The Bourne Supremacy

Although I found Bloody Sunday absolutely gripping, knowing his style I couldn’t imagine how Greengrass intended to approach this commercial spy thriller. He approached Bourne in his very own way and the result is a realistic glimpse of the tricky life led by a former elite agent. From the first seconds, the pace of this picture is incredible and the way he steady increases the tension is completely exceptional. Add to this the solid plot involving nothing big, “just" a personal vendetta, and in the end the vendetta isn’t really so important. Splendid camerawork and Powell’s soundtrack suck you whole into the story. The acting is splendid too, even from the taciturn Matt Damon. As a whole this is a hugely quality picture, with added flavor in the form of nice little details that you appreciate fully only when watching it again (the poster about the demonstration and subsequent use of this information, the jump that went wrong and the limping and the fact that apart from the flashback and two shots in the tunnel, Jason doesn’t use a gun, and many more). Unforgettable, gripping, and nicely innovative (trans)genre picture. Bourne has set the bar so high for Ethan and Bond that it is almost unbeatable in its genre... ♫ OST score: 5/5 (07/10/2004)

The Bourne Supremacy, the second installment of the series (the third is a given considering the fantastic box office returns in the US, currently over 170 million) is awesome. The action moments such as fights, classic shootouts and car chases (don't worry, there's an absolutely amazing one at the end) are very sparing this time, basically all of them are seen either in full or hinted at in the long trailer, but that doesn't matter at all. It is a great action film in itself, which as a whole could be succinctly summed up in the phrase "Bourne searches and chases agents and agents chase Bourne”. The story picks up a lot of momentum after the opening ten minutes, giving the impression of a speeding machine that doesn't stop for a moment, and this impression is enhanced by a fantastically paced soundtrack that is a great experience to listen to on its own. I believed Matt Damon every second he was on the screen, and Karl Urban was also excellent as the icy calm killer. My only quibble would be the camera, it was a bit too shaky for my taste, but I was able to get used to it. All in all, a flawless film and one of the best of the year... And repeated viewings enhance the experience. (12/09/2004)

The simplest guide to return in royal style. Healthily combined hierarchy of opponents, even cooler approach and a flood of captivating and formally tousled action that has become the benchmark for every other action movie that borrowed a handheld camera. For the story, the biggest plus is definitely the cold-blooded duo Urban - Roden as a contrast to my favorite Pamela Landy. The fact that my heart rate immediately increases only when Jason appears on the street never ceases to amaze me. (23/05/2005)

The perfect prototype of an action movie. Excellently thought-out action from beginning to end, with a wise lesson to be learned at the end. Perfect camerawork, amazing directing, Powell’s brilliant music, an excellent story... what more can I say? I hope Ultimatum will be at least as good, if not better. (31/05/2006)

The Bourne Supremacy is less superficially spectacular than The Bourne Identity, but it is also more engaging psychologically and in terms of plot. The screenplay returns to the past, from which it uncovers new things, thus adding depth to the Bourne character. The film has perhaps the least action of any spy thriller from recent years, but the cleverly complex plot, in which Bourne is always one step ahead of his hunters, doesn’t need it. Besides, that one – final – action scene completely makes up for that. John Powell’s music rules and Karl Urban is a cool tough guy. (06/10/2004)