'Jason Bourne was just the tip of the iceberg.'

Rating: 10/10 (12 December 2012)

It is understandable that there is a difference of opinion about THE BOURNE LEGACY, but comparing it to the original three Jason Bourne movies is unfair. This is a 'legacy' left by the environment in which Jas Bourne was hatched an as such, for this reviewer, it works very well. The film is beautifully shot in superb cinematography, has a series of tight incidents that demand explanation but which get little due to the fact that this is a spy film about the various intelligence agency and occult secret scientific projects that are always in progress in every country. It is 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.
As someone distilled the plot, 'this film deals with the fall out of the exposure of "Operation Blackbriar" and how an another agency with in the government is trying to cover up their program in order not to be caught up with the coming scandal create by Jason Bourne. "Outcome", the program in question is an offshoot of both "Treadstone" and "Blackbriar" but with a huge difference, they are tabbing into science to create super agents that are faster and stronger than any other agent before them.'
Suffice it to say that the new cast handles this very obtuse plot with a high degree of fine acting. Jeremy Renner is excellent, always reminding us of his humanity while he flies around in incredibly impossible flight situations. The extraordinary Rachel Weisz brings a complex role into the realm of credibility. The solid support cast includes the always excellent Edward Norton, Scott Glenn, Stacy Keach, Albert Finney, Oscar Isaac, David Strathairn, and Joan Allen just to keep the balance form the previous Bourne films in place.
The speed of the action, the poundingly purposeful musical score and the non-stop fascinating twists and turns make this a top-notch film. It does carry on the 'legacy' of Ludlum's ideas, but manages to hold its own without too much replay of the originals.
Grady Harp