Very entertaining, but not great

Rating: 8/10 (6 August 2004)

I'm a big fan of espionage films and I think The Bourne Identity is one of the best ever, so I really expected a lot from the sequel. This caused some slight disappointment. The Bourne Supremacy is not nearly as good as the first film.
The plot is pretty solid, that is, non of the characters does anything evidently stupid or illogical (a Cardinal Sin in any good spy movie, James Bond excluded). Yet it feels a bit sloppy. A few of the plot twists are just too convenient.
One good thing this film managed to retain from its predecessor is the low-key action scenes. No exploding buildings, matrix style kung-fu fights or when-in-doubt-pull-trigger-style shoot-outs. It's all more restrained, functional. It's tactics rather than overwhelming force.
The acting is pretty good too, especially Brian Cox and Julia Stiles in supporting roles. The shaky documentary style cinematography seems a little misplaced, but I didn't think it was irritating.
Regardless of its shortcomings, this film is still a must for those who like the genre. Fot others it's just a couple of hours good quality entertainment. I'm rating it 7/10. Wait, OK, 8/10.