Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) and Marie (Franka Potente) have been living off the grid for two years since the events of The Bourne Identity. But when Bourne is framed for the murder of two CIA agents he finds himself pulled back into the shadowy world he escaped from.
Bourne may still be struggling to unlock his memories and suffering with fragmented dreams that he cannot decipher, but he is happy with Marie in their current home of Goa and free of the CIA hierarchy that would use him as a weapon. That is until a mission in Berlin under the control of Pamela Landy (Joan Allen) goes catastrophically wrong, leaving two agents dead and Bourne’s fingerprints on an explosive device used to cut the power in the building. Bourne’s life quickly unravels from there pulling him back into the dark and murky world of being an assassin.
The Bourne Supremacy welcomed new director Paul Greengrass to the fold after Doug Liman’s various clashes with producers during the production of Identity. Greengrass’ biggest additions to the Bourne formula were tighter, more propulsive action and the use of hand held cameras. The latter is something of a bone of contention depending on your ability to stomach “shaky-cam”. Personally I think that in these circumstances it makes you feel more part of the action and increases the sense of urgency. Otherwise Tony Gilroy returns as writer and delivers a fascinating story that refers back to Bourne’s first ever mission as an assassin for Treadstone and its lasting impacts on both him and its victims.
This film introduces some fascinating new characters and expands some existing character roles. Joan Allen’s Landy is a superb addition to the cast as a CIA agent who seemingly has some integrity. A rare commodity in the Bourne franchise. Whilst Brian Cox’s Abbott and Julia Stiles’ Nicky get much more expansive roles. Cox is of course even more conniving and evil than in the original film. And Stiles becomes an integral part of the franchise here. The most important addition to the cast though is Karl Urban as Russian secret service agent Kirill. A man who really is a match for Bourne and who provides a real focal point as a villain.
The action sequences are also superb. A car chase/pursuit in Goa, an operation in Alexanderplatz, Berlin, a desperate escape using trains and boats as cover and a final epic car chase through the streets of Moscow. As with the first film we see both Bourne’s ingenuity in observing his situation and acting accordingly and the fact he is not indestructible, limping through the final moments of the film.
Supremacy may well be my favourite Bourne movie. It shows how Marie has helped Bourne regain his humanity, provides a villain that feels like a mirror image of Bourne and delivers some superb action in amongst a story that feels like it delivers some level of redemption for our troubled protagonist.
As Moby’s “Extreme Ways” plays over the credits I guarantee you will have had a great time.
If you want to read more of my opinions on Bourne check these out:
Phil the Bear's Film Reviews 
5 thoughts on “The Bourne Supremacy”