(Or you guys could've just called it THE CROSS IDENTITY or THE MANILA SUPREMACY or THE PHILIPPINE ULTIMATUM, right?)
CAST: Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Stacy Keach, Donna Murphy, Joan Allen, Albert Finney, David Straithairn, Oscar Isaac, Zeljko Ivanek.
DIRECTOR: Tony Gilroy
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and some rather picturesque "Philippine Travelogue Vacay" by way of "International Assassin And Hot Scientist Sidekick On The Run" - straight ahead...
IT'S LIKE THIS: Ah, The BOURNE movies... Has there been any other trio of action films that has had such a galvanizing effect on the genre? Seriously: before THE BOURNE IDENTITY came out in 2002 and introduced amnesiac superspy Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) to mainstream audiences, action movies were about as gritty, intense, and surprising as your average Ford Focus commercial. When THE BOURNE SUPREMACY (2004) and THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM (2006) followed and became even bigger hits, the fact could no longer be denied: the BOURNE flicks were like cinematic Viagra. That is, after watching Jason B. mano y mano his way through baddies in Europe, India, and NYC, you were so pumped up all you wanted was to beat the shit out of someone or fuck them senseless. Or both. Heeeeeey....
But the Viagra reference also has to do with how BOURNE 1, 2, & 3 basically revamped how action movies are shot and made. Where before you had stylized and overly staged action scenes that involved more gunplay and circus-like pyrotechnics than you average video game, now you have intensely intimate scuffles that involved hand-to-hand smackdowns which felt spontaneous and real. Soon, flicks like TAKEN and pretty much anything with Jason Statham in it began to copy this style. But the true "Imitation Is The Sincerest Form Of Flattery" award has to come from the James Bond franchise. If you didn't know any better, you'd think Bourne had started speaking in a fake British accent and developed a taste for Vodka Martinis in films like CASINO ROYALE, QUANTUM OF SOLACE, and the upcoming SKYFALLL. But, nope... that was Bond - just taking a page from the Bourne playbook. Sorry, Bond Freaks, just keeping it real. Oh, wait... I'm a Bond Freak, too. My bad. : )
With the release of THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM in 2006, the trilogy was tied up in one of the best series-capper finales we've ever seen. With leads Jason Bourne, Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles), and Pam Landy (Joan Allen) getting their "happy endings," it looked like this trilogy had pretty much run its course. But, of course, the "Ghost Of The Mega-Box Office Take" eventually reared its head - and here we are six years later with yet another BOURNE flick in front of us - and he's not even in it! Try to restrain yourselves, folks.
No, sir. Jason Bourne only makes an appearance-by-photograph-and-newscast and gets talked about a lot by the higher ups in the CIA. But do we ever SEE the fucker? That would be a negative, Ghost Rider. Our "lead" this time around is Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner), and when we first meet him he is taking a nice swim while nearly nude in a freezing river in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness in winter. Which is our first sign that this guy isn't normal. Don't get me wrong, I've done the "Nekkid Polar Bear" thang several times in the past (scuba diving doesn't count because you have 14 mm of neoprene between you and the fucking cold water) - but it's always been on; (1) a dare or (2) so that I could later put my freezing-cold pecker on "Chris Evans's" bare neck to have the exquisite pleasure of hearing him scream - music to my ears. My point is, there was always a point. But with Cross, well, I guess he just likes being nekkid in all that freezing cold water. Bizarro. I wonder if he'll take me to dinner sometime. They don't call me the Ice Princess for nothing. We'd get along just fine.
At any rate, Aaron just happens to be reconnoitering in Alaska with a fellow assassin who only goes by the moniker "Number 5" (Oscar Isaac). While Cross and Number 5 bond in the tiny cabin in the middle of the woods, and consider whether they should engage in a little, um, "experimentation" along the lines of, ahem, "what happens in the Alaskan Boonies stays in the Alaska Boonies", unbeknownst to them, their bosses, Eric Byer (Edward Norton) and Dita Mandy (Donna Murphy), are getting ready to wipe the entire spy program off the face of the Earth. You see, a little someone named Jason Bourne has apparently surfaced in Manhattan, and is running buck-wild - which threatens to expose the CIA's black-ops activities. Which is a totally not-good thing. Solution: kill everyone involved in the operation. Not just the agents - but also the support staff. If that's not fucked-up, I don't what is.
One of those support staff is Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz), who is like Dr. Christmas Jones from THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH, but in slacks instead of hot pants. And in proper blouse instead of tank top. And with much smaller tits. Marta is Cross' and Number 5's and every other agent in the program's "medical handler." In other words, she is the one who gives them their regular check-ups and juices them with the drugs that they need to keep functioning. Well, actually, "medical handler" may not be an apt enough term. Fuck it - let's go with "drug dealer." Anyhow, Marta nearly bites it when the CIA uses some behavioral conditioning drug to make her geeky colleague, Dr. Donald Foite (Zelko Ivanek) suddenly go ape-shit and shoot up his entire lab. Marta survives, of course, because she is: (1) clever, (2) gorgeous, (3) talented, and (4) is second-billed and played by Rachel Weisz. Anyone expecting her to get killed off obviously has a lot to learn about Hollywood action/thrillers. Hell, did Christmas Jones croak? Don't think so.
Eventually, Cross and Marta hook up when the former shows up at the latter's rather rundown mansion to save her from a bunch of shady government assassins posing as concerned psychiatrists pretending to evaluate her for "Survivor's Guilt." If I was Marta, that "evaluation" would've lasted all of twenty seconds. Basically, I would tell the "shrinks" the following: "While I am genuinely torn up by my colleagues' deaths and will certainly miss them, I am also relieved and as happy as a pig in shit that I managed to elude the gunman. You guys really don't have to worry about me. No 'Survivor's Guilt' here, docs. In fact, I was just about to call my boy-toy and our friends and slam back some tequila shots to celebrate my survival. Now run along and go fuck yourselves. But don't forget to kiss my ass, first."
Unfortunately, I am not Marta and these guys aren't really doctors, and they honestly couldn't give two fucks about whether or not Marta has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. They just want to kill her, too, and eliminate another loose end. Fortunately, Cross turns out to be a much more skilled killer than they are - and basically mops the floor of Marta's house with their wanna-be asses.
Just like that, Cross and Marta are doing their own version of the "Jason-and-Marie" show from THE BOURNE IDENTITY. If you folks will recall, Marie (Franka Potente) was the hippie German chick (if you can even conceive of such a bizarre oddity) who hooked up with Jason B. and basically gave him a helping hand in the first movie. And I don't mean a handjob, folks. That was later in one of the Deleted Scenes. Ahem. Anyway, Cross realizes that he has run out of the "meds" that Marta prescribed him. Without them, three things will happen: (1) he will lose his muscle tone and turn into me - a flabby bastard, (2) his IQ will drop to its original level of - oh - 34, and (3) he and Marta wouldn't have an excuse to go all the way to Manila, Philippines where the manufacturing plant is. Better stock up on the sunblock, kids. And watch out for the "meat-on-a-stick." One word: "Woof."
Yes, folks, whereas the first three BOURNE films were about Jason B. trying to uncover his past and make peace with it, THE BOURNE LEGACY is just about a junkie assassin traveling all the way to the other side of the Earth to get his fix. Shitting you, I am not. It reminds of the time where one of my friends was freaking out because he was out of Hydroxy Cut and couldn't find a store nearby that had it. The goober was actually willing to drive fifty miles to get some. I kindly informed him that it is widely-believed that bodybuilders are obsessed with bulking up to compensate for - how to put this delicately - their tiny dicks. I told him to cultivate the lanky, lean, toned, slender look that Andrew Garfield and Chris Evans have. Those guys don't have to bulk up because they have nuclear warheads between their legs - and they know it, yo. I bet the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy feels quite inadequate around them. Needless to say, he listened to me and has got more game now than he has ever had. Moral of the story: if you're hung as a horse, you don't need to look like a linebacker.
But that's neither here nor there. So... will Bourne, er, Cross and Marie, er, Marta manage to make it to the Philippines in one piece? Will Byer and Dita catch up to them? Will they be able to infiltrate the manufacturing plant and score some doobage in time to keep Cross from a serious brain dump? What happens when Byer sends another rabid agent bloodhound (Louis Ozawa Changchien) from Thailand to the Philippine Islands to target Cross and Marta? Will they manage to elude him? Or will he catch up to them? How will this all end? How will Cross and Marta escape this madness?
Psssssst.... Marta, tell Cross that there are over 7,100 islands in the Philippines to hide on. Just pick one and fuck each other's brains out on the beach for the rest of your lives. That's our plan...
BUT, SERIOUSLY: Earlier, we talked about how the BOURNE films were essentially "game-changers" for the Action Genre - and that is no joke. Much in the same way DIE HARD changed the action landscape in 1988, from 2002 to 2006 THE BOURNE IDENTITY and its sequels cut a swath through all the competing action films at the time, making a lot of them seem downright antiquated and shallow. These films' combo of gritty, kinetic, shaky-cam action and unexpected emotional resonance was a stark contrast to the overly-choreographed, staged setpieces and stereotypical characters of most actioners. The result was a more intense, exciting style that was soon imitated in Liam Neeson's TAKEN, pretty much most of Jason Statham's oeuvre, and Daniel Craig's Bond films. In our review for THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (review #472), we mentioned the THE DARK KNIGHT trilogy to be possibly the best one in Cinema History. Had THE BOURNE LEGACY not turned the BOURNE trilogy into a quartet, it would've given Batman and his cronies a run for that title.
So... what of THE BOURNE LEGACY? Is it as good as its predecessors? Does it stack up nicely against IDENTITY, SUPREMACY, and ULTIMATUM? The short answer is... almost. While those first three films were classics of the genre, LEGACY falls a little short because of two things: (1) lack of an overall sufficient "MacGuffin" (or objective) for its lead, and (2) a rather abrupt ending. What's interesting is still how good the film is despite these rather glaring flaws - and credit for that feat must be given to the film's talented leads: Jeremy Renner and Rachel Weisz.
In our last review for TO ROME WITH LOVE (review # 474), we talked about what separates a truly good film from a merely above-average one. In that film, we were bombarded with a large gallery of quirky and colorful characters but were never able to really "root" for any of them because of our overall lack of familiarity with them. As a result, it wasn't a truly "good" film - merely an entertaining one. With THE BOURNE LEGACY, we have a scenario wherein a flawed film that could've easily been average, is seriously elevated because of the skill of its stars. In short, Renner and Weisz give us two characters who are not only likable, but also sympathetic and worth caring for. Much in the same way Matt Damon and his leading ladies (Joan Allen, Franka Potente, Julia Stiles) from the three previous films did. While the support cast of Edward Norton, Donna Murphy, Oscar Isaac, and Stacy Keach are solid, this movie belongs to its leading man and leading lady.
Tony Gilroy, who scripted some of the previous BOURNE films, takes over directorial duties from Doug Liman (IDENTITY) and Paul Greengrass (SUPREMACY, ULTIMATUM). As such, LEGACY has its own feel. Instead of the nimble, brisk pace of the first three films, we have a more methodical build-up and deliberate progression of events. While some may compare this unfavorably to the previous movies, we were fine with it. It allows you to pick up some details about the characters and their quirks that may have been missed. This also extends to the musical score, which was quick and urgent before, but seems more tentative this time around. One has to wonder if this is because Gilroy and his writers knew they had to be more strategic rather than swift with their storytelling because of the new threads they're introducing to the BOURNE tapestry. Whatever the case may be, it works.
As mentioned already, what also works is Renner and Weisz's performances. Both have very big shoes to fill. Renner has to not only match Damon's magnetism, but also give us a character who is just as compelling as the now-iconic Jason Bourne. Weisz has to manage to do justice to the memory of the other strong female characters who have come before her in the series (Pamela Landy, Marie Kreutz, Nicky Parsons), while also carving out her own territory. And both succeed, sharing a chemistry that intensifies and heats up as the movie progresses - in tandem with their growing attraction.
Renner has always been a interesting presence, combining atypical boy-next-door good looks with genuine manliness and integrity. His magnetic turn in THE HURT LOCKER was the perfect confluence of these traits - and its easy to see why the producers of the BOURNE series turned to him when they were looking for some "new blood." What's great is how Renner manages to turn Aaron Cross into his own person - just as intriguing as Bourne, but also very different. Whereas Bourne was more introspective and brooding (owing largely to his amnesia), Cross is a more extroverted and outspoken presence. He's also a lot more playful than Bourne, and manages to inject some welcome dry humor during some tense scenarios. Renner also manages to give Cross a melancholy undercurrent. Specifically, in the key scene where we (and Marta) find out why it is vital for him to keep taking the drugs that Marta's lab has been feeding him. While this "MacGuffin" is ultimately not enough to fully support the plot, it is more than enough to make Aaron Cross an interesting, dimensional character - and make us care about what happens to him.
As Dr. Marta Shearing, Rachel Weisz is nothing short of perfection. Earlier, we joked about Marta being similar to Dr. Christmas Jones from THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH - a beautiful, brainy scientist who is pulled into a deadly scenario by a secret agent. In truth, Marta is much closer to my favorite Bond Girl of all time: Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupco) from GOLDENEYE. Like Natalya, Marta ends up the lone survivor of a massacre and becomes a moving target because she knows too much - and, ultimately, both women partner with a secret agent to unravel everything. Like Natalya, Marta is no superwoman or kick-ass agent - just an average (if also brilliant) working woman who is thrown into the deep end and has to show some serious gumption to survive. Those kinds of characters are more interesting because of their combo of humanity and strength that comes out when the chips are down. Weisz also has the most expressive eyes and face, and she vividly plays Marta's growing panic - then eventual resolve and determination to help Aaron and his cause. Both the actress and the character are particularly good in a scene late in the film where Marta returns from an errand and discovers what seems like the entire police force of Manila waiting outside their hiding place, ready to storm it - and she takes a huge risk to warn Aaron of the trap. Which results in her own life endangered. With the endlessly talented Rachel Weisz in this role, we are firmly on Marta's side pretty much from her first scene.
Had Gilroy and his team added another layer to Aaron's motivations, and crafted a more definitive ending, THE BOURNE LEGACY might've reached the levels of the other BOURNE films. Fortunately, Jeremy Renner and Rachel Weisz prove that old adage once again: "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but size of the fight in the dog." And the fire inside Renner and Weisz is what makes THE BOURNE LEGACY as a solidly good film, despite its flaws.
And, yes, it's great to finally see the Philippine Islands get their long overdue proper showcase in a major Hollywood film. MABUHAY!!!
