The Bourne Supremacy (2004)

Interesting things happen when real actors are cast in action films. The heroes and villains in films like this are better able to find shades of gray in the usual good-guy/bad-guy conflict. Matt Damon, Brian Cox, and Joan Allen all communicate a powerful intelligence in The Bourne Supremacy. That intelligence helps sell the non-action sequences because a scared intelligent person creates much more tension in a viewer than a scared dumb person. These characters should all be able to think themselves out of difficult situations, and watching each of them mentally process their labyrinthine game of cat and mouse provides the movie's biggest thrills. The problem with the film is that the actual action sequences are shot in tight close-ups and edited frantically so that the audience is never given a big picture in which to place the action. These sequences, especially a momentum-draining final car chase, do not measure up to the quiet moments in the film. Director Paul Greengrass appears to be more interested in the characters than in the action. He resolves the movie with a scene of personal confession, a scene that helps remind the viewer what is really good in the film, rather than an action sequence. The Bourne Supremacy is a humorless film. There was a kick in The Bourne Identity when Jason Bourne discovered his powers. The only time Bourne discovers something about himself in this sequel is at the very end of the film, and that piece of information does not provide any payoff. All it does is promise a third film in the series that hopefully will find a better balance between character and action. Thanks to the top-notch cast, The Bourne Supremacy is a functional summer thriller, but it could have been more. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide