It’s not fun being a lab rat

            What a wonderful way to promote international exposure by placing virus in our land and shooting the adrenaline pumping scenes in the slum. Thanks to the reel deal, I hope our government officials will bear a conscience and start repairing areas as they should have for eons. The Bourne Legacy promoted the Philippines in a painfully honest manner projecting to foreign tourists how densely populated our country is and how life goes for those living below the poverty line. But nevertheless, all nations have its unappealing areas. The rich and nouveau riche will not attain certain social status without them.

            Our movie began with Aaron Cross (Jeremy Runner) whose life was literally cold as ice traveling from mountains to mountains drinking the mysterious green and blue pill. For a moment I thought Keanu Reeves will apparate and give him the red pill instead and together they will shout at the top of their lungs: “Darna!” But no, Aaron continued to live his life surpassing adversities leaving the audience perplexed as to who he is. It gave me time to munch all my food. Soon, Retired Col. Eric Byer (Edward Norton) and his colleagues were introduced who happens to be working under an elite team and who has vast knowledge of “the program”. Because Jason Bourne (part of another program) induced mayhem, they wanted to wipe out all under the program to control the damage. However, as with the all the movies, they are hard to eradicate. For years they (Edward and team) have been investigating the effects of viruses and controlling its consequences on the human body. Jeremy was Program No. 5 where he and Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz) meets for tests. An expert on the field of biology, virology and immunology (nerd) she soon was included in the drama as one of her colleagues, for unexplained reasons, went suicidal. To cut the story short, since Rachel was only survivor in the lab, a part of the elite force wanted to kill her however Jeremy saved him and soon was questioning her about the pill. Does she know about the pill? What is the pill all about? Does she have sample of the pill and not the oral contraceptive pill. Rachel who’s still recovering from the incident was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, explaining on detail about what she knows and asks why he was still taking the green pill for it only was M&M’s and Skittles. Again, to cut the story even shorter, Rachel doesn’t have any pills just Maxi peel. Rachel clarified that he was already infected with the virus and was already stable. This part of the movie was boggling to the audience and would give me a migraine if I were not medically inclined. They have to visit the Philippines for the virus was located in a pink workers factory. Come Philippines and its all mayhem and running and motorcycle chase and theater actors. And then a short aerial view of the beautiful island of Palawan and then, the end. My mind went blank for a second and said eh!

           

            The movie, should we say, is a spin-off of the remaining Bourne installments. The big screen is slowly transforming into television series giving the audience the anticipation and the hunger for the next installment. Bourne has still its elements of confusion, suspense and drama. The movie was short-lived and even I was lost in the end. I wanted to ask for a refund. I should have waited for it on cable.

The morale of the story is not to become a lab rat unless you don’t have any place to live or a better source of income. I was once a subject during my first year in medical school enduring hunger for eight hours for our diabetes test. I was promised to be given a delectable meal after only to learn in the end that it was a sham. Some people cannot keep their promise. Nevertheless, I survived with my brain cells inserted with intravenous fluid. We have to wait where Robert Ludlum brings us next. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to catch a frog.

Jason Bourne and James Bond should be a team

The friends who bring adventure to life