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If this post is making you feel edgy or aggressive, don't worry. That's just the testosterone coming from the three action movies I saw this week.

The Bourne Legacy
Starring: Jeremy Renner, Rachel Wiesz, Edward Norton, and Stacey Keach
Synopsis: Another "Bourne" movie, yay... ugh... After three movies, Matt Damon waived the white flag to continuing in the "Bourne" franchise. The studio, predictably, felt differently. Screenwriter Tony Gilroy — who wrote the first three "Bourne" movies — returned to pen the fourth, and took the director's chair as well. In comes Renner, who stars as Aaron Cross, a similarly government improved super agent, in a tangent parallel to the stories laid out in the first three "Bourne" films. But Cross, unlike Jason Bourne, has no memory issues. However, since Bourne's actions threaten to expose the CIA special operations programs that created these super spies, the government decides to can the program and kill all the participants. They miss with Cross, who then saves one of the program doctors (Wiesz) and goes on the run. Hence, the familiar formula returns for this movie. Government agents hunting down a rogue special agent. Gilroy is clearly familiar with the world, the tone, and the feel of these films. He does a serviceable job getting this film to the screen and giving it the right feel. Renner, too, does a serviceable job taking over this franchise. I will say, too, since Hollywood seems intent on making film after film in about 12 franchises, I prefer the parallel track to a complete re-boot. That being said, while this film is fairly entertaining, it feels like a re-tread of the previous films. They are too formulaic and never seem to really accomplish anything. I can see where it opens some possibilities for the inevitable fifth film. Maybe there will even be a sequel that combines Matt Damon's Bourne character and Renner's Aaron Cross. And the film does a nice job of creating a new back story and introducing new characters. For those that love these kind of films, this will be a pleasant surprise. It's well done, just superfluous. But, then again, you could say that about a lot of the films released the past few years...
Rating: PG-13 for violence and action sequences
Verdict: Two stars out of four

The Expendables 2
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Liam Hemmsworth
Synopsis: The all-star lineup of action movie stars from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s returns. It is an impressive grouping, and these guys certainly know what they're doing. This is another nostalgic throwback to an era gone by. And this film might actually be better than the first in terms of winking at the audience. There is more Willis, more Schwarzenegger, and more classic lines delivered in an homage to the classic movies that put these guys on the map. What's also impressive is that while most of these stars are in their 50s, 60s, or, in the case of Norris, 70s, they still look pretty cut. There isn't a lot of depth or mystery to this plot. This is a throwback film. There aren't a lot of fancy special effects, just ripped action heroes picking up guns, machine guns, machettes, and knives and doing battle. There are plenty of great action sequences — including a few impressive hand-to-hand combat battles. Van Damme is an ideal choice for a villain, and the rest of the cast works well together. I actually appreciated some of the humorous exchanges between Stallone, Willis, and Schwarzenegger. Stallone, who co-wrote the film, certainly knows what the audience for this film wants, and he makes sure to deliver it to them. There have certainly been worse films this summer. That being said, this film is loud, obnoxious, and overly violent. If that's what you want to see, then great. If you're looking for a classic piece of cinema, this isn't it. My wife called this a superhero film for old guys, and that's about right.
Rating: R for strong, bloody violence throughout.
Verdict: Two stars out of four

Premium Rush
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dania Ramirez, and Michael Shannon
Synopsis: Joseph Gordon-Levitt is having quite a year. In July, he had a featured role in Christopher Nolan’s final Batman film, “The Dark Knight Rises.” In September, he stars alongside Bruce Willis in the sci-fi drama “Looper,” and in November he stars alongside Daniel Day Lewis in Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln.” In between those mammoth films, Gordon-Levitt has the starring role in a little action film called “Premium Rush.” The film hasn’t gotten a lot of pre-release buzz, and an action film about bike messengers in New York City might not reach out and grab you. But it’s actually a pretty interesting film and another strong performance from one of Hollywood’s most versatile leading men. Co-writer director David Koepp (“Jurassic Park,” “Spider-Man”) knows how to put these kind of films together and does so well here. The time element, as well as the nearly constant motion, help give this film a sense of urgency. That adds to the drama of what’s a fairly simple, straightforward narrative. Koepp and co-writer John Kamps do a nice job of creating that urgency, filling in the narrative gaps, and introducing the audience to a new world. Most people that don’t live in New York probably aren’t familiar with bike messengers, or their world. A good chunk of “Premium Rush” is spent exploring what that world is like, and exploring the mind set of young adrenaline junkies that would want to make that a career. That helps gloss over some of the problems with this story. First, the names are a bit weak. The ones that don’t seem dumb seem cliché. Second, the plot is a bit weak. The story is predictable and seems like a bit of a re-tread of tried and true clichés used in this genre. Setting it in the world of a bike messenger makes this version a bit more dynamic, but doesn’t help make it totally original. That being said, the film is done well. Koepp has a good eye for pacing the action. The chase sequences work well and are fairly engaging. Additionally, the film does a good job of mixing in a little bit of humor and a little bit about the life of a bike messenger. Finally, the actors do a good job of selling the plot. Gordon-Levitt is a talented performer who continues to elevate the material he’s given. Over the past decade he’s showed his range in a variety of roles, projects, and genres. He is the ideal choice to headline a movie like this and adds dramatic weight to the role. Shannon plays a variation of the over-the-top, corrupt, villainous characters he’s played over the years, but it works. He plays off Gordon-Levitt well and fits in the world of this film. “Premium Rush” isn’t a great film, and it isn’t a totally original film, but it’s entertaining. It mixes action, humor, and drama well and offers a crisp, enjoyable final product. It’s not going to win any awards, but the film does its job in a way that holds your attention. That’s more than many late August releases can say.
Rating: PG-13 for some violence, intense action sequences and language
Verdict: Two stars out of four.

Released this week:

"Lawless" and "The Possession"