When news of the development of “The Bourne Legacy” was released, movie fans’ hopes were not too high, and with good reason.   

When a fourth movie is added to a proposed trilogy, the story often comes out messy.

When the director of a film decides he no longer wants to do it, and takes the lead actor with him, the film normally comes out different than originally intended.

Some film critics have noted that taking a well-worn concept and making it feel new sounded like a good idea, but the end result may not have played out as well.

“The Bourne Legacy” did not do much to dispel the negative thoughts potential viewers were holding toward the movie.

“The Bourne Legacy” follows Aaron Cross, played by Jeremy Renner, a member of a now-defunct black ops program called Operation Outcome, as he runs from the CIA while searching for the drugs he needs to keep him alive and is accompanied by Dr. Marta Shearing, portrayed by Rachel Weisz, who is his only hope for staying alive.

Much of the suspense of the Bourne series is gone now, and the action scenes have a much different feel to them.  

“The Bourne Legacy” feels too safe in comparison to its predecessors, the enemies are weaker, and the hero is stronger.         The movie does feature a 15-minute car chase, but it lacks much of the intensity found in chase scenes in other thrillers.  

The antagonists are bumbling and it is hard to believe that they are nearly as strong as the characters of the film tell us they are.

"The Bourne Legacy" is not all bad though, with certain actors standing out in their roles.

Edward Norton, playing a called-out-of-retirement colonel responsible for ending the black ops program, does a good job portraying the power that his position holds.

To add, Renner did a fine job with his portrayal of Aaron Cross as a typical action hero.

With that being said, the movie could not be saved by a few good actors, and the unexciting story with stale characters fails to get blood flowing in the viewer.

If you’re a die-hard “Bourne” fan, you may appreciate the Jason Bourne references, but if not, you can skip this film.