphorically and literally. There’s a ridiculous scene with Cross wrestling a vicious wolf, then the plot gets bogged down in the quagmire of a stereotypical action movie. Renner does a capable job replacing Damon, there’s just not much to work with here. Cross is reluctantly joined by Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz), a clueless victim that’s dragged into this murderous mess, in what devolves into a quest for medication. The movie speeds along with all the scenes that are required for an action movie. Although there is one well made scene involving a rogue doctor locked in a lab killing people one by one, very chilling. It’s also nice to see Stacy Keach (Adm. Mark Turso) and Edward Norton (Col. Eric Byer) join the cast. Playing the evil government agents pulling the strings behind the scenes, their characters were well done but scantly used. “The Bourne Legacy” is passable with less action than its predecessors, but has a few nice moments. The movie climaxes with an outlandish motorcycle chase scene that last way too long. This movie also seems to bend over backwards in an attempt to tie it into the “Bourne” canon, at times making it seem overcomplicated. A rather unsatisfying ending leaves a cavernous hole for yet another sequel, but do we want one? FINAL SCORE: 73% Juicy Popcorn

Here’s the trailer:

Cast:
Jeremy Renner- Aaron Cross
Edward Norton- Retired Col. Eric Byer, U.S.A.F.
Rachel Weisz- Dr. Marta Shearing
Stacy Keach- Retired Adm. Mark Turso, U.S.N.
Oscar Isaac- Outcome #3

Directed by:
Tony Gilroy