The Bourne Legacy (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

The Bourne Legacy breaks with its predecessors in a number of ways. It’s the first film in the Bourne series that isn’t based, however loosely, on a Robert Ludlum novel; nor does Matt Damon star as ex-C.I.A. agent Jason Bourne (in fact, the Bourne character doesn't appear in Legacy). Scriptwriter Tony Gilroy replaces Paul Greengrass, who helmed the second and third installments, as director. Additionally, composer James Newton Howard takes over for John Powell, who wrote music for the first three films. Howard’s score certainly has the tension and edginess required for an action thriller, but there's also a subtle sense of restraint on much of the soundtrack. Nevertheless, “Drone” features crunching guitar, chugging strings, and pounding percussion, and “Magsaysay Suite” fiercely thrashes and rattles as strings soar and guitar stutters. On the other end of the spectrum, the closing cue, “Aftermath,” artfully blends strings and woodwinds to brooding effect. A new, dramatically orchestrated version of Moby’s “Extreme Ways”—a song that's been used in all of the Bourne films—wraps things up.