Review of The Bourne Legacy (2012) by Dharma — 03 Dec 2012

Another attempt to extend a so called franchise way after its end. Not a bad effort, mind you, with a lot of talented cast in its disposal. But while its predecessors were known for its efficiency, Legacy is straddled by a lot of back story and exposition.

So much so, that it ruined the pacing of the movie. This is its biggest sin: as an action movie is judged by its 'movement', by being propulsive so to speak. By trying to justify the existence of its new protagonist, Legacy became essentially an Anti Bourne movie.

The original trilogy became minor classics because of its grittiness, and its great action sequences, shot essentially on handheld. Legacy felt like a typical spy film, increasing its scope, trying so hard for characterization, but failing in comparison to its 'competitors', The Mission Impossible franchise and of course, James Bond.

The end result: a talky film, punctuated with bits of action.