Chalk another one for Robert Ludlum

Rating: 10/10 (27 August 2012)

Into the fire we go for the series of Robert Ludlum's classic espionage thrillers. This time a new twist to the blackbriar gang, with a man nearly forgotten by his own people until it was time to clean house. Arron Cross (Jeremy Renner) is a man on a mission to find out why a remote location he was in was blown to pieces. This leads him on a hunt back to his starting point a doctor (Rachel Weisz) who gave him enhancing drugs which was to be a final stage in the Treadstone era. Simply popping pills was to subdue his body's reactions against himself in order for him to think and act clearly. But in the midst of the tread-stone project, Bourne's legacy of tipping the scales led a man Col. Eric Byer (Edward Norton) to wipe out all evidence leading back to the project. Now Arron along with Dr. Shearing (Weisz) goes to Manila for her to concoct a special drug so Arron can fully go viral and not have to use the drugs he kept taking. The action was great, along with some seasoned actors one hardly sees anymore. Stacy Keach was a rather bland addition but kept the story interesting. As for Norton, his way of acting truly evil always brings a smile to my face. What was also a good catch was the way a few flashbacks occurred to show what has happened in the last ten years. This leading up to the present where a new hero emerges to bring down the tread-stone project even further. I hope that if they make another movie, this one will have Matt Damon to work with Renner in a co-smash it all extravaganza.