Friday Flix: Is the Latest ‘Bourne’ the Best?

When I initially heard about another ‘Bourne’ film I was pumped. Being a serious fan of the first three films, I was curious to see what this story would be. Of course I thought I’d be watching Matt Damon as Jason Bourne doing his best to keep the CIA off his trail so he can just “be.” Then I realized there would be no Matt Damon or Jason Bourne in “The Bourne Legacy.”

Wait, what?

The fourth installment of the franchise stars Jeremy Renner (“The Avengers,” “The Hurt Locker,” “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol”)  as Aaron Cross, another assassin from another secret CIA program who has to run, and fight, because “The Agency” is cleaning up, or killing everything to do with these covert programs.

See official plot description below:

The narrative architect behind the Bourne film series, Tony Gilroy, takes the helm in the next chapter of the hugely popular espionage franchise that has earned almost $1 billion at the global box office: The Bourne Legacy. The writer/director expands the Bourne universe created by Robert Ludlum with an original story that introduces us to a new hero (Jeremy Renner) whose life-or-death stakes have been triggered by the events of the first three films. For The Bourne Legacy, Renner joins fellow series newcomers Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Stacy Keach and Oscar Isaac, while franchise veterans Albert Finney, Joan Allen, David Strathairn and Scott Glenn reprise their roles. -- (C) Universal

It was great seeing some of the CIA team back again, even if in smaller roles. What I did miss was Damon and his Bourne character. The first three films were so great and this one did not stack up to those. However, I did enjoy ‘Legacy’ for what it was, a concurrent story happening during and slightly after “The Bourne Ultimatum.” This was a different story with a different assassin and you have to watch it as such, almost like a spin-off. Although it is necessary to have seen the previous films to have a better understanding of all the CIA talk and their talk of Jason Bourne and Treadstone.

Final Take: See it, but with an open mind that this is NOT Jason Bourne. As a fan of the series I still enjoyed the ride and the action, including the motorcycle chase scene. It wasn’t the best Bourne, but it certainly was enjoyable.  

I still hold out hope for Damon’s return to the series.

Grade: B

Throwback Rentals

Let’s keep it all Bourne, all day. Watch the “Bourne Identity,” “The Bourne Supremacy,” and “The Bourne Ultimatum.” The first three films had a lot more substance and you get to know who Jason Bourne is because he has no idea who he is and you get to figure it out right along with him as he is hunted by assassins, the CIA, and every type of law enforcement out there. It’s time to dig these out of my personal DVD collection and have a Bourne Marathon.