"There Was Never Just One" in
The Bourne Legacy. This action-thriller film directed by Tony Gilroy, adapted by Tony and Dan Gilroy, and based on Eric Van Lustbader's first Bourne novel of the same name, as well as based on the Jason Bourne novels originally created by Robert Ludlum. It is the fourth installment in the Jason Bourne franchise and is preceded by
The Bourne Identity (2002),
The Bourne Supremacy (2004), and
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007). An expansion of the universe from Robert Ludlum's novels, centered on a new hero whose stakes have been triggered by the events of the previous three films.
By October 2008, after the critically and commercially successful release of Ultimatum, Universal Pictures began developing another film in the series. George Nolfi was hired to pen the fourth installment, not to be based on any Ludlum's novels. By August 2009, Joshua Zetumer was also hired to pen a parallel script. In November, Matt Damon stated that no script had been approved and that he hoped that a film would begin shooting in mid-2011. However, in December, Damon said that he would not do another Bourne film without Paul Greengrass, who announced in late November that he had decided not to return as director. However, in June 2010, it was reported that Gilroy would be penning a script with his brother and screenwriter Dan Gilroy, for a fourth installment to be released sometime in 2012. In October, Universal set the film for an August 10, 2012 release date, as well as announced that Gilroy was hired to direct, and that Jason Bourne will not be appearing in the film. Principal photography took place throughout New York City, New York; Palawan, Philippines; Seoul, South Korea; and Alberta, Canada.
The film stars Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Stacy Keach, Oscar Isaac, Donna Murphy, Željko Ivanek, Elizabeth Marvel, Louis Ozawa Changchien and Corey Johnson. Renner's got surprising talent, and it would have been nice to see him better utilized by a director with a more discerning eye for actor-interaction.
The film is certainly the weakest of the series, which reportedly might continue with Renner and Damon in the next film. God help us all. We can only hope for the best with that one. This movie just annoyed me. You see everything coming three scenes in advance, and while the acting isn't half-bad, the direction and the script render any strong performances irrelevant. Suffering from delusions of franchise, this is more Alex Cross than Jason Bourne, and bears all the hallmarks of a cult bad film in the making. A lot of rather unpleasant things unfold, delivered with a consummate laziness that it's terribly hard to engage with. Unsure whether it aspires to be a Jason Bourne adventure or just another generic action thriller, the film is a mess, devoid of tension. The film is crammed with inevitable (and admittedly enjoyable) spy-on-the-run cliches, yet the proficient, pacy direction by veteran action specialist Gilroy keeps the fights, carplay and chases moving at a nifty, time-killing clip.
Simon says
The Bourne Legacy receives:
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