The Bourne Supremacy

Staying true to the cerebral, cliché- and catchphrase-eschewing spirit of 2002's The Bourne Identity, this breathless sequel has tense intellectual punch, seat-gripping action, and a laconic hero who is utterly compelling. Still suffering from amnesia and nightmarish flashes of his past as a CIA assassin, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) begins this adventure by having his peaceful incognito existence shattered by a rogue Russian sniper (silently daunting Karl Urban). Bourne assumes the CIA has come to finish the job they started two years ago, and immediately begins a hunt of his own--fulfilling his pledge that "if I even feel somebody behind me, there is no measure to how fast I will bring this fight to your doorstep." Smarter, savvier, and more exhilarating than any James Bond movie, this film and its predecessor have both been driven not by fight scenes or car chases (which are spectacular here anyway), but by complex characters embroiled in engrossingly multifarious intrigue and played by riveting actors, and that's what makes director Paul Greenspan's follow-up such a satisfying intellectual thrill ride, despite overused shaky-cam effects and minor slips of mechanical plot expediency. Recommended. [Note: Available in either widescreen or full screen versions, DVD extras include audio commentary by director Paul Greengrass, seven minutes of deleted scenes, the production featurettes “Matching Identities” on casting (5 min.), “Keeping It Real” (5 min.), “Blowing Things Up” (4 min.), “On the Move with Jason Bourne” on locations (5 min.), “Bourne to Be Wild” on fight training (4 min.), “CrashCam: Racing Through the Streets of Moscow” (6 min.), “The Go-Mobile Revs Up the Action” (7 min.), “Anatomy of a Scene: The Explosive Bridge Chase” (5 min.), and “Scoring with John Powell” (5 min.), as well as cast/crew bios and filmographies, and DVD-ROM features. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a fine thriller.] (R. Blackwelder)