The Bourne Supremacy will likely not dazzle you with its startling originality or charming personality. But what it will do is entertain you. A whole lot.
In a summer packed full of ambitious disappointments, here is a film that strives small and achieves great.
Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) used to be a professional assassin for the CIA, but he doesn't really remember most of that. He's done with his former life, and he just wants to live a low-key existence with his beautiful girlfriend. But...no, that isn't gonna work out. Too many enemies, you see. It isn't too long after he and the lady have settled down that he's almost gunned downed by an anonymous enemy. Time to leave for another country? No such luck, James. You've been framed for double homicide, and your passport's been flagged. What's going on? The audience knows, but James doesn't. And it's going to be one hell of a ride getting all this straightened out.
Joan Allen shares the spotlight in this one as the caseworker trying to track down Bourne. She's perfect in the role, as is Damon as Bourne, but this really isn't a film about performances. They rightfully keep their acting low-key and let the fast-paced editing do its job. This is a film so tightly delivered that the actual content is almost secondary.
And the action? Lots of chasing, lots of fist-to-fist, and lots of fast cars. It's every cliche done as skillfully as ever.
Maybe a film like this is irrelevant in a world where we have Alias and 24 delivering similar goods with bigger twists every week, but it's refreshing to see that such a standard action/thriller can still work this perfectly on the big screen, too.
Plus...that Matt Damon kid? Nice to look at. |
