The Bourne Supremacy (Widescreen Edition)

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Product Description
Re-enter the shadowy world of expert assassin jason bourne who continues to find himself plagued by the splintering nightmares from his former life. The stakes are now higher for the agent as he maneuvers through the dangerous waters of international espionage. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 08/22/2006 Starring: Matt Damon Brian Cox Run time: 109 minutes Rating: Pg13

Amazon.com
Good enough to suggest long-term franchise potential, The Bourne Supremacy is a thriller fans will appreciate for its well-crafted suspense, and for its triumph of competence over logic (or lack thereof). Picking up where The Bourne Identity left off, the action begins when CIA assassin and partial amnesiac Jason Bourne (a role reprised with efficient intensity by Matt Damon) is framed for a murder in Berlin, setting off a chain reaction of pursuits involving CIA handlers (led by Joan Allen and the duplicitous Brian Cox, with Julia Stiles returning from the previous film) and a shadowy Russian oil magnate. The fast-paced action hurtles from India to Berlin, Moscow, and Italy, and as he did with the critically acclaimed Bloody Sunday, director Paul Greengrass puts you right in the thick of it with split-second editing (too much of it, actually) and a knack for well-sustained tension. It doesn't all make sense, and bears little resemblance to Robert Ludlum's novel, but with Damon proving to be an appealingly unconventional action hero, there's plenty to look forward to. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews: Read 406 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars

The opposite of Bond...and very good for it December 15, 2004
86 out of 99 found this review helpful

There are no world domination conspiracies. No extravagant super-gadgets. No deadly supermodels and megalomaniac geniuses. Just Bourne, his wits, a couple of guns, and whatever else he can get his hands on.

Firmly entrenched in reality (as much as having a martial arts expert with photographic memory, incredible marksmanship and driving skills, coupled with fluency in at least four languages, and spycraft/black ops training is feasible in the real world), The Bourne Supremacy follows in the footsteps of The Bourne Identity to deliver solid action which is a refreshing break from the cartoon shenanigans of Bond.

The film opens two years after the events of The Bourne Identity, where Jason Bourne, a black ops assassin played by Matt Damon, had become amnesiac and severed his ties with the CIA. Jason and his lover, Maria, played once again by the German actress Franka Potente, have been skipping around the globe and are currently hiding in India. However, events beyond his control conspire to drag him back to the conspiracies and machinations of hidden players. An undercover CIA agent is murdered in Berlin, and all the evidence points to Bourne. Brian Cox, Julia Stiles, and some minor players return from the first movie, and Joan Allen is introduced as a high level CIA administrator who wants to track Bourne down. There are plenty of twists and turns along the way, lots of globetrotting, including visits to Paris, Berlin, and Moscow, and great set pieces.

The return of most of the cast from the first movie serves as a great means of establishing continuity. Strangely enough, Ms. Stiles is once again delegated to a very minor role (in the first movie, she was little more than a glorified phone operator), but this time around, she has a key scene with Mr. Damon. Ms. Allen has great presence and manages to hold her own in her many scenes with Mr. Cox. Mr. Damon thoroughly inhabits the role of Bourne, convincingly playing a ruthless assassin who, despite intense conditioning to be a remorseless killer, is struggling to regain his humanity. Mr. Damon has once again spent considerable time conditioning himself for the role, and it shows. He is lean, fit, and utterly believable in his fighting sequences. However, more than being just another action hero, Mr. Damon also brings convincing intelligence to the role. The audience can believe that Bourne is constantly thinking two steps ahead of everyone else, that anything can become a weapon in his hands, that he is always considering a way out, and that every act, even simply picking up a bottle of vodka, has a reason.

The image quality of the DVD is excellent, although in parts it seemed too dark. The filming technique used by the director, which involves extensive use of hand-held and shoulder-mounted cameras, has been much criticized, and must have been a dizzying experience in the movie theater, but in the confines of a big screen TV, it serves to bring the viewer right into the action. Granted, some of the quick editing and shaky camera work make a few of the fight scenes claustrophobic and confusing, but that seems to be the desired effect. There are a handful of deleted scenes (which are of much lower video quality and don't really add much to the plot; they are also all strung together - one cannot select individual deleted scenes), director's comment track, and some other production segments. I have not heard the director's commentary or examined the other documentaries, yet. One nitpick of the DVD is Universal's decision to add unskippable advertising at the beginning. One cannot press menu to escape; one is forced to fast forward through the useless ads.

Highly recommended.

3 out of 5 stars

A would-be blockbuster shook to death by a poor director August 6, 2004
81 out of 117 found this review helpful

3 stars may be generous, but I thought this movie told a good story. I think Jason Bourne is a great badass, played as close to ordinary as Matt Damon could bring a amnesiac assassin.

When someone says "This guy doesn't make mistakes" about a character played by Steven Segal you wouldn't be able to hear the rest over the audience's laughter, but Matt Damon has a way of making me believe it. Maybe it is Bourne's plainness or reluctance to take up his former identity's life that makes him so cool to watch in predator mode. I love how he tracked down his enemies and kept them guessing through the whole thing.

Sometimes all you need is a good story, but in this case even the tense script, great performances is brought down by the epileptic cameraman who could not hold still.

With movies in Southern California costing upwards of 10 bucks I often find myself weighing the plusses and minuses of going to the theater against waiting for the dvd to rent. I have to be seriously interested in a movie to be bothered with the theater these days, and Bourne Supremacy, I thought, would be worth it. The actors are worthy, and so is the story. Now I have to warn people that while it is a tense film and a well told story, it is a horribly filmed movie.

People use the term "shaky cam" to describe the constant shaking of the film, particularly during action scenes. Listen to them. They aren't exaggerating. Certain movies are hard to sit through, but not physically. This movie hurt my eyes, plain and simple. I could not follow the action at all. Why have lengthy car chases no one can understand? The cameraman should have checked himself, or the director should have checked him, or the producer should have checked the director. How could they not know that a style like that on a gigantic screen in a dark room would wear on people's eyes? NYPD Blue is a TV show! Shake the camera all day on a small screen, but what is wrong with the director of this movie? How could he think this would've worked?? I'll tell ya, somebody's to blame for wasting such a good story with such good characters by making the film physically difficult to watch.

However I will say that this movie might be a better experience on a smaller screen, but don't bank on it. If you're going to spend $10 see something else. I hear the Manchurian Candidate actually manages to hold the camera still AND tell a good story. Wait for dvd, then rent this. Don't buy cause you may find yourself closing your aching eyes and listening to it instead.

The Bourne Supremacy is a movie with a good story and a good cast shaken into a nauseating mess by poor directing, and there is no blame on Matt Damon or any of his supporting cast. They didn't shake the script around as they read it! Who knows, maybe we can get a "special edition" DVD where they hold the picture still... wouldn't that be a laugh?

4 out of 5 stars

Sneak peak at "The Bourne Supremacy" DVD November 10, 2004
21 out of 31 found this review helpful

The second film in a series makes or breaks a potential franchise. If the second Bond film had done poorly there's no doubt that that would have been the end. The same for the "Star Trek" film series (featuring either the original stars or "The Next Generation"). So the industry paid close attention to "The Bourne Supremacy". Had Matt Damon metamorphosed into an action star or was the first film just a fluke? "The Bourne Supremacy" proved that Damon and the potential of this film series passed the litmus test. Taking up where the first film ended, Bourne (Matt Damon) is framed for a CIA assassination forcing him to go on the run. He and Marie (Franka Potente) must pull up stakes in the sleepy seaside town where they've begun to make a life together. Bourne retaliates against the agents he used to call friends when he was an assassin in an intricate game of cat and mouse comparable to the first film. A warning about the film if you have a weak stomach is that much of this was shot using handheld cameras and creates the impression of a wild amusement ride during the action sequences. You may want to have your motion sickness pills close at hand.

Avoiding the spooky look of traditional cloak and dagger films, "The Bourne Supremacy" has the more modern jittery look of films like "Die Hard". The colors weren't vibrant in the original film but fairly subdued most of the time and they are well reproduced here with a sharp, clear and clean picture full of solid blacks. There's a touch of edge enhancement during a couple of sequences but it's kept to a minimum and is, for the most part, fairly subtle. The booming sound of the production receives a lively transfer using the surround speakers for maximum effect. One advantage of an action-thriller is that things are always faster, louder and over dramatic and those very qualities come alive in the 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound mix.

Like the original film (and its recent double dip DVD re-release), "The Bourne Supremacy" makes the most of the DVD format with some stunning examples in the way of extras. While the featurettes could have been combined into one larger documentary, the Special Features Producer evidently felt that the audience for this film had untreated ADHD as the longest featurette runs about 7 minutes. With nine featurettes included on the making of the film, fans will get an exhaustive glimpse behind the curtain at how the various effects were achieved for the film. Beginning with "Casting" we hear from director Greengrass about the challenges of selecting a strong personality and powerful actor to hold his or her own with actors like Brian Cox on screen. "Keeping It Real", "Blowing Things Up" and "On the Move with Jason Bourne" focus on everything from the location shooting in Moscow, the various physical effects employed on the set to create the spectacular action sequences and how the crew made it seem as if Matt Damon was doing all the driving in the riveting chase sequences. Damon also discusses some of the stunt driving training that he underwent for the sequences where he was behind the wheel. While he wasn't alone (I don't want to spoil it for you), it clearly gave him the confidence as an actor to believe he was driving the vehicle while in character.

There's also a discussion of how some of the more complex camera moves were achieved during the shooting of the film. "The Go-Mobile Revs up the Action" discusses the device they used to achieve the look of Damon driving and allowed some of the dangerous driving stunts appear even more dangerous on film. Featuring both producer Frank Marshall and Matt Damon, this sequence breaks down how these sequences were broken up so that the most amazing shots could be done with Damon actually in the action. "Anatomy of a Scene" breaks down the sequence near the conclusion involving a bridge chase, a jump off the bridge and landing on a barge. The final featurette has composer John Powell discussing his approach to scoring the film. A warning on all of these featurettes-don't want them until you see the movie otherwise the entire film will be spoiled for you.

Some of the deleted scenes add character moments for Brian Cox, Joan Allen, Matt Damon and other cast members but would have slowed down the film. While they are importantly sequences (and are of the type that will probably be incorporated into a "Director's Cut" ten years down the line) for the characters, they don't add anything to the story itself and slow down the overall momentum of the film.

A strong sequel to the first film, "The Bourne Supremacy" can stand on its own as a strong extension of the original thriller. The image quality is quite good. Keep in mind the washed out quality of the images and the slightly greenish tinge in many of the interior sequences was intended. With a nine featurettes that combined run about 46 minutes, the reality is that all nine featurettes could have easily been integrated into a single documentary on the making of the film. With scene access you would have gotten about the same results as the featurettes. A fine film that may have you reaching for your armrest to hold on for a wild ride, "The Bourne Supremacy" will keep you on the edge of your seat.

4 out of 5 stars

Bourne is Back! August 4, 2004
18 out of 22 found this review helpful

Sequels generally tend to be a bit of a let down, but not The Bourne Supremacy. Matt Damon is back as Jason Bourne, and this time around, Bourne is really angry. The CIA is after Bourne again, this time thinking that he has killed two operatives in Berlin. Bourne was actually 4,000 miles away in India at the time and living with his girlfriend Marie.

There are lots of chase and fight scenes, all choreographed perfectly, though the camera was incredibly jolted throughout and too many closeups make it confusing during hand to hand fight scenes. I overheard several theater-goers complaining of motion sickness afterward. It didn't bother me, I liked it-- it only added to the overall tone of the film, which is one of chaos, confusion, and lots of running.

Great perfomances by Matt Damon, Joan Allen, and Julia Stiles (who truly looked absolutely terrified when Bourne put a gun to her head). This is definitely a thrill ride, one that's fantastic to see on the big screen, unless you get queezy easily. It's not really too important to see the first film either before you see this one. It would no doubt help you get to know the character better though.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

3 out of 5 stars

Buy a Tripod! August 4, 2004
17 out of 27 found this review helpful

After becoming a great fan of "The Bourne Identity" (with Matt Damon, not the old original), despite Doug Liman's lame politically-charged reasons for filming it, I was glad to learn they were making a sequel.

The acting was fine, and, like the earlier film, the cinematography and special effects were great. But why the hand-held camera? I thought Hollywood had learned that people don't like it so much and had given it up. After all, it was a new technique way back when NYPD started up on TV. It's a dated technique now.

Buy a stinkin' tripod already! This movie only gives one good extended fight scene - after Damon had spent months practicing kali and boxing preparing for the filming of the first movie - and then the fight scene (with the German former assassin in Munchen)is ruined by use of handheld camera. You can't see what's happening!

A couple of logic gaps in the plot were big enough to drive a Mack truck through. When the Russian agent finds Bourne in India, and assembles his sniper rifle from a bag, then fires it at Bourne's speeding vehicle across a bridge, both he and Bourne are surrounded by dozens of Indians all over the bridge. The Russian watches the catastrophic result of his shot, then presumably disassembled his rifle and stuffs it back in the bag, which we see him carrying once again as he calmly watches all these Indian people around him yelling about the demise of the Jeep Bourne was in. What -- none of them would have pointed him out as the culprit, when there were so many that some must have seen him?

Then, when Bourne takes a train from Berlin to Moscow and the CIA finds out, they immediately notify Russian authorities, who somehow show up late at the train station to arrest him. Did the writers realize how long it takes even a high-speed train to travel from Berlin to Moscow? It's an overnighter, and at the very least the authorities could have had the train stopped somewhere along the way. But that wouldn't have worked with what they had written to happen in Moscow, so we get this ridiculous plot weakness.

And what's with leaving Chris Cooper out of the credits? Sure, it was just a couple of cameos, but it was new footage of him playing Conklin. They put characters like the guy who played "Second Policeman" in the credits, but not Cooper. For some reason he tends to get overlooked; though he carried "Lone Star" on his shoulders, he got third billing under Kris Kristofferson and Matthew McConaughey, who played far lesser roles -- because they were more famous. Cooper always gets stuck playing the most difficult roles, because he does it so brilliantly well - then gets left out of the credits on the sequel of a movie he helped succeed.

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