Matt Damon’s amnesiac assassin appears only in photographic form in “The Bourne Legacy,” but he is out there somewhere, and his legacy lives on. Boldly replacing him as our most-wanted hero is Aaron Cross, as played by Jeremy Renner (“Marvel Avengers Assemble”). Cross is a product of Operation Outcome, a Department of Defense black ops program with startling similarities to the previously explored Treadstone and Blackbriar. Like Bourne, Cross serves his superiors as an unstoppable killing machine: regularly feasting on blue and green pills that effectively upgrade his mental and physical abilities, he is cold, calculating and displays an impressive knack for mid-combat improvisation.
You may recall the public exposure of Treadstone and Blackbriar during the climax of the last installment, “The Bourne Ultimatum” - if not, no worry, as “The Bourne Legacy” smartly gives us a quick reminder. In an attempt to eradicate any chance of further unwanted exposure, it is decided by USAF Colonel Eric Byer (Edward Norton, “Moonrise Kingdom”) to shut down Operation Outcome and eliminate all assets with no mercy. This puts Cross in a position where he is to be blown to smithereens in snowy Alaska by a U-CAV: discovering he’s due for assassination, he effortlessly outsmarts the controllers of the missile-firing flying machine (with the less-than-willing help of an attacking wolf) and goes on the run.
He travels with a companion. This is Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz, “The Deep Blue Sea”), the doctor assigned to assessing the mental and physical health of Operation Outcome’s operatives and prescribing them their all-important pills. To Marta, Cross is simply “Number Five.” Cross can’t help but laugh at this: 13 times they’ve met in three years, yet he was never anything more than a number to her. Marta is the sole survivor of a bloody massacre that makes for the film’s best scene: I will keep the details sparse, but it is a harrowing and haunting sequence that involves what we can assuredly assume is chemical brainwashing and features the very talented Željko Ivanek.
Cross needs his fix. Without the pills, his brain will be turned to mush. He turns to Marta, who knows where to get some pills - halfway around the world, of course. Hot on their tail, the CIA send in LARX-03 (Louis Ozawa Changchien, “Predators”), a wordless super-soldier brainwashed to be bereft of remorse. The result is a lengthy, pulse-pounding chase comparable to the great Tangier chase in “Ultimatum.” Arriving at the climax of the film, this is a high-stakes pursuit atop the tin roofs of a Filipino shanty town and then through the streets below on speeding motorbikes. This LARX-03, he has the determination of The Terminator, and the personality of him too.
This sequence, like the action of “Supremacy” and “Ultimatum,” is edited with a frantic hyperactivity that serves to heighten the knuckle-biting tension of the situation. “Supremacy” and “Ultimatum” were directed by Paul Greengrass and edited by Christopher Rouse. “Legacy” is directed by Tony Gilroy and edited by his brother, John. Together, they successfully continue the widely championed grit of the franchise that notably influenced the transformation of the “Bond” films, another espionage franchise. They also maintain the franchise’s balance between cerebral and visceral entertainment, although I think “Legacy” tips ever so slightly in favour of the latter.
Gilroy (Tony, that is) served as screenwriter on each of the film’s predecessors. He knows the ins and outs of the “Bourne” universe, which shows in the faultless tonal consistency with which he writes “Legacy” - if anyone could keep the franchise sturdy on its feet, it was Gilroy. This is his third feature as a director, following quietly intense legal drama “Michael Clayton” and twisty-turny spy comedy “Duplicity.” He is perhaps not the master craftsman that Greengrass has shown himself to be, but Gilroy is nothing if not efficient. He does not necessarily copy Greengrass’ method, merely continuing the distinctive style he so excellently set for the franchise.
In “Michael Clayton,” Gilroy coaxed a cold, focused and engaging performance out of leading man George Clooney. Here, he does the same for Renner, who channels his Oscar-nominated turn in “The Hurt Locker" and grants his cold-blooded assassin a dose or two of warmth through brief but notable flickers of humanity. Renner, whose star is rising fast, is an ample replacement for Damon, convincing as a killing machine and captivating as a protagonist. Weisz strongly holds her own against Renner, at no point treated as eye candy to drool over and given more screen-time than most would expect. A trembling mess in early scenes, her character grows in courage throughout the film and later gets to kick some ass herself - actually, scratch that: she kicks someone square in the face.
“The Bourne Legacy” isn’t as endlessly compelling as its predecessors, but it is always gripping in the moment, and there are many great moments to be had. Without the star power of Damon/Bourne, it was always a risky project to attempt, but it was a risk worth taking: this is a terrific espionage thriller with a busy brain and a racing heart. Its action is fast and exciting, featuring the inevitable slew of parkour, fist-fights, shoot-outs, foot chases and high-speed pursuits. Its plot, though murky at times, is rivetingly complex and its script is written with knowing intelligence. Its ending, right before that Moby track blares out from the speakers, paves the way for a fifth installment. One hopes that it will continue the “Bourne” legacy as well as this fourth film does.
8/10
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