A great follow-up to a superb movie trilogy

Rating: 7/10 (12 August 2012)

When I first saw the preview for this movie, I was excited. I was hoping it would have traits similar to those that made The Bourne Identity such a good movie: enveloping story, strong lead role, and intense, yet cool action. This movie did not disappoint.
This summer's new Bourne movie had a new face: that of Jeremy Renner. Although we were all used to Matt Damon as the lead awesome-super-agent role, Renner fills his shoes nicely and provides an overall great acting performance. I enjoyed hearing Renner, as Outcast agent Aaron Cross, give lengthy conversations about what they did to the agents in question and how that all tied into the big picture.
Although there was action that was stylized after the original Bourne trilogy, there wasn't enough of it. There were a handful of scenes that showed off Cross's prowess with all sorts of weapons and machinery, but the fact that these scenes were few and far between left me wanting something more. The other portions of the movie were spent talking about the storyline, which if you haven't seen the original Bourne movies (and I mean recently), it will somewhat confuse you. Key phrases that tickle your memory of years past are thrown around like trifles and although you don't need to understand the story to enjoy the movie, it does help. If the story seems gray to you and you seem to be asking questions that sound like "Why are they killing them?" or "Why do they want to do that?", be quick to hold judgment and go watch/re-watch the original series.
Everything is tied up nicely in the end (if you can call it "tied up") but although the movie is a good 2+ hours long, the ending is sudden. At least it was to me. I sat back and had to double check if those were credits I was seeing.
All-in-all, this movie is definitely worth seeing, even if you've never seen the original Bourne trilogy. The story elements that tie into the original Bourne plot-line can be dismissed, and although the action scenes are limited they are cool and memorable. The Bourne Legacy is a step in the right direction towards a potential new Bourne trilogy.
+2 for Renner's performance
+1 for supporting cast
+2 for superb action sequences
+1 for storyline
+1 for good springboard into possible new Trilogy
Notes: - Sometimes difficult to follow storyline due to frequent past-movie references - Quick and sudden ending - Few actions leave something to be wanted