In my review of The Bourne Identity, I was
clearly enthusiastic about the subject. In fact, the
exclamation point to period ratio in it was nearly one
to four. The 2002 film, directed by Doug Liman, was an
international success, and developed quite a following.
It grossed several hundred million dollars
internationally, boasting sleek action scenes and a
captivating story. It was only substantial that a sequel
be made, and the fact that source-writer Robert Ludlum
had already written one was a mere plus. Once again, I
found myself immensely enjoying the adventures of the
protagonist, Jason Bourne, but as a whole, The Bourne
Supremacy is slightly lesser of a film than its
predecessor. As slick as director Paul Greengrass’ style
is, his product isn’t nearly as engaging, at times, as
Liman’s was.
The Bourne Supremacy
opens to Bourne (Matt Damon) and his love interest from
the previous film, Marie (Franka Potente), who have
settled in India, together. Shortly thereafter, they are
trailed by men who are familiar to Bourne, when driving,
and forced to accelerate off of a bridge and into the
surrounding water. Seconds before their plunge, Marie is
hit by a bullet that was intended for Bourne, and dies.
He must go on the run yet again, as the CIA closely
tails him. Wondering what he has done to deserve this,
Bourne finds that he has been framed for the murder of
an agent and his wife. The Bourne Supremacy
serves as both an account of its title character’s
attempt to recover his true identity, as he did in the
first movie, and to take revenge on those who have put
him in such a questionable position. Surprises are,
undeniably, in store.
In this outing, the best part
of the picture is not the sly action sequences, but
Greengrass’ study of Bourne’s psyche. He has a bit of an
internal battle regarding exactly how exactly he should
handle himself in his tough position. His rather limited
knowledge of himself is rather prevalent in his
decisions, also. There is a particularly terrific scene
at the very end of The Bourne Supremacy, in which
he talks to the daughter of the couple he supposedly
murdered. While I won’t, by any means, spoil it, I must
say that it makes a bold statement about how sympathy
and the ability to identify with someone’s situation
impact an individual’s personal burdens. The one trait
that The Bourne Supremacy possess that its
predecessor neglected to embrace is psychology. I was
astounded at how deep this movie was able to be, within
the confines of its rather simplistic plot
Matt Damon is pitch-perfect
once again, in the multi-dimensional role of Jason
Bourne. Here, he concentrates more on facial gestures
and inner-fury than simple Bond-like coolness, creating
a more subtle character-explosion. The tone of his voice
and his eyes’ movements are always done with the utmost
level of thought, especially in a scene where he talks
to the lead CIA agent on his case, named Pamela Landy
(Joan Allen), as he points a gun at her, from the
building parallel to the one that she’s standing in.
Bourne’s point of view is shown through both his mind,
which is often worn on his sleeve, and the viewer in the
gun. One is that of a chaotic man, searching for
answers, crucial to discovering who he really is. The
other represents the straight, evil, and violent
one-dimensional side of him. Damon, in a tight bond with
Greengrass’ vision, displays this superbly. Even one of
his co-stars, Julia Stiles, who was downright awful in
the previous entry in the series, improves here, despite
the limited screen-time she has.
It is when The Bourne
Supremacy tries to satisfy the interests of its
younger viewers that is fails. The final action sketch,
in which Bourne simultaneously swerves a stolen taxicab
throughout traffic, to escape from his enemies, and
removes a bullet from his chest and cleans the wound
with Russian Vodka, is especially pointless. This does
not allow the picture’s plot to evolve, in the least. I
can see the point of continuing Liman’s fondness for car
chases, but I think that Greengrass should’ve definitely
shortened this particular flurry. His ability to combine
the old tricks with his techniques needed refining,
albeit somewhat acceptable.
I see that Ludlum has written
a third novel in his series, entitled The Bourne
Ultimatum, and given the success of this second
film-installment, the franchise is sure to become a
trilogy, in Hollywood. Being a fan of the flicks, I,
personally, cannot wait for the next one. If Greengrass
is to direct again, it will certainly be a treat, as the
style he has introduced here will be able to evolve.
The Bourne Supremacy is a rarity; it joins
Spider-Man 2 as one of the few pure
summer-blockbusters, currently in release. If all
box-office successes, from now on, could be as good as
this one, the world would be much better off.
-Danny, Bucket Reviews (7.27.2004)