Intriguing Reboot

Rating: 8/10 (22 August 2012)

Jeremy Renner plays a character much needier, in background, than Matt Damon's Jason Bourne. Rachel Weiz is an A list actress who has elevated every film I've seen her in. The very believable build-up in the story to the point where she trusts Aaron - really sold the movie as far as I'm concerned. I emphasized with the doctor's terror, and I was soothed and calmed by Aaron Cross's reassuring manner as he converted her from total panic to partnership.
Stacy Keach, Scott Glenn and David Straitharn continue to depict a poison-fanged duo of back-stabbing, high-ranking CIA mavens whose words continually turn into miasma.
Cutting edge medicine meets 21st century Machiavellianism. This is a movie Aldous Huxley would appreciate. I take a gram and only am. Ending is better than mending.
Renner somehow manages to be the six million dollar man, Everyman, and the quintessential underdog simultaneously.
The movie is underscored by a baleful pulsing series of musical bass tones that accentuate the weird perils the doctor and the assassin are pursued by - and others that they thrust themselves into deliberately.
I thought that the LARX scenes were the best in a movie full of excellent set pieces. As expected, Aaron Cross is eventually pursued by a hit man his equal or greater. That was the pattern in the first three Bourne movies. Rachel Weitz's doctor serves as far more of an equal partner in meeting challenges than the feminine leads did in the previous trio of films.
The pacing the movie can and should be improved. Some of the dialog was delivered at such breakneck speed, I wished I had had access to subtitles.
I thought that the scene with Landy should be expanded - but perhaps that is the job of a sequel.
I do plan to watch the movie again - at least once more, preferably, when the DVD becomes available, with subtitles, so I can understand all of the dialog.