Before Watching: The Bourne Legacy (2012)

Rating: 6/10 (15 September 2019)

"The Bourne Legacy" (2012) is the fourth movie and continuation of the Bourne trilogy into the 2010s. If you want to get as much out of it as possible, there are a few things you need to keep in mind before watching:
This movie isn't as firmly attached to the earlier Bourne movies as you might think at first. It ties in at the beginning to the third movie with some characters we've seen before, but soon after continues off in its own direction without really connecting much to the earlier works. It's more or less a Bourne movie... without Bourne.
Quality-wise, it does feature some similar action elements and chases, and it does get a point for inventive environments and vistas, but ultimately, it does not deliver at the same level as its predecessors. The shaky cam is very prevalent, however, which sometimes can be a bit confusing as it is not as well handled as in The Bourne Ultimatum. The ending can also come across as rather abrupt.
All in all, if you are a big fan of the earlier Bourne movies, The Bourne Legacy is a rather unnecessary spin-off that does not improve on the Bourne universe and thereby feel stale and boring. In that sense, you do not need to see this movie. Otherwise, it's a fairly entertaining but very average action movie.
My personal grade: a bland 6/10. If you found this helpful, check my profile for more reviews.