The legacy is lost.

Rating: 7/10 (12 August 2012)

With very little connection to the first three movies, the storytelling in "The Bourne Legacy" is hollow, the action is sparse, and does not truly follow the legacy left by its predecessor.
I believe Jeremy Renner is fully capable of taking over the franchise so closely associated with Matt Damon. The fans of the Bourne trilogy that followed the adventures of Jason Bourne still can't get over the fact that their hero is gone and has been replaced by Renner, a very suitable leading man, physically and emotionally. Rachel Weisz and Edward Norton added gleaming support to the rather lackluster structure of the film, screenplay-wise.
Robert Elswit's arresting cinematography and John Gilroy's smart editing makes the film look first-rate. The chase scene in Manila is reminiscent to the iconic Moscow car chase scene in "The Bourne Supremacy." Though the motorcycle chase sequence shot in our busy streets will never be able to equal the adrenaline rush elicited by the first three films, it's fair to say that it comes close. The rest of the action scenes were solid and not overdone.
The script was infused with jargon and sufficient action to divert the viewers from the movie's lack of soul. Even the great performances by Renner, Weisz, and Norton couldn't save the movie's thin plot and bleak conclusion. The ending was unappealing and abrupt it left most viewers at a loss. You can easily paint the disappointment etched in their faces as they hesitantly stood up from their seats and slowly left the theater.
There are many questions left unanswered, such as why Outcome chose the Philippines as its laboratory for the sought-after pills. If the writers' intention is to leave room for future vicissitudes in the franchise's continuity, then it makes for a lame excuse. The idea alone of making a Bourne movie without Jason Bourne is ludicrous. In this respect, the fimmakers have succeeded in making the Bourne fans feel cheated and the new audience underwhelmed for trying to force a puzzle piece that just doesn't fit.
For something so highly anticipated and over-hyped, "The Bourne Legacy" is a huge letdown. I gave this movie a 7/10 just because 25% of it was shot in Manila (a preposterous judgment for an equally absurd film).