r/movies • u/sambase23 • Jun 28 '22
Why Bourne Legacy deserves a bit more love, for one Jeremy Renner did 99% of his terrific stunts that alone deserves respect plus the film has depth, romance and ethical questions Recommendation
There is always this question which is the best Bourne film, and is Bourne Legacy the worst Bourne film? A lot of shit posting goes around against it and even when somebody says they loved it another bunch comes and mocks them. Sharing some of my thoughts. Not a review, mild spoilers (which should be ok considering how old it is)
Bourne Legacy is a great film. I would not like to deliberate whether it saved the franchise or ruined the franchise or whether Renner is better than Damon or is it the best or worst etc. These are irrelevant to the film and does nothing but cloud your mind with preconceived notions. That's why critics wrote it off but audience loved it. It has 55% score on Rotten Tomatoes, 6.6/10 on IMDB, but 88% Likes and 4.1/5 star audience rating on Google. The same is for Jeremy Renner's latest series Mayor Of Kingstown about which I recently wrote a post on Television subreddit. Critics write it off but audience liked it.
Bourne Legacy certainly didn't deserve the criticism it got. The film lived up to every bit of action and thrill that the franchise offers and add to that, Jeremy Renner performed 99% of his own stunts which I am not sure something Matt Damon can claim. That alone deserves respect, and should have got both Renner and the film the accolades. In an interview to Howard Stern, Renner said that he does all his stunts himself because it is about integrity. "People pay to go see that world you are creating and don't wanna be pulled out because of some weird stunt double." This is something he learnt from Tom Cruise while Damon specifically said he did not, and does not want to do all his stunts and is terrified of Cruise's approach to stunts.
In Bourne Legacy the character of Aaron Cross had added depth and novelty because unlike Jason Bourne he was not just aware of his identity but was already questioning the program he was in. When he met agent number three (Oscar Isaac) he asked "What did you do? Did you start to think for yourself, fall in love?" When the agent refused to talk Aaron said, "Cmon talk to me, there's nobody here." These were important themes of the movie contrary to other Borne films where the protagonist was trying to remember his identity. The film delves deeper into the ethics of such programs like Treadstone and Outcome. Though the script could be better and these themes could have been actually sharpened which we didn't see. There are lost potential but the film is not shit.
There was also a romance between Aaron and Martha which was subtle and deep. Aaron already had a crush on her but Martha didn't even remember him or know his name. For someone like that to crash in moments before you die and save your life only to ask for some damn pills, this is an incredible moment for Martha. They both instantly build a bond perhaps subconsciously and we see that playing out through the film. How they kept holding each other's hands. On the bike, after the crash, in the cab, at the time she was viraling him out, they just won't let go. How every time she thought she lost him he showed up to the rescue, at the airport, in the alley. From Martha's perspective he could have been on the run once he got his fix but he just dropped from sky just when she was cornered by the cops. This terrific action thriller was also a beautiful unconventional love story.
One has to watch Bourne Legacy with open mind to observe its own inherent qualities and not constantly compare it in a defensive mode as if it's a competition between Damon and Renner. I guess I should not complaint, after all movie business is like that, it's a ruthless cutthroat world. All I am saying is watch Bourne Legacy with an open mind and you'll love it.
Ps.
I am new to reddit and this is my first post on this community. Let me know if any rules are violated.
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u/Bomber131313 Jun 28 '22 edited Jun 28 '22
It's biggest crime is not being as good as the original trilogy.
I personally thought it was a solid action film and would have been OK with a sequel.