The Bourne Supremacy Review

Overall Rating

Camera work, location, car chases, fight scenes, political intrigue, dramatic tension, avoidance of Hollywood cliche.

Weakness of the character of Marie.

The sequel to the much acclaimed Bourne Identity, based on the Robert Ludlum novel of the same name.
The Bourne Supremacy carries on much where the last one left off. Bourne is living in Goa, India, with the ever patient Marie by his side, helping him to try and remember who he is. After two years of scribbling in his notebook and endless nightmares, he is not much further forward.
When a ruthless assassin enters this cosy new life, and Marie takes the bullet meant for him, Bourne goes on the warpath after 'them'. Surfacing first of all in Naples, where he learns that he has been framed for a murder of two CIA operatives in Berlin, and the theft of millions of dollars. Bourne must endeavour to stay alive long enough to find out the truth. His trail takes him to Munich, Berlin and Moscow, where he is both hunter and fugitive.
The plot is almost as complicated as in the book version, leaving you never sure what is going to happen next. Joan Allen (Pamela Landy) and Brian Cox, are convincing, as the time served warring CIA operatives Pamela Landy and Abbot Ward. Juilia Stiles is superb as Nikki the Treadstone field op from Paris, and Damon does not disappoint as Bourne, doing his own stunts and speaking passable German, and presumably adequate Russian. Franka Potente does her best with the anaemic Marie character, leaving Allen to play the strong female character (Landy). Greengrass's hand-held camera work gives this psychological action thriller an edgy feel, and real cars are used for the car chase scenes which have you on the edge of your seat.
The ending is a resolution of sorts, with Bourne making amends for past misdeeds and gaining a clue to his true identity, his alter ego David Webb. This leaves the way open for a third film, now doubt called The Bourne Ultimatum, in which Bourne/Webb explores the sensitive, intellectual side of his nature, only to have his new life shattered once again by another fit-up by rogue secret services operatives, and the flying bullets of ruthless assasins.
All in all, this a perfectly fine action thrille r, nd a DVD you will want to watch more than once, if only to figure our what is going on.