choppy chop-socky *minor spoilers*

Rating: 6/10 (18 February 2005)

The Bourne Supremacy is a flawed sequel compared to the Bourne Identity. The formerly baby-faced Matt Damon burned off his fatty cheeks for the first movie, but he still isn't convincing as a stone-faced, unfeeling killer. He pulls off the athletic moves well but seems a bit of a miscast, especially with the female balance from the first movie playing a lesser part. Listening to the director's commentary, intentions of portraying Bourne as a "seeker of truth denied" did not go so well either.
The editing has got to be the worst part of the movie. Sure, the MTV-style edits are excellent and wholly complement the quick-draw, Kali-trained fists of Jason Bourne, but they absolutely do not work for CIA office politics. The talkie parts cut and swung back and forth like an undisciplined drunken ninja, from the steely Landy to the wily Abbot, giving each maybe three seconds (I counted) before cutting away again. Maybe it suggests chaos, competition and conflict, but it came across as amateur, as if a naked hairy circus strongman were to suddenly appear on frame, and they had to do a big CIA cover-up through editing. I did enjoy the exposition, but the camera-work just did not fit. Another plus is the fantastic European setting, although they cut away from the scenery and did not use it to its fullest. Moderate effort, but I would stick with The Bourne Identity.