A sequel-happy Hollywood has created something to be proud of with The Bourne Supremacy. While this film isn’t shy about copying the style or tone of its predecessor, the current installment reigns supreme indeed. 2002’s The Bourne Identity, was a surprising success both in its theatrical and DVD release. It seemed like no sooner than the audience was finished deciphering the CIA jargon, our man Matt Damon was traveling the globe to continue the legacy of Jason Bourne. Inspired by Robert Ludlum’s best-selling novels, these two films combine intensities both subtle and sudden to skew the formulaic summer blockbuster.
Just because July rolls around doesn’t give film studios the right to underestimate the intelligence of their audience – or at least it shouldn’t. The Bourne Identity proved that a character both fragile and real can exist in world of danger. Bourne is by no means Bond; however his machine-like ability as an assassin provides more than enough flash for the screen. His skill lies in his cunning rather than his knack for dealing death. Those who pursue Bourne are natives of a place that is unknown to the public but a playground to fiction writers…the CIA.
Jason Bourne has spent the last two years trying to reclaim his memory as well as a place in the world. Frantic dreams fill his nights as he and his girlfriend, Marie (Franka Potente) attempt to conceal themselves on the coasts of India. But it is only a matter of time before the dogs continue their chase. Only now, Jason Bourne must determine just how big of a pawn he has become in the intelligence game. On all sides there are secrets and duplicitous intentions…but who is he running from? A suspicious assassin (Karl Urban) triggers Jason’s hunt for those involved in the top secret Treadstone project. Treadstone, long since buried by CIA operative Ward Abbot (Brian Cox), was an attempt to program a man to function on orders and execute them with deadly precision. Elsewhere in the world, two CIA agents are killed in the line of duty, Agent Pam Landy (Joan Allen) wants answers. Who better to suspect than a renegade black-ops agent with a vendetta against the CIA? To fight his greatest enemies, Jason must cross the line between friend and foe.
Matt Damon’s performance still remains one of, if not the greatest aspect of the Bourne series. If he fails, the film fails. He remains to be affected by each passing act of violence and each unearthed memory. It’s an odd mix; Bourne knows who he is in terms of his morals and drives, he just doesn’t know who he is. Although his life hangs in the balance in circumstances that are extraordinary, this does not over-amplify ...
