Movie Review... BOURNE LEGACY

I know it's a bit late but I want to do a Movie Review of Bourne Legacy.

Yes, I am a Filipino and living in Manila so the best reason I watched this movie last August 3, 2012 the first day it was shown is that I want to see the scenes that were shot in Manila.  Secondly, The Avengers and The Mummy Series are two of my most favorite movie of all time.  Therefore, seeing Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) with Evelyn/Nefertiri (Rachel Weisz) in this movie is another reason for me.

I know I am not a fan of Bourne Identity, Supremacy and Ultimatum (the three Original Bourne Trilogy) but this movie doesn't really need you to understand what happened to Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) in the first 3 Bourne movies for you to relate to this movie.



The Cast:

Jeremy Renner - as Aaron cross (and other aliases in the movie) - I just know that he's from the Avengers as Hawkeye and we have spotted him previously in the movie Thor.  He had a cameo shot there, waiting for instructions to shoot Thor (Chris Hemsworth) while the latter was trying to get hold of his Mjolnir.

Rachel Weisz - as Dr. Martha Shearing - I know her since I was in elementary and I have watched The Mummy and its sequel The Mummy Returns, I also know she's in The Runaway Jury and Constantine with Keanu Reeves (also my favorite actor)

Edward Norton - as Retired Col. Eric Byer - he's another Avenger.  He was the original Bruce Banner in the movie Incredible Hulk but he was replaced in The Avengers Movie.  I also know him from the movie Italian Job.

For Filipinos, I know you noticed 4 Filipino actors:
John Arcilla - as Joseph, the security guard that Renner and Weisz spoke with before they went inside
Madeleine Nicolas - the landlady of the motel/transient house that Renner and Weisz checked in when Renner was sick
Antonette Garcia - the mother of the female child that was looking at Weisz when the latter was hiding from the cops.  Garcia freaked out when she saw Weisz and called the police thinking Weisz is a thief.
Lou Veloso - the captain of the small ship that Renner and Weisz used to escape.  He was hesitant at first to help them but helped them in exchange of a wristwatch.

Honestly, I was hyped upon seeing the four Filipino Actors' faces. (*Giggle)

The Plot:

The earlier part of the movie were cutscenes, a renaissance of two events: one happening to Aaron Cross (Renner) in his hike in Alaska and one happening in the government intelligence bureaus (including CIA, USAF and USN)

Renner was overcoming his mountain survival training, diving in ice cold waters, defending himself from wolves, jumping on cliffs.

Eric Byer (Norton) on the other hand was studying the leak of information and the effect of Jason Bourne in the US Intelligence Agencies including CIA.  They are thinking of stopping the spread of the "infection" by "Burning the whole program to the ground".  Even if some of the government agencies are against it, they cannot do anything.

Going back to Renner again, he met another Outcome (the name of the program) agent who he then finds out was withdrawn from the field because the latter fell in love.

In other places of the globe, Outcome agents are given a new yellow pill instead of their usual green and blue pill.  Outcome agents shown from Pakistan and North Korea/Japan.

When Renner stayed in the cabin of another Outcome agent, he then saw the names carved on the bed and spotted Jason Bourne's name there.  He then wakes up and plans to leave when he heard something from afar.  He then sets out to check it.  Few meters away from the cabin, he saw a missile hitting the cabin and blew it, the Outcome agent inside. He then was aware that the Drone that fired the missile will spot his locator so he covered it and shot the drone.  He thought that they will return when they spot his locator so he slit it out and had a wolf eat it which is when the drone fired hitting the wolf and not Renner.

In the laboratory where Dr. Martha Shearing (Weisz) was working, one of the scientists there who was an Outcome agent as well, shot all the guys inside the lab where the effect of the "chems" (blue and green pills) are studied.  Only Dr. Shearing was able to survive as when she was about to be shot, guards already arrived and the Agent, instead of being caught, shot himself.

Dr. Shearing was then interrogated and this is when she remembered Cross (Renner) who is also one of her 9 "test subjects" whom she only refers to as #5.  She then planned to fly to her sister but was visited by Dr. Connie Dowd and 3 other guys.  Dr. Shearing was interrogated. Unknown to her, the other agent was looking for her gun.  She was then forced to hold the gun and shoot Dr. Dowd, but Cross arrived and saved her.  Killing the 4 agents and asked her to burn her house down. The two escaped the scene as the police were arriving.

Cross (Renner) asked Dr. Shearing about the chems and she told him that they are not making the chems anywhere and in order to make Cross (Renner) remain enhanced she would need to fly to Manila, the Philippines for the virus.

The two of them managed to get new passports and tickets to Manila but was then traced by the Byer (Norton).  They then figured our that Cross was helping Dr. Shearing escape while Dr. Shearing is helping Cross make his chems.

Cross and Dr. Shearing arrived at the Manila factory and they were able to concoct the similar solution.  Byer however, already contacted the head of the Manila factory and tried to restrain Cross but to no avail.  Cross and Dr. Shearing was able to escape but due to Cross's new injection, he's not feeling well, so they stayed in a motel.

This is where Byer remembered Cross. They then set our LARX #3 (Louis Ozawa Changchien).  He is one of the LARX experiments without the inconsistencies of Outcome.  They said they had never received evaluations like this.

LAR#3 (Changchien) sets out to Manila to find and kill Cross and Dr. Shearing.  However, the police had already found Cross's location. Dr. Shearing who went out to buy medicines for Cross saw the police and followed them. Before the police could enter the motel, Dr. Shearing shouted (in a scary, surprising and very loud way) which alerted Cross. This is where Dr. Shearing and Cross individually run for their lives.  Dr. Shearing was cornered but Cross was able to save her.

LARX#3 (Changchien) ran after them, had car chase with the police. Cross was shot by Changchien, but not fatal. Finally, only LARX#3 was able to tail Cross and Dr. Shearing.  Cross was able to shoot LARX#3 badly which resulted to his falling but somehow managed to follow them.  They then ended up in a pier (Navotas Fishport) where Dr. Shearing defended them since Cross was already exhausted since he was earlier shot.  Dr. Shearing hit LARX#3 with a helmet and then kicked him.  LARX#3 who was already shot 3 times lost control and hit a post in high speed.  Dr. Shearing also managed to pull a then fainted Cross out of the motorcycle before they crashed.

(For Filipinos and Manila Residents, the car chase route was: (1) San Andres, Manila; (2) EDSA TAft, Pasay (3)Sta. Mesa, Quezon City; (4) Quiapo, Manila; (5) MArikina and (6) Navotas)

A boy and his father found Cross and Dr. Shearing and helped them in exchange for a gold watch.  They then set out to see to Palawan.

Byer was then disappointed that they lost track of Cross and Dr. Shearing.

Initial Expectation: 5 out of 10
Conclusive Satisfaction: 8 out of 10
Therefore, it met and overcame my expectation.

From someone who is not a Bourne fan, I liked it. How much more, those who are.

The movie has a well-researched and thought plot.  Graphics were minimal.  Realistic approach was more than 90%, almost non-fiction.  Easily understandable even if you are not a military-trained or scientist-type of person.

Tony Gilroy (Director, Screenplay and Story) really made the movie enjoyable up to the last minute.  You know what I mean.  We all expect and know that this will be another Bourne Trilogy.  We know that Bourne Legacy is not the end of it.

Bourne Legacy is just "the tip of the iceberg" quoting Byer.