The Bourne Supremacy
Directed by Paul Greengrass; written by Tony Gilroy, based on the novel by Robert Ludlum; director of photography, Oliver Wood; edited by Christopher Rouse and Richard Pearson; music by John Powell; production designer, Dominic Watkins; produced by Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley and Paul L. Sandberg; executive producers, Doug Liman, Jeffrey M. Weiner and Henry Morrison; released by Universal Pictures. Running time: 120 minutes. This film is rated PG-13.
WITH: Matt Damon (Jason Bourne), Franka Potente (Marie), Brian Cox (Ward Abbott), Julia Stiles (Nicky), Karl Urban (Kirill), Karel Roden (Gretkov), Gabriel Mann (Danny Zorn) and Joan Allen (Pamela Landy).
While the original film, The Bourne Identity borrowed much from the first novel of writer Robert Ludlum, The Bourne Supremacy borrows but the name. It's not a bad decision. Although the plot is far less reaching and complex than the novel, the action is as palpitating. Framed by villains who know about his past, Bourne fulfils responds in kind to the CIA operatives solving the case.
Unlike the first movie, The Bourne Supremacy relies less on character development and more an action and typical spy plot. However, it's far less contrived than much of the stuff out there. Several loose plot elements from The Bourne Identity are closed and mixed within the story. If you worry about Paul Greengrass replacing Doug Liman, as director, don't. He does a great job.
Greengrass kept and overdid Liman's trademark handheld camera shooting trick. It was not as subtle as the first film. He frames his characters tightly, and adds slow motion images marred with speed lines instead of flashbacks. While it works, the cinematography is standard action film stuff. Did Universal ask Greengrass to make this film more Hollywood-like than the first one?
