Film Review: The Bourne Supremacy

Director: Paul Greengrass

The second in the Bourne trilogy which features Matt Damon as Jason Bourne and as ever is based on a novel by Robert Ludlum. After the back-story was set for Jason Bourne in the first film, it gives the second film in the series more freedom in terms of plot and the opportunity to get straight into the action and the story much quicker.

Jason Bourne is once again a wanted man after being framed for killing two CIA operatives and stealing $3 million that the operatives had as part of a buy option on finding out who the mole is within the CIA. Two Russian agents have involved Bourne and then decide to have him killed after tracking him down to his hiding spot in Goa, India. From there he must escape from the Russian agents as well as the CIA who are ruthlessly tracking him down.

Marie Kreutz (Franka Potente) and Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) flee from an assassin

The Bourne films are very easy and enjoyable to watch, the pace of the second film is quick and efficient. You don't feel like you are watching too many scenes where nothing is really happening which is the key with action films of this type. The last thing you want to watch is a film that is bloated by needless scenes.

The story is certainly bold in terms of killing off a main character which is crucial in adding to the tension that the people you are rooting for will not survive anything. Although I wasn't so interested by the chase for Bourne in the CIA being conducted by Pamela Landy (Joan Allen) compared to Chris Cooper's character in the first film, she excels better in the secondary role that she takes up in The Bourne Ultimatum. The shaky camerawork is a bit frustrating in some non-action scenes when two people are just talking but it's still a lot of fun to watch which is exactly what you want from this film.

2.5/4 slightly lacks the intrigue of the first but still very enjoyable.