Not like the Original Bourne but not bad either

Rating: 6/10 (9 July 2013)

The Bourne Legacy, then, is loads of fun in an efficient, straightforward way to which this franchise is not accustomed. (Some will take the reduction in convoluted spy-thriller antics as a sign of a dumbing-down, which might be true, but if so let's just say the sequel works on its own dumbed-down terms.) It's also, a little sadly, an illustration of the value of Matt Damon. Renner's a decent actor who does what's required of him here, but he doesn't have Damon's extraordinary mix of credibility and unshowy charisma. Picking up the slack a little is Edward Norton, who goes well beyond the call of duty to add nuance and human detail to a completely thankless role. His performance is emblematic of the approach here: apply uncommon craft and intelligence to a simple, crassly commercial conceit. The Bourne Legacy is worth your time to a surprising degree.