Fast-paced sequel succeeds as equal to original

Rating: 10/10 (8 April 2005)

After regaining his memory and settling his complicated affairs, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) has holed away in an island paradise intent on setting up a new life with Marie (Franka Potente). We are quickly brought back into the life of these characters and are shocked at the events which (too) quickly follow. Circumstances again throw Bourne back into his former life as he must prove his innocence.
Wonderful action sequences are everywhere in this movie. Director Paul Greengrass sets them up wonderfully and executes them with near-perfection. My only complaints lie with the camera work; it's far too shaky. Face it, Hollywood. No matter what you attempt you can not make a movie look like anything but. Ditch the handhelds and go back to nice, clean, steady shotsyou know, the kind that actually allows you to see and comprehend the action. I was very frustrated with this, as there were times it was difficult to tell what was happening. Of course, this has been a common occurrence for about the last ten years.
That aside, this movie is as engaging as the original was a surprise. Joan Allen is excellent, as always, as the agent tracking Bourne. Matt Damon is just as good here, trying to determine who is setting him up and why, as he was the first time around, frantically trying to recovery his memory to determine why people were trying to kill him. I was so wrapped up in the movie, I was surprised to see it end. It reaches its conclusion in a rather low-key fashion, after a breathtaking chase through the streets of Moscow. I can't wait to see what this character will run into next.