There was never just one. Sure, Aaron Cross is no Jason Bourne, but that doesn't mean he isn't one hell of a government operative nonetheless.
An expansion on author Robert Ludlum's world of secrets and spies, "The Bourne Legacy" is set concurrently with the events of the 2007 Matt Damon-starring "Bourne Ultimatum" and features Jeremy Renner as an Outcome agent who's overstayed his welcome on Earth — at least according to his employers — so he runs for his life with the beautiful Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz) on his arm.
Written and directed by Tony Gilroy (who also wrote the screenplay for the first three "Bourne" films), the actioner packs a similar punch to the original trilogy: all of the dirty bureaucrats, gritty fight sequences and splashy car chases are here, yet it's clear the franchise is operating under a whole new regime.
Here are five reasons to see "The Bourne Legacy," now in theaters:
Bourne Again If 2007's "Bourne Ultimatum" left you with any burning questions, it's likely "Bourne Legacy" will provide at least a few answers. As mentioned above, the events of "Bourne Legacy" pick up in the middle of "Bourne Ultimatum," following through its conclusion and continuing to build and expand upon the threequel's world, while firmly standing on its own merits.
"It completely does its own thing," Weisz told MTV News of "Bourne Legacy." "It introduces new characters, but it lifts the curtain on the first three films. It sort of says, 'If you think you know who was in charge, you were wrong. This is who is really in charge.' [You see] the men behind the curtain pulling the puppet strings."
Jeremy Renner's A New Sort Of Agent Damon was always all business as Jason Bourne — and we liked it. But as Alex Cross, Renner brings the slightest touch of levity and warmth to his on-the-run agent, proving he's more man than machine. And you know what? We liked that too.
Steady Eddie If there was a chief gripe about "The Bourne Ultimatum," it had to be the film's close-cropped, often shaky fight sequences, which left at least a few moviegoers feeling queasy. Expect less of that herky-jerky style under Gilroy's direction.
"I really enjoyed the hand-to-hand [fight sequences], the stuff you cannot fake, the stuff that cameras can't do any trickery to make look better or worse," Renner recalled of the shoot. "So that's where I put a lot of time spent as well, into the hand-to-hand stuff."
Hollywood's Next Big Talent? The "Bourne" movies have something of a legacy of propelling their little-known assassins into box-office staples. As my colleague Brian Phares pointed out, both Clive Owen and Karl Urban took turns as sharp-shooters before hitting it big in future films. Will "Legacy" hit man Louis Ozawa Changchien break out in a similar fashion? Only time will tell, but wouldn't it be nice to say you knew him when?
Nostalgic Nuggets If you really find yourself missing the original "Bourne" trilogy, take solace in the visual and aural callbacks to the originals, which may just inspire a complete re-watch of Bourne's battle for his identity.
Last weekend, "The Dark Knight Rises" fended off competition from "Total Recall" to remain the #1 movie in America. But will "The Bourne Legacy," which sees Jeremy Renner taking over the action franchise, be the movie that finally topples Batman? All signs point to "yes," as box-office experts have bet on Bourne.
"Even without Matt Damon, 'Bourne Legacy' will definitely knock the Batman out of the box-office belfry and probably get close to $45 to $50 million," said Jeff Bock, a box-office analyst for Exhibitor Relations.
Changing leads in the middle of a franchise is often a risky move. So will the Bourne series, which is loosely based on the books by Robert Ludlum, have the success of the James Bond series, which has seen six actors wearing the tuxedo? Or is this move more akin to when Ice Cube took over "xXx" from Vin Diesel? "xXx" made more than $142 million at the domestic box office. The Diesel-less follow-up collected less than $27 million.
Hitfix.com editor Gregory Ellwood said it's probably somewhere in between. "While essentially a spin-off, Universal Studios has been using an image of Bourne himself, Matt Damon, in almost all the TV spots and trailers. That image appears in the movie, but the studio is using it to suggest to viewers Damon may actually appear in the film. It's a smart marketing strategy, but you can expect a lot of disgruntled moviegoers after they exit the theater."
While Batman will likely lose to Bourne, "The Dark Knight Rises" should still hold its own against "The Campaign." The R-rated comedy pairing Will Ferrell and Zack Galifianakis will have to settle for #3, according to Ellwood. " 'The Campaign' will have a solid opening, but it appears as though 'Rises' will still edge it out for #2."
Bock agreed, saying the political satire will likely settle for $22 million. That's better than most R-rated comedies this summer — we're looking at you, Adam Sandler — but a far cry from the $54 million pulled in by Seth MacFarlane's "Ted" when it debuted last month. "Ted" starred Ferrell's "The Other Guys" co-star, Mark Wahlberg.
"Political comedies, even starring these two comedy heavyweights, don't usually get elected to the top of the box office," said Bock. He predicted "The Campaign" should get to $65 million eventually; Ellwood put the number close to $90 million.
As for last weekend's big-budget hopeful? " 'Total Recall' will likely be erased from the minds of audiences with 'Bourne' and 'Campaign' hitting theaters," Bock said. "Expect a drop of 55 to 60 percent, putting it on target with summer's other misfire: 'Battleship.' "
Do you think "Dark Knight Rises" will be knocked out of #1 this weekend? Leave your comment below!
