The Bourne Series-Part 4:Legacy.

Rating: 6/10 (13 August 2016)

Limited to only leaning the very basics of Bourne-ology until a few days ago,the main thing I knew about the 4th in the series was that the main makers of the series rarely mention it. Boldly calling itself "legacy" I decided to find out what kind of legacy it was giving the franchise.
The plot:
Learning that the CIA's program to create super assassins by bringing dead soldiers back to life, Col. Eric Byer decides that the only way the project can remain secret,is if all who were involved in it are killed. Working on a training exercise,agent Aaron Cross is caught by surprise,when he spots a drone strike targeting him. Tricking the drone/CIA into believing he is dead,Cross decides to go on his own strike against the CIA.
View on the film:
Adding another spy agency to his CV after joining the IMF, Jeremy Renner shows a clear enthusiasm for the role, (with Renner performing the motorcycle set-piece himself)he just makes Aaron Cross look too clean cut,with Renner keeping Cross in a mildly mellow state,even when a drone strike is being aimed at him! Wanting to get their hands on Cross, Stacy Keach, Oscar Isaac and the welcomed boo-hiss sight of Zeljko Ivanek give the film some good sparks as Cross's obstacles,but each appearing wanting for a deeper movie that they could really set their sights on.
Sitting in the director's chair after being the main writer of the series,co-writer/(along with his brother Dan) director Tony Gilroy & cinematographer Robert Elswit track down a slick,glossy look,with the "shaky cam" of the last two movies being replaced for a calmer style that captures Cross's outwitting the CIA in a crisp manner. Keeping things in the family by bringing his brother John in as editor,Gilroy disappointingly sands down the "grounded" grit of the series via Drone strikes and fantasy high-tech gadgets,which causes the fight scene to never feel like they are building up towards the show piece.
Drastically re-writing the plot when Matt Damon turned it down,the screenplay by the Gilroy's takes the impressively unique approach of re-visiting the past films in the series,but from the CIA's perspective,which does lead to the title working as a good companion piece to the original trilogy. Given the longest running time of any Bourne,the Gillroy's fail to take advantage of the canvas with an ill-advised turn from murky espionage to a Sci-Fi (!) world of super soldiers and "wonder" drugs,which leads to this being a film that does not live up to its legacy.