The Rock, Vin Diesel, Arnold Schwarzenegger take heed...

Rating: 9/10 (25 July 2004)

The Bourne Supremacy is everything an action-packed, gadget-filled, butt-kicking action film should be. The story is superb... maybe even better than the original, the action is intense, and the pacing is quick. There's never a dull moment. 'Supremacy' is smart, quick, and exciting. All those Arnold Schwarzenegger, Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson (The Rock), James Bond vehicles should be ashamed of themselves.
Matt Damon returns as infinitely-more-compelling-than-James-Bond super spy Jason Bourne. Set two years after 'Identity', Bourne is forced out of hiding to once again protect himself and Marie from shadowy bureaucrats and possibly Bourne's own shadowy past. 'Supremacy' is grittier, darker, more suspenseful than 'Identity'. Bourne seems more desperate and has more difficulty eluding his would-be captors, and the film is better for it.
The one problem I have with the film, and it seems I'm not alone on this, is that the hand-held camera work is atrocious. Thankfully most of the camera work is steady, but some of the more action-filled scenes shake uncontrollably. So much so that it's hard to focus on what's happening. This prevents me from giving an otherwise flawless action flick a perfect score.
9/10