The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
It's been eight years since the release of The Bourne Supremacy, which has, over time, become my favorite in the Bourne franchise (which has now expanded to include a fourth episode). Here is my original review...
2012 Update: It’s been eight years since the release of The Bourne Supremacy, which has, over time, become my favorite in the Bourne franchise to revisit. (This weekend, the series gets an unnecessary fourth episode).
The original remains the strongest in terms of storytelling. But the sequel’s sense of momentum, its deepening of Jason Bourne’s character, and its spectacular action bring me back again and again. (It has developed a reputation for having unleashed confusing, chaotic action scenes. Maybe they confused you, but I found them to be thrilling and imaginative.)
As per usual, I found myself in agreement with Steven D. Greydanus (Decent Films), who wrote that Supremacy follows “in the tradition of the best sequels. There’s more plot and more action, and if the first film’s leavening human contact and flashes of low-key humor are virtually gone, Bourne’s humanity, and the moral and tragic dimensions of his situation, are ultimately brought into sharper focus.” He, too, considers this installment superior to the original. “Watching [the original], I was intrigued by the hero’s dilemma. With The Bourne Supremacy, I find myself caring both about the hero himself and about the story. [This] is one of the best thrillers in a long time.”
Too bad the third film, The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) couldn’t find more story to tell; it’s basically a blast of action that tries to hide the fact that all of the important revelations have already happened. I never got around to writing a full review, but my reaction, which I posted at artsandfaith.com, included these words:
What a strange movie. The choreography and execution of the action scenes has taken several steps forward... and the storytelling has taken several steps backward. Thus, yeah, it’s a rush, but it’s the emptiest rush of the three, and thus, for me, the most unsatisfying. It felt the action scenes had been stripped from a real movie, robbing us of the scenes about plot and character development. The Albert Finney finale? The big reveal? What a letdown. Unimaginative, preachy, forced.
And how’s the fourth film, which stars Jeremy Renner instead of Matt Damon? Well, I’ll post my review tomorrow.
Anyway, here’s my original review of that fantastic second film, The Bourne Supremacy.