NOW PLAYING IN HANOVER: The Bourne Legacy
By The Dartmouth Arts Staff
Published on Monday, September 10, 2012
Based on Rubert Ludlum’s novel, “The Bourne Legacy” is the fourth installment in the “Bourne” film series, which until now starred Matt Damon. The film introduces Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner), who is a product of another secret intelligence campaign, Operation Outcome, which enhances the physical and mental abilities of field operatives through pills. Written and directed by Tony Gilroy, who wrote the first three screenplays for the “Bourne” franchise, the film deals with Operation Blackbriar and the Treadstone Project, pertaining to Bourne initially before focusing on the government-ordered shutdown of Operation Outcome. Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz), who is the lone survivor with knowledge of the Outcome medication and who is ordered dead by the CIA, becomes Cross’ lifeline.
Directed by: Tony Gilroy With: Renner, Weisz, Edward Norton 135 minutes Rated PG-13
Diehard fans of the three earlier “Bourne” films will enjoy the ever-frenetic pacing and visual imagery in this fourth installment. Weisz was only tolerable as Renner’s necessary “sidekick,” and the film proved to be lacking in explosions and a super high body count. — Kate Sullivan
Boring, unnecessary and convoluted are some of the nicer adjectives one could use to describe this train wreck. The actors are absolutely wasted by spending way too much time explaining a plot I didn’t care about and not enough time developing motivations. It all “builds” to an ending so infuriating that you’ll either stare in disbelief at the screen or scream obscenities depending on your disposition. — Varun Bhuchar
With a nerdy damsel in distress as his female sidekick, the new hero also displays a fair amount of emotional intensity. Their intimate scenes together feel almost like a soap opera. Aside from these dramatic romantic shots, each scene is filled with explosions and car chases, fulfilling the film’s blockbuster role as a well-balanced action flick. — Sophia Archibald