Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) and the rest of the Outcome project are targeted for death- subjects and scientists alike.   The government people in charge of it decide to scrub the program after the Jason Bourne affair is brought out into the open.   Eric Beyer (Edward Norton) wants to make sure no link to Treadstone can be linked to Outcome.  Outcome uses genetic engineering and virus cocktails via pills to create agents with enhanced physical and mental abilities.   Aaron escapes the attempt on his life and goes to rescue Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz), the only surviving scientist from Outcome because she has something he needs.  

 

THE BOURNE LEGACY is a movie that takes place during the same timeframe as THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM and it is an entry that has connective threads to the Bourne series while taking it into new directions.   It is a straight action thriller- a solid entry written and directed by Tony Gilroy (screenwriter of the first three BOURNE movies).   Bourne is trying to find out who he is in the first movie while getting revenge in the second film and expose the program in the third.  Aaron Cross, on the other hand, wants to keep a grip on what he has become.   He doesn’t want revenge.  He has a simple mission.   

 

The movie is a slow burn for the first half before kicking into high gear with a couple of great action sequences with the motorcycle chase through the streets of manila being a blast to watch.   It helps THE BOURNE LEGACY doesn’t have the shaky camera style of the last two films.    Jeremy Renner and Rachel Weisz have a good chemistry together and I agree it was wise to downplay a romantic angle in this movie.    On the downside, the bad guys aren’t stand outs in this movie and the film ends very abruptly like it could have used something to better tie it up at the end.   Still I wouldn’t mind another movie in the series with Aaron Cross and maybe they could have Cross meet Bourne.   That would be a sequel I would really love to see.

 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Audio commentary with Director/ Co-Writer Tony Gilroy, Co-Writer Dan Gilroy, Editor John Gilroy, Second Unit Director Dan Bradley, Production Designer Kevin Thompson, and Director of Photography Robert Elswit

 

Three deleted scenes cut for pacing reasons with optional commentary from Director/ Co-Writer Tony Gilroy, Co-Writer Dan Gilroy, Editor John Gilroy, and Director of Photography Robert Elswit

 

RE-BOURNE- rebooting the franchise into a new direction

ENTER AARON CROSS- focus on the character of Aaron Cross and actor Jeremy Renner

CROSSING CONTINENTS: LEGACY ON LOCATION- behind-the-scenes on location in Manila

MAN VS. WOLF- Jeremy Renner goes up against a fake wolf, an animatronic wolf, CGI wolf, and a real wolf in this behind-the-scenes look at one sequence in the film

WOLF SEQUENCE TEST- a combo of animatics and test footage which the fake wolf that makes me laugh when I see it

CAPTURING CHAOS: THE MOTORBIKE CHASE- a behind-the-scenes look at all the stunt work, green screen, and wire work in the motorbike chase including Jeremy Renner being able to do a lot of his own stunt work with the motorbike

 

Digital copy

 

DVD version of film which includes the audio commentary, deleted scenes, the RE-BOURE and CAPTURING CHAOS fetaurettes

 

BEST BUY Bonus DVD:

BONE-CRUNCHING FIGHTS- Stunt Coordinator Chris O’Hara and Fight Coordinator John Eusebio walks the viewer through the various parts of the stunt and fight work in three different sequences in addition to a behind-the-scenes look at the stunt work.

THE COURNE CHALLENGE- a behind-the-scenes look at the action sequences in the film

INSIDE THE CRISIS SUITE- a behind-the-scenes look at filming in the Crisis Suite in addition to interviews with all of the actors who play the main characters in the intelligence community trying to contain the Outcome situation

MUSIC TO THE EXTREME: THE SOUNDS OF MOBY- Moby recording a new version of “Extreme Ways” with an orchestra for the fourth Bourne film.

 

FINAL ANALYSIS:  THE BOURNE LEGACY is a solid 1970s conspiracy thriller, but I wish the movie resolved itself a little better.  The bonus disc does make it worth your time going to Best Buy if you want more on the making of the film.

 

The movie review is (c) 8-12-2012 David Blackwell and the Blu-ray review is (c)12-15-2012 David Blackwell, and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com