Verdict: A nail-biting good time as the charismatic Jeremy
Renner picks up where Matt Damon left off.
Like any good spy
thriller, this fourth instalment of the celebrated Bourne film series that
began with The Bourne Identity
(2002), is laced with deception, endless double-crossing, spin-the-globe
locations, lots of shooting and explosions, and the requisite big car chase
scene at the end. Gilroy (who wrote the first three films in the series and
co-wrote this one) obviously knows his way around the formula – and the end
result is a nail-biting good time from start to finish.
When Jason Bourne (Matt
Damon’s photo) turns up in New York and risks exposing the CIA’s entire covert
‘Outcome’ intelligence operation of which he is the key element, the decision
is made to eliminate all the project’s ‘assets’ and shut the program down. What
those responsible didn’t count on, was one of their assets – Aaron Cross
(Jeremy Renner) – taking them on at their own game in an attempt to come in
from the cold (both literally and metaphorically).
Renner (The Hurt Locker) is in top form as the replacement for Damon’s
Jason Bourne – a role that might have been considered something of a poisoned
chalice. Renner’s Aaron Cross, though, is carefully introduced in a fantastic
opening sequence where he takes on not only the Alaskan geography, but also the
local wildlife, in spectacular fashion. The extermination of the project’s
assets – led with ruthless efficiency by the excellent Edward Norton (American
History X, Fight Club) and the equally-calculating Joan Allen as the
CIA’s (and series regular) Pamela Landy – is surprisingly affecting, succeeding
perfectly in establishing the impossibly high-stakes world in which the rest of
the story will unfold.
Rachel Weisz (The
Constant Gardener, The Lovely Bones) is perfect as Dr Marta
Shearling, the virologist to whom Aaron turns to for help in determining the
extent of his genetic modification – and Weisz and Renner’s onscreen chemistry
works beautifully to ensure that we actually care about what happens to these
two seemingly powerless pawns in an intricately-woven and unquestionably deadly
game of international security.
This review was commissioned by the Geraldton Newspaper Group.
Nice review Geoffrey. Is it as memorable as the franchise that came before it? No, but what really makes this film even slightly memorable is that it’s very thrilling, has a fun time with itself, and also features plenty of great characters that I would like to hold onto for a whole new franchise. Hopefully that actually happens though.
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by Dan. It is certainly genre-by-the-numbers enough to get over the line, and as a continuation of the Bourne franchise's concept, it works entirely. I'm still not sure that Jason Bourne was exterminated. I don't think he was – so the door is open for a double-header (with Damon and Renner), which would be interesting.
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