jenywhaley: 'The Bourne Legacy' Trailer: Five Key Scenes

Thursday, February 9, 2012

'The Bourne Legacy' Trailer: Five Key Scenes

Jeremy Renner's rogue agent is introduced in badass 'Bourne' fashion.
By Kevin P. Sullivan

Jeremy Renner in the "Bourne Legacy" trailer
Photo: Universal Pictures

Jeremy Renner makes his big debut as the latest agent gone rogue in "The Bourne Legacy." Picking up where Matt Damon left off, Renner plays Aaron Cross, an apparent improvement over Jason Bourne.

You'll have to head over to Apple to check out the brand-new trailer, but we have the five key scenes you need to play attention to:

Background
The trailer immediately sets the mood with a little help from the opening credits of Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho." The bars sliding across the screen directly borrow from the horror classic and make things creepy quickly. Jeremy Renner's character gives the name "Kenneth," despite being listed in the credits as Aaron Cross. At the beginning of the trailer, Kenneth/Aaron does not look well. His left eye sags, and the right side of his face is speckled with blood. Immediately, we're questioning who he is and what he's been through, a good thing when introducing a new character to the series.

'Well, That Has Healed Well'
If Aaron is "Treadstone without the inconsistencies," that may imply he is, in fact, stronger than Matt Damon's Jason Bourne. The physician looking at Aaron's hand in the trailer remarks that it had healed well, as if it's something remarkable. Does the removal of those Treadstone inconsistencies include a rapid healing ability?

Introducing Edward Norton
Norton joins the cast as the newest villain in the series, and he makes for a welcome addition. In the trailer, we're introduced to his character, Byer, who tests Aaron to see if he's completely committed to the program, known as "Outcome." Norton leaves little doubt that he's going to make for a worthy opponent in a series known for its intelligent bad guys.

Reintroducing Albert Finney
The introduction of a new main character does not preclude the appearance of some familiar faces. Both Finney and Joan Allen reprise their roles, as Dr. Hirsch and Pamela Landy, respectively. They will be the main through lines to the original trilogy and should help make a little more sense of the new direction for the series.

The Fire Extinguisher
Though it may not ultimately mean that much for the story, a move as inventive as sticking a nail into the end of the fire extinguisher has to be acknowledged.

"The Bourne Legacy" hits theaters August 3.

Check out everything we've got on "The Bourne Legacy."

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