The Bourne Supremacy Review

Overall Rating

Well-directed and acted, with a brilliant screenplay. Matt Damon shines.
Again set in Europe, we see even more interesting locations.

The Russian assassin who hunts Jason Bourne is too much of a cliche as a virtually non-speaking character.
And why did they kill Marie off in the first few minutes? Although her death defines Bourne's actions, we still lose an interesting character.

Matt Damon returns again as the assassin with no memory of his past, and a fear of what the future may hold.
The plot this time revolves around the links between a traitor within the CIA and a Russian oil tycoon. Bourne, now living with Marie (Franka Potente) in Goa, is set up as the killer of an informer to the CIA in Berlin. Bourne goes into revenge mode after Marie is killed by a man who Bourne thinks has been sent by his former masters. But, in his hunt for those responsible, discovers someone he once worked with has set both he and Conklin (who appears in flashback only) to take the fall for a betrayal of the CIA.

Paul Greengrass (director of "Bloody Sunday" and "United 93") is the director of this instalment of the Bourne movies. Doug Liman is now exec producer. Greengrass produces a movie which, although different from the first, is certainly worthy of much praise. His way of building tension, and getting the best from actors is a match for Liman. Either Liman or Greengrass would be excellent if the third and fourth Bourne novels are made into films.
The action sequences are excellent. Fight sequences are again filmed by hand-held camera to give the impression of the audience being in the room with them, with martial arts expert Jeff Imada again choreographing them. The car chase through a Moscow road tunnel is a rival for the Mini chase through Paris in the prequel, and was the first such sequence filmed in the heart of the former USSR. And the more pensive, touching scenes (like the death of Marie, and Bourne confronting the daughter of his first two victims) are also very well-acted and directed. Greengrass again shows his skill in directing the sequence where Bourne escapes from the Berlin Police.
Damon is again excellent as Bourne, who is now much more of a hard-edged, shadowy man. Damon impresses in both the action scenes and the dramatic ones. This man is now irreplaceable as Jason Bourne. Assuming the third and fourth books are made into movies, Damon should be the only man on the list of actors for the character of Jason Bourne.
Joan Allen is also good as the tough Pamela Landy. She is a brilliant replacement for Chris Cooper's character of Conklin from the first movie. Her scenes with Brian Cox are well-acted, as two powerful supporting characters lock horns.

Based on the success of "Identity" and "Supremacy," Universal Pictures would be foolish to ignore the potential of making both "The Bourne Ultimatum" and "The Bourne Legacy" into Hollywood movies.