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Dir. Tony Gilroy
To reiterate the point of my last post, only make a sequel if the story's worth telling. The central problem with this fourth installment in the popular Bourne franchise is that the plot is both undeveloped and utterly pointless.
Writer/director Tony Gilroy (writer of the previous films and the director of Michael Clayton) tells a story in The Bourne Legacy that's very dull for an action movie, has numerous gaps that leave viewers puzzled, and lacks the essence of the Doug Liman/Paul Greengrass pictures. We open in a remote part of Alaska where Special Ops Agent Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) has isolated himself for some time. He is linked to Treadstone (the agency which Jason Bourne is a product of), but the film does such a poor job of explaining his background and intentions, that I honestly can't describe each aspect of the plot. The main Government Agent in charge of investigating Cross and hunting him down is retired Col. Eric Bryer (Edward Norton), a character much less developed than David Straithairn's Noah Vosen in Bourne Ultimatum (this is no reflection on Norton's performance, just based on Gilroy's script). There are so many flaws within the construction of the plot that I really can't describe it in a clear and precise manner.
Beyond a disorganized and uninteresting script, this film lacks many of the elements which make the previous ones so compelling. There's virtually no emotional intrigue and the characters are very undeveloped. Although Renner and Norton are pretty effective, their performances are overshadowed by everything that make this movie a mess. Even the action scenes dragged on and displayed little to no originality.
I really do think Gilroy has a lot to offer as a filmmaker, as dictated by his previous works. However, this was definitely the low point of his career, and it's a shame they didn't conclude the series with the previous installment.
I definitely would have expected more from Tony Gilroy.
ReplyDeleteIs it just me, or has the trailer for this been played before obnoxiously many movies this year? I'm already tired of its oblique yet strangely direct references to Matt Damon's entirely absent character. I guess the trailer gives a pretty good impression of the film, based on your review
Yeah, I guess it's difficult for any filmmaker, no matter how gifted, to make a compelling fourth movie. Three is the perfect number. This one wasn't even based on the books.
ReplyDeleteI think you're right, especially since the only fourth movies I've ever liked have been ones where at least one of the first three wasn't very good. Some examples of good fourth movies which followed weak third installments (in my personal opinion) are Scream 4, Alien: Resurrection, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, although I'm sure many will disagree with me on the last two. Also, in a much different sense, the fourth Star Wars movie is either the best or second best in the series (but I know that doesn't count).
ReplyDeleteI actually did like Indiana Jones 4 better than most people, but I hated Pirates 4. The plot was terrible and Rob Marshall's vision was pathetic.
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