READY TO BE BOURNE

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Published on Friday, 10 August 2012 17:25

Bourne, a wild card who never appears in the film, is a threat to the government which causes this underground fraction to liquidate it's assets, so to speak by killing off all of the Bourne prototypes around the world.

Cross, surviving an assassination attempt and on the hunt for the drugs now denied to him and of which he needs to exist in his altered body chemistry enlist the aid of researcher Rachel Weisz who survives her own assassination attempt with Cross miraculously coming to her rescue.

What follows is a confusing series of chases, explosions and other mishaps ending in a badly executed motorbike chase that will leave no one gasping for air but more like the hope the credits will soon roll.

Director Tony Gilroy from a script he and Dan Gilroy wrote try to change up the mythology of the Bourne films by introducing this confusing, bizarre cat and mouse chase and hunt for the chemicals Cross needs to survive and for the agency to wipe up the past and by doing so gives them the opportunity of a do over in the future.

That opportunity sadly isn't an option for the audience and endurance like that displayed by Renner's character at the beginning of film is needed to survive to the film's unsatisfying and obscure ending.

Having said all of this, one has to keep in mind that this is the fourth in a series of films where the established character and star are no longer present and all in all could have been worse. A strange change in direction for the franchise and although doesn't really come together in this film an inside source of mine told me talks are underway for Damon's character of which the films are named to join Cross in the next film. I personally don't feel a star of such caliber as Damon would fall back into these films now that he's escaped from its hold on him but script wise it's entirely possible and might yet turn the slow demise of these series of films around.

But, until that day comes if it comes at all, this is one Legacy you don't want to inherit. I can't call it a compete waste of time but your mission for this film should be a Blu-Ray rental when the cable goes out instead of laying down cash for a seat to watch this unthrilling thriller.

Rated PG-13 by the MPAA for violence and action sequences.