This post is in response to Graeme McMillan's post on Time.com about his opinion on why the 'Bourne Leagacy' has no story.
Original Article featured HERE.
For those who haven't seen the movie this post is full of spoilers, so please do not read beyond this point unless you don't otherwise care.
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Jeremy Renner plays a U.S. Government Assassin part of a top secret program called "Outcome" which is a progression from "Treadstone" which birthed Jason Bourne.
At the start of the movie Aaron is seen diving into freezing water to retrieve a cannister with a map inside. Clearly he has some sort of amazing metabolism to achieve this and we see him taking some pills...green and blue.
It is later revealed by that character that the green are for physical enhancement and blue are for mental enhancement. He is however running out of meds.
Meanwhile the whole treadstone/blackbriar incidents are being exposed by Bourne and Pamela Landy (Bourne is causing havoc and Landy is testifying before Congress). So connections and call backs are being made.
Multiple characters in the intelligence divisions including edward norton's character are present and have their own struggles to keep things together. They decide to terminate all programs that Landy may know about including Outcome. Various assassins are poisoned by their handlers claiming the new pills are 2 drugs in 1. In the remote alaska wilderness where cross was last seen he arrives at a checkpoint of sorts, submits bloodwork and other things and here is where his story really kicks off.
He seems to have a more independent mind than other agents and he reveals that he was sent here as a punishment for going off grid when no one would answer his questions. He's quite curious and affable but you can sense he is cautious and always observing for others' motives.
He on the second or third day there he steps outside and hears a noise...he tells his compatriot to sit in "the nest" while he scouts out so they aren't both taken by surprise. a cruise missile launched from a CIA/DIA predator drone lands and explodes in the cabin with only Cross left alive. His instincts and training kick in and he outsmarts the pursuers and kills the drone with a well placed rifle shot after shielding the tracker they had implanted in him.
He is able to get the implant out in time and force it in the mouth of an alpha male wolf that has been tracking him (he no longer seems human to them) in time for the second drone to kill the wolf thinking it is Cross.
Now he begins his journey back to the mainland US after absconding with a plane...his objective is to get more meds...especially the mental ones.
Part 2) Steracyn-Morelanta is a biotech pharmaceutical company that produces these drugs and we follow a female scientist in her job for a short bit as she examines people similar to Cross. As she (and others in that lab) are aware of parts of the Outcome program, Edward Norton's move to wipe out all of those involved comes to the lab in the vein of a co-worker that goes "postal" and starts killing everyone in the lab. The doctor manages to stay alive until authorities can break intot he lab and the co-worker kills himself...clearly a product of Outcome himself, but she is rather bewildered.
This story gets into the papers about the work place killings and Cross sees this...recognizes the doctor (who inspected him 5 or 6 times before in their history it is later revealed) and so he makes his way to save her as he knows that the CIA will not give up after just one attack.
After saving her he helps her to assume a new identity and they flee the country (after convincing her to help him due to the nature and result of withdrawal from the chems he's been on) to the Philippines where he can be "viraled out" of being dependent on the drugs...and it turns out he was already viraled out of the physical ones secretly over a year ago. All of these technologies are by the way being researched by the lovely folks at www.darpa.mil
So they get there, negotiate their way past the guards (who know the doctor) and she manages to cobble together something she thinks will work for him. They have been tracked by the CIA now and have to fight their way out and disappear into the crowd.
Meanwhile the B-story continues with Jason Bourne being in the USA now and escaping the feds again and Pamela Landy beginning her testimony. Other refences to Bourne are made in the movie and it is clear that Bourne's insurrection has a sort of underground mythos and inspiration attached to it that motivate Cross.
Also we learn that Aaron Cross is really Kenneth James Kitsom during some flashbacks as he is sick from the virus and coming down from the drug's influences.
Big chase scene with a more advanced assassin program called LAR-X and action doctor shows she's got the chops to stick it out.
Ending stuff: The B-story rolls on with Bourne's stuff perhaps in another movie and we get a clip of Aaron/Ken looking beat-up and not seemingly himself being talked to by none-other than Edward Norton's character behind a camera trying to recruit him for the project. Cross has made up the story about his recruiter fudging his ASFAB/IQ score to get in the Army...it turns out he was from a state home in nevada and the motivation to not go back to that state is much more powerful and we understand his desperation in the movie all the more.
A lot of this also explains Norton's character feeling so familiar with cross and having his flashbacks in the movie.
There is real story, and heart in the film. And at least unlike the previous Bourne films the female love interest has some bearing on the story rather than being the unfortunate individual that the protagonist accidentally meets. Less serendipity and more reason.
There is plenty of story here and room for more expansion in that world including for Bourne and Cross to meet.
The author of the OP probably didn't really sit down and think during the movie...or was too busy sexting.
