Given the fact that Paul Greengrass was not asked back into the Director's chair, and seeing that his mentor would not be with him, Matt Damon promptly jumped ship too.
This left Universal Pictures with a major problem. They have a financially successful franchise, and no-one to helm or star in it. Plus how would they get round the problem of "Where is Jason Bourne"?
They hired "Bourne" screenwriter Tony Gilroy to continue the writing duties but also to take over the Directing duties. One would imagine that given his work on the series of films, that he would be well suited in the job.
Instead of hiring another actor to fill the almighty shoes of Matt Damon, the writing team depart from the Robert Ludlum novels, and create a scenario where 'Bourne' was one of several operatives who work on secret missions for the Government. Hence the character of 'Aaron Cross' arrives, and duly takes over the action duties from 'Jason Bourne'. With the exposing over of the covert operations by a British journalist, it becomes evident to all concerned that the various operations must be brought to a close, and anyone involved must be silenced, one way or the other.
There are some very exciting action set pieces, well executed, and Jeremy Renner does an admirable job of stepping into the lead role in the 'Bourne' series. All that having been said, it just did not work for me am afraid. If it had been a film in its own right, then I would no doubt have loved it, but you cannot watch this without thinking of the outstanding work done by Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon. I had been looking forward to seeing Albert Finney back on the big screen, but for the few seconds we get, it was barely worth waiting for.
Universal were obviously desperate to find a way to keep the series alive, and to all of a sudden find out that there were other operatives, without having there be a mention before, it just reeks of a desperate act. Maybe it would have been better to leave the series. But when a quick buck can be made, then nothing can get in the way of the registers from ringing in more dollars.
The film ambles along, and just when it feels like it is starting to get interesting, the bloody thing finishes. I am sure that there will be a sequel, whether I will go see it remains to be seen, though there are whispers that Universal are keen to unite Bourne and Cross. Could be quite the crowd pleaser.
Bourne but not as we know it.......6 out of 10
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