---
title: "The Bourne Legacy: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-bourne-legacy/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-bourne-legacy"
critics_score: 51
critics_reviews: 22
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Bourne Legacy (2012): what the critics said

Critics' score 51 from 22 reviews: 5 positive, 8 mixed, 9 negative.

The reviews split almost evenly, with more negative notices than positive and a large middle ground of mild disappointment. Where critics agree, it is on the cast: Jeremy Renner is widely credited with a committed, rougher lead performance, and Rachel Weisz is singled out alongside him for keeping the film human. The Manila motorbike chase near the end is the one set piece named again and again as the film doing what the series promises.

The complaints cluster just as tightly. Most critics find the film weighed down by exposition about the agency’s inner workings, with too little action and a plot that leans heavily on the previous trilogy; the absence of Matt Damon is felt throughout. The spread is wide: the Los Angeles Times calls it an exemplary thriller worthy of its predecessors, while The Telegraph finds it overlong and close to parody. The warmest notices come from American outlets; the British press is largely unimpressed.

## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 9 August 2012. 

The critic calls it an exemplary espionage thriller that lives up to its predecessors, praising its complex plotting, resonant emotional moments, and impeccable cast including Renner, Weisz, and Norton. Gilroy expands the Bourne universe effectively while maintaining the franchise's cool intelligence.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-xpm-2012-aug-09-la-et-mn-bourne-legacy-review-20120810-story.html)

## Screen Daily

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 6 August 2012. 

Swapping in Renner for Damon and expanding the narrative to a parallel story, the film delivers smart action kicks as a fantastic, well-constructed piece of pop entertainment with an air of erudite emotional remove. Strong performances root and elevate it, with mystery, danger, scheming, and action in balanced order.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/the-bourne-legacy/5045085.article)

## Film Comment — John Wildman

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 10 August 2012. 

The critic notes that the film works against lowered expectations for a fourth entry without Matt Damon, crediting Gilroy's direction and Renner's charismatic lead performance alongside Weisz. It delivers grounded acting and adrenaline-fueled action while keeping the franchise's spirit alive as an effective bridge.

[Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/blog/review-the-bourne-legacy/)

## Radio Times — Alan Jones

Rating 3/5. 

After a convoluted opening that confusingly links to the earlier films, the director picks up the pace in this smaller-scale but well-crafted thriller. Highlights include a tense shoot-out and a motorbike chase finale through Manila's streets.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-tbx8gz/the-bourne-legacy/)

## The New Yorker — David Denby

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 6 August 2012. 

The critic finds the film enjoyable with strong set pieces like the motorcycle chase but notes it lacks the continuous momentum of prior entries and feels more conventional. Without Matt Damon, the series loses much of its soul and emotional depth despite Renner's capable performance.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/08/13/running-men)

## Vulture — David Edelstein

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 10 August 2012. 

The film has a botched opening, limp ending, and uneven action but delivers a paranoid rush in the middle, particularly through one well-executed sequence and Rachel Weisz's performance. It leans on franchise familiarity for its appeal despite cynical execution.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2012/08/movie-review-the-bourne-legacy.html)

## Slant Magazine — Jaime N. Christley

Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 7 August 2012. 

The movie is silly and mostly a standard spy caper with only one truly thrilling sequence, but it benefits from strong office scenes, Jeremy Renner's swaggering lead performance, and Gilroy's pictorial style over frenetic action. It struggles to maintain integrity in its third act.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-bourne-legacy/)

## The Times

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 9 August 2012. 

The critic finds the film workmanlike rather than game-changing, with too much exposition over action. They single out the thrilling Manila chase sequence for praise but note a corny ending.

[Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/the-bourne-legacy-053nmp2n0tm)

## Time Out — Nigel Floyd

Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 9 August 2012. 

The film shares DNA with the earlier Bourne movies but draws from the shallower end of the gene pool; Renner's committed performance helps but the genetically enhanced character is harder to identify with than Damon's. Action scenes are competently staged but the plot contortions and exhausting climax raise doubts about creative sustainability.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-bourne-legacy-1)

## Little White Lies — Adam Lee Davies

Rating 4/2/1. 9 August 2012. 

The critic finds the film dismal and inessential, over-conceptualized with too much exposition and reliance on the prior trilogy, resulting in a talky, confusing entry light on action. Renner tries hard but the film wastes time justifying its existence and features uninspired set pieces.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-bourne-legacy)

## Variety — Peter Debruge

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 6 August 2012. 

The critic finds the sequel overlong with too little action and an unnecessarily complicated plot, criticizing the shift away from the protagonist in favor of backroom dealings. Renner lacks Damon's magnetism, and the film frustrates rather than engages until a rushed final reel.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2012/film/reviews/the-bourne-legacy-1117948003/)

## Empire — Ian Nathan

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 22 April 2011. 

The film is a sideways sequel that feels ham-fisted and weighed down by exposition, failing to capture the essence of the previous Bourne entries with Jeremy Renner in the lead role.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/bourne-legacy-review/)

## Evening Standard

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 10 August 2012. 

Without Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass the film lacks soul and fails to engage despite technically sound action sequences, coming across as busy but empty.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-bourne-legacy-review-8030704.html)

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 19 August 2012. 

The critic finds the film a disappointing attempt to keep the franchise afloat, written and directed by Tony Gilroy. They single out the overly long Manila chase scene as inferior to earlier Bourne set pieces.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/aug/19/the-bourne-legacy-review)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 6 August 2012. 

The film is capable but uninspired, with the series legacy lessened by familiarity, an insufficiently conceived lead character, and excessive backstory. It maintains the tone and look but delivers diminished visceral excitement compared to prior entries.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/bourne-legacy-film-review-358482/)

## The Telegraph — Patrick Smith

Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 9 August 2012. 

The critic finds the film overlong, overly complicated and veering towards parody. They single out the lack of intelligence compared to predecessors and the absence of Matt Damon's charisma.

[Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/9464027/Bourne-Legacy-first-review.html)

## /Film — Germain Lussier

Rating 7/10. 8 August 2012. 

The film feels short despite its length due to limited action, which is exciting when it arrives, but it prioritizes expository information and character setup over thrills in a manner more like Gilroy's earlier films than the Bourne series.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/522201/the-bourne-legacy-review-light-action-lots/)

## HeyUGuys — Adam Lowes

Rating 3.5/5. 13 August 2012. 

The film is a well-made standalone action thriller that ties into the previous Bourne story in an imaginative way but lacks the propulsive narrative and self-discovery arc of earlier entries, with too much exposition before the action delivers.

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/the-bourne-legacy-review/)

## Digital Spy — Stella Papamichael

Rating 3/5. 11 August 2012. 

The critic sees Renner as a natural, rougher action hero who fits the ground-level thrills, with brisk pacing and a successful Manila chase. The film feels like a thinner photocopy of the originals, lacking depth in character isolation or drug effects.

[Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a398808/the-bourne-legacy-review-jeremy-renner-a-natural-born-action-hero/)

## Collider — Matt Goldberg

Rating 5.7/10. 9 August 2012. 

The critic finds the film flabby and forgettable, criticizing its pacing and lack of focus, while praising Jeremy Renner's performance as the standout element.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/the-bourne-legacy-review/)

## The Wrap — Alonso Duralde

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 9 August 2012. 

The film suffers from franchise fatigue, with far too much tedious exposition about the spy program's inner workings and not enough of the signature action. The stunt sequences that do appear are thrilling and on par with the earlier entries, and Jeremy Renner and Rachel Weisz deliver solid performances.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/bourne-legacy-review-no-seriously-cut-chase-51451/)

## Den of Geek — Ryan Lambie

Rating 2 out of 5. 9 August 2012. 

The critic finds the film exposition-heavy and talky, with repetitive dialogue and poor pacing that saps the energy of prior entries despite solid action set pieces. Renner and Weisz deliver strong, humane performances that make it just about watchable.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-bourne-legacy-review/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-bourne-legacy.md