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THE BOURNE LEGACYMovie Reviews
Action thriller about a new hero whose experiences are triggered by the events of the earlier Bourne stories. Cast:Jeremy Renner, Edward Norton, Rachel Weisz, Joan Allen, Albert Finney, Stacy Keach, Scott Glenn, Oscar IsaacDirector:Tony GilroyRelease Date:August 10, 2012DVD Release:December 11, 2012From:UniversalRating:PG-13Length:2 hr. 15 min.
The Bourne Legacy played to good not great reviews. • Dana Stevens wrote for Slate, "Thanks to Renner's smart, charismatic performance and a couple of elegant action sequences, the film mostly holds its own... but it could have been something more." • And Rene Rodriguez wrote in the Miami Herald, "...there are no surprises to be had here..." More Reviews Below...
The Bourne Legacy Positive Reviews (50 Reviews, reviews below)
Alynda Wheat, People: MODERATE(cg) "...even if they have zero chemistry, the actors are solid... Renner is especially affecting in Cross's haunting flashbacks. But is he good enough to fill Damon's shoes?"(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 218 words, 08/09/12
Richard Corliss, Time: MODERATE "...has a couple of scenes crackling with fatal friction, plus lots of talking that implicates the CIA... but the overall tone is familiar, refried, redundant."(See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 987 words, 08/10/12
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...may seem intentionally disorienting at first... it feels like Tony Gilroy is trying to do something different, something more cerebral and potentially less crowd-pleasing."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 736 words, 08/09/12
Mara Reinstein, Us Weekly: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a riveting heart-stopper.... The plot is laid out like puzzle pieces scattered around the globe.... The film never catches its breath..."(See all of Mara Reinstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 217 words, 08/09/12
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...trades the wired rhythms established in the past two episodes for something more realistic and closer to the ground. The change is refreshing."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 371 words, 08/10/12
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Wait a minute. How can you have a Bourne movie without Bourne?... It's all sound and fury signifying nothing except a desperate need to feed a franchise."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 270 words, 08/17/12
Claudia Puig, USA Today: VERY GOOD(cg) "...brisk and challenging... Renner projects a steely intensity juxtaposed with moments of vulnerability that make his character appealing."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 480 words, 08/10/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...always gripping in the moment. The problem is in getting the moments to add up.... The dialogue is concise, the cinematography is arresting, the plot is a murky muddle."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 769 words, 08/10/12
Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: VERY GOOD(cg) "Gilroy's idea of fun is to throw the viewer into the middle of his story's bizarre, unusual circumstances and let them wallow in the simultaneous exhilaration and frustration..."(See all of Glenn Kenny's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 671 words, 08/08/12
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "It's not hard to become caught up in the action as it's going on, but the story does a lot of straining, at times threatening to rip at the seams."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,028 words, 08/10/12
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (14 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: MODERATE "Less a thrilling franchise reboot than a solid salvage mission... Little feels at stake here, other than Mr. Gilroy's future as a Bourne director."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,011 words, 08/10/12
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...takes nearly an hour to lay out the overly intricate plot, which is weighed down by too many peripheral characters and too much intercontinental cross-cutting."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 448 words, 08/10/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "Complex, unexpected and dazzling, alternating relentless tension with resonant emotional moments... an exemplary espionage thriller..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 925 words, 08/10/12
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: WEAK(cg) "Disappointingly, Jason Bourne never resurfaces in this less-than-satisfying series reboot. The film is more a talky, convoluted, action-starved two-hour subplot..."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 583 words, 08/10/12
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: FAIR "...has the worst first sequence I've seen in a thriller, a botched climax, and a weirdly limp non-ending. There's some dandy stuff in between, though."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,174 words, 08/10/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...always gripping in the moment. The problem is in getting the moments to add up.... The dialogue is concise, the cinematography is arresting, the plot is a murky muddle."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 769 words, 08/10/12
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "Given the film's relentless slam-blam effect, it's rather amazing that anybody gets to act at all... the techno-gibberish flies like confetti."(See all of Michael Atkinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 756 words, 08/08/12
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: MODERATE(cg) "The new faces are fine; it's the old hand that's the problem... Tony Gilroy supplants Paul Greengrass as director, and the loss of momentum is palpable."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 750 words, 08/10/12
Stephen Cole, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "...never as involving as we might hope.... [but] 'Bourne' fans will find much to enjoy, even if they are forced to do without the title character."(See all of Stephen Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 568 words, 08/10/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...finds new angles on the series' intricate mythology, with nearly every character complicit in awful things at some level..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 172 words, 08/09/12
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a momentum-driven thriller that depends less on star power than on epic action sequences.... it's smart, it's exhilarating..."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 779 words, 08/10/12
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Gilroy maintains cool control... 'The Bourne Legacy' makes the most of its inheritance and sets the stage for a long, rich genealogy to come."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 425 words, 08/10/12
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a pretty good action thriller. But it suffers from what it's really up to: setting the table for another franchise while trying to trade on the charms of the first one."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 557 words, 08/10/12
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) " 'The Bourne Legacy' moves, all right, but with a jittery visual sense that comes increasingly unglued.... What's missing is any emotional stake."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 534 words, 08/10/12
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: MODERATE(cg) "It's twists and turns and nothing else. And fast and furious as it may be, if this is the best this once-smart series has to offer, this is no legacy."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 572 words, 08/10/12
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...filled with nice touches -- but it's ultimately not quite satisfying. It's a quick, tense trip, rather than a thrill ride."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 492 words, 08/10/12
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: EXCELLENT(cg) "...absolute crackerjack entertainment: smart, taut, sleek, tense and unrelenting -- an ideal action movie and a truly exemplary sequel."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 693 words, 08/10/12
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: VERY GOOD(cg) "...this intelligent movie is a sure step in a new direction... Renner and Weisz share not only a gripping predicament but something more important: chemistry."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 365 words, 08/10/12
Tom Long, Detroit News: VERY GOOD(cg) "...grade B Bourne: Still pretty good, but not as great as the original stuff... Gilroy keeps the Bourne mythology firmly intact while moving it forward..."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 591 words, 08/10/12
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: MODERATE(cg) "It looks fantastic, but it's also hard to sit through... there are no surprises to be had here, no more fresh stories to be mined from this well. The stunts look exhausting..."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 561 words, 08/10/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (9 Reviews)
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "Given the film's relentless slam-blam effect, it's rather amazing that anybody gets to act at all... the techno-gibberish flies like confetti."(See all of Michael Atkinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 756 words, 08/08/12
Katey Rich, Cinema Blend: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...shoulders the double challenge of establishing its own mythology while jumping off from the previous trilogy.... feels trapped in the shadow of what came before."(See all of Katey Rich's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 695 words, 08/08/12
Ann Lewinson, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Renner projects too much complexity to be an action hero, and he and Weisz have no chemistry; Edward Norton lacks the heft to play the man behind the curtain..."(See all of Ann Lewinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 161 words, 08/09/12
Scott Tobias, AV Club: GOOD(cg) "Gilroy's back-to-basics approach involves little more than mashing the reset button. As any Bourne character can testify, you can never go home again."(See all of Scott Tobias's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 391 words, 08/09/12
Jesse Hassenger, Pop Matters: MODERATE(cg) "...serves mainly to extend the franchise and elaborate on the world drawn from Robert Ludlum's novels and introduced onscreen 10 years ago."(See all of Jesse Hassenger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 811 words, 08/10/12
Jaime N. Christley, Slant: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Renner brings his capacity for playing a sweet devil, the proverbial kid in a candy store. His Aaron Cross is a more roundly developed character than Jason Bourne..."(See all of Jaime N. Christley's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 982 words, 08/07/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...finds new angles on the series' intricate mythology, with nearly every character complicit in awful things at some level..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 172 words, 08/09/12
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: MODERATE "Less a thrilling franchise reboot than a solid salvage mission... Little feels at stake here, other than Mr. Gilroy's future as a Bourne director."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,011 words, 08/10/12
David Denby, New Yorker: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...has some fine, violent set pieces... The new movie continues the 'Bourne' tradition of exciting, reality-based thrillers, but when the series lost its star it lost most of its soul."(See all of David Denby's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 914 words, 08/06/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "Complex, unexpected and dazzling, alternating relentless tension with resonant emotional moments... an exemplary espionage thriller..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 925 words, 08/10/12
Dana Stevens, Slate: GOOD "Thanks to Renner's smart, charismatic performance and a couple of elegant action sequences, the film mostly holds its own... but it could have been something more."(See all of Dana Stevens's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 781 words, 08/09/12
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: VERY GOOD "Gilroy solves the central problem of 'The Bourne Legacy' - introducing a new hero and launching a new narrative - with remarkable dexterity."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 956 words, 08/09/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Peter Debruge, Daily Variety: WEAK "...an overlong sequel that features too little action and an unnecessarily complicated plot.... clumsily tries to squeeze as much action into the final reel as possible."(See all of Peter Debruge's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 862 words, 08/06/12
Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: FAIR "...visceral excitement is muffled by familiarity, an insufficiently conceived lead character and the sheer weight of backstory and multiple layers of deception."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 921 words, 08/06/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "Complex, unexpected and dazzling, alternating relentless tension with resonant emotional moments... an exemplary espionage thriller..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 925 words, 08/10/12
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Tony Gilory relates a darker layer of intrigue... He has tried - in vain, I think - to expand the tale with a more intricate, but unnecessarily complicated story..."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,096 words, 08/06/12
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: MODERATE "Less a thrilling franchise reboot than a solid salvage mission... Little feels at stake here, other than Mr. Gilroy's future as a Bourne director."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,011 words, 08/10/12
17.8 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Bourne Legacy's reviews are separated by an average 17.8 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The Bourne Legacy (50 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Bourne Legacy's reviews cover 99.5% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 32,123 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 642 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 6.9 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Bourne Legacy's reviews on average broke 6.9 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The Bourne Legacy's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Bourne Legacy (50 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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