Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 42 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 270 Ratings

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 42
  2. Negative: 3 out of 42
  1. Reviewed by: Lisa Schwarzbaum
    Aug 8, 2012
    91
    Renner's Cross is a conflicted hero built to take advantage of the "Hurt Locker" star's best qualities as an actor - his default intensity, the way he conveys that complicated mental calculations are taking place under cover of watchful stillness, even underwater.
  2. Reviewed by: Kenneth Turan
    Aug 9, 2012
    80
    Complex, unexpected and dazzling, alternating relentless tension with resonant emotional moments, this is an exemplary espionage thriller that has a strong sense of what it wants to accomplish and how best to get there.
  3. Reviewed by: Mike Scott
    Aug 10, 2012
    60
    Gilroy -- who earned writing credits on all four "Bourne" films -- doesn't miss when it comes to the most important task at hand: He takes a well-worn concept and makes it feel new, and without sacrificing its sense of familiarity.
  4. Reviewed by: Lou Lumenick
    Aug 10, 2012
    38
    Disappointingly, Bourne never resurfaces in this less-than-satisfying series reboot. The film is more a talky, convoluted, action-starved two-hour subplot.

See all 42 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 47 out of 89
  2. Negative: 12 out of 89
  1. The ending is trash, the rest is badass. The change of lead actors from Matt Damon and Jeremy Renner is surprising but you will definitely enjoy this movie, especially if you're a fan of the franchise. Aaron Cross is a solidly-built character and Renner's portrayal gives enough rope to hang either the doubters or himself. Brace yourself for a summer action flick that will keep the adrenalines pumping. Expand
  2. Jeremy Renner takes the place of Matt Damon as a CIA superagent , who's life is threatened by his own boss. The plot unravels slowly and is confusing for a while. However, multiple unexplained events and sharp filmmaking maintain interest. Other than some quick fights, almost all of the action takes place in one final burst. Following the style of the previous Bourne's, there's flashy editing and blurry camerawork, which makes it hard to tell what's happening Expand
  3. The Bourne Legacy does two things wonderfully. One; it fills the shoes of the killing machine Jason Bourne with Jeremy Renner
  4. A promising new lead and decent anticipation turns to a considerable let down. The latest Bourne film is Boring. Jeremy Renner is a quality actor, who this time plays a rougher, more aggressive, more believable bad ass member of Secret Government Operation: Treadstone. The main issue with the film is that it doesn't deliver the action, the villain or build into anything interesting. The final act in Manila features one of the weakest car chase sequences of all time. The film is more missing Paul Greengrass than Matt Damon. The action and tension isn't there. Expand

See all 89 User Reviews

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