Very enjoyable - 8/10

Rating: 8/10 (7 January 2006)

"The Bourne Supremacy" is an action film, which is the sequel to 2002's "The Bourne Identity". It is directed by Paul Greengrass, and follows the story of Jason Bourne, an ex-CIA agent, who was part of a hit squad called tretstone. At the start of the film we see Bourne trying to get away from his old life in India, but is dragged back in after being framed for the murder of two other CIA agents in Berlin.
Matt Damon plays Jason Bourne in a gritty largely silent manner, and convinces as the cold blooded killer, especially in the way he goes about his business, with ruthless close quarters combat. Overall i would say it is an excellent turn from Matt Damon, and very different to many of his other performances. This is almost the opposite to a James Bond film, and it is a lot more serious. There are no cheesy one-liners or distracting love interests for Bourne, and this demonstrates how focused the character is. Instead of glossy sunny locations as in most action films, Greengrass chooses to represent the many cities involved as gritty bustling metropolises, especially Berlin where much of the film takes place. This film is on a large scale and other countries featured are England, Italy, the US and Holland. This shows the story is on a global level. There are also good action sequences, on a smaller level than in other action films like "Mission impossible 2", but in someways more exciting, as demonstrated in a thrilling car chase towards the climax of the movie.
In conclusion - the plot is interesting, and has many twists and turns which keep the viewers attention. There are conspiracies, double crossings, and a web of murders builds up. It is one of the best action movies of recent times.
8/10