All action, no plot...but a great summer thriller

Rating: 9/10 (30 July 2007)

As those who have read the books and seen the prior films already know, there is zero relation between the the plots in the two genres. This Bourne is no exception, but here it is taken to the extreme. There is no plot whatsoever! Instead, we get two hours of really, really excellent chase sequences. While the trendy, shaky, hand-held, fast-cut camera work gets to be a bit much after a while, the non-stop action makes up for it. This is one of those 'suspend disbelief', 'indestructible superhero', 'the CIA is all-powerful' films, but it's a delicious summer confection nonetheless. It has nowhere near the nuance or thoughtfulness quotient of something like Scorcese's The Departed, but it's nevertheless a real crowd pleaser. I saw this at a small private screening, and *everyone*, young and old, conservative and liberal, action-junkie or drama- snob, came away liking it.