Damon's spy franchise has hit the ground running.

Rating: Null/10 (15 August 2004)

Rating: **** (out of *****)
Two years on from the events of The Bourne Identity, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is holidaying with his girlfriend Marie (Franka Potente) before he is suddenly tracked by both a Russian hired killer (Karl Urban), and the CIA, who hold him responsible for a murder. Once again, he has to go on the run, and thus set the scene for a series of previously unexpected (and eventful) happenings
At a time when the James Bond franchise is literally at an all-time low  the last entry was a failure and they don't even have anyone to play 007 at present  it is a relief to know that there are people who can still give us very good espionage thrillers, in the form of the cinematic adaptations of Robert Ludlum's Bourne novels. The Bourne Identity was solid entertainment, but The Bourne Supremacy is pretty close to excellent. It is supreme in almost every way.
I haven't said that much about the plot, because doing so would only reveal several surprises, twists and complexities that beat almost anything I've seen this year. What I will say is that it is certainly best to have seen The Bourne Identity before you see this. Not that you will be lost in the plot of this film or anything, but seeing the first film will lend an air of familiarity.
This film's tempo is more consistent, John Powell's excellent score is more prominent, and the action scenes are suitably fast paced. Best of all, Matt Damon has brushed off the stiffness that was apparent in The Bourne Identity and truly made this role his own. This is a near-perfect spy performance. (I wonder if his fans would consider him a good Bond if he wasn't American.)
The supporting cast is as strong as before, if not stronger. Joan Allen effectively reprises Chris Cooper's role from The Bourne Identity, but does so more mildly and with greater subtlety. Of the newcomers, she is the most welcome. Franka Potente, Julia Stiles and Brian Cox return (with Cox getting the chance to show his more chilling side), and Karl Urban (The Lord of the Rings' Eomer) proves to be a more dangerous adversary for Bourne than Clive Owen. Another pleasant surprise is a small part for Oksana Akinshina (Lilja 4-Ever).
Doug Liman has stepped away from directing duties, leaving Paul Greengrass (Bloody Sunday) in charge of the action. He is a competent replacement, matching to at least match Liman in all areas except the action scenes  and this is one of the film's minor weaknesses. Too often he relies on the use of quick cutting and the shaky cam, and this is just an example of typical action director clichés being overused. Yes, I know that he's trying to put us in the heat of the moment, but he's trying too hard. Another weakness is that there's a distinct lack of heart in the film, which is probably due to the cold and distancing approach adopted by most of the actors. Just that little bit extra emotional depth would lift The Bourne Supremacy up to the level of a From Russia With Love. Even so, I highly recommend this to anyone. Plus, since there's another Robert Ludlum novel that has yet to be converted into a film (The Bourne Ultimatum), I think that there might just be at least one smart spy thriller that we can definitely look forward to in the coming years.