BOURNE FIGHTS FOR SUPREMACY

It's 2 years later, and Bourne, still plagued by throbbing headaches, has yet to fully recover the memories from his past life. He is pulled unwillingly back into action when he is framed for the murder of 2 CIA agents. Bourne will have to solve the newest mystery of who framed him, why, some of the past secrets of Treadstone (now dead and buried), as well as find a way to make amends for some of his past mistakes.

The Bourne Supremacy is directed  by Paul Greengrass, and in his hands it is a sleek, slick thrill ride that is convoluted but still thrilling and entertaining nonetheless. The focus here is on both the action and the mystery. The cinematography by Oliver Woods is still pretty good, but it's the editing by Christopher Rouse and Richard Pearson that comes out the worse for wear. It is faster and choppier than the editing in Identity, and borders on being incomprehensible (I'm looking at you, car chase in Russia). It's clear that the reason the editing is done this way is to place the audience in the middle of the hectic action, and while effective, it doesn't fully work.

Matt Damon returns in the role of Bourne and he still owns it (especially a scene later on where he sits down for a chat with a pretty lady he had done wrong). He remains charismatic, likable, and believable as a reluctant killer with a heart of gold who is only trying to do right, make amends, and leave his past behind him. Brian Cox is back again as Ward Abbott, the slimy and evil CIA higher-up who is obsessed with killing Bourne so his secrets won't become known. He is still perfectly hate-able and does a great job in the role. Another returning character is Julia Stiles as Nicky Parsons, a former employee of Treadstone. She gets more to do here, and the film is all the better for it. She definitely impresses (especially in her one scene with Bourne).

Karl Urban is super-cool and bad-ass as Kirill, the Russian agent who framed Bourne and has been tasked with taking him out (and I don't mean on a date, though that would actually be pretty cool). He leaves an impression and is quite memorable. Karel Roden plays Gretkov, a shady Russian terrorist who employs Kirill. He gets minimal screen time. Joan Allen plays Pamela Landy, Deputy Director of The CIA. It was her agents who were murdered, and she is on the quest for answers. She continually butts heads with Ward Abbott, as he wants Bourne dead but she wants Bourne brought in alive so she can question him. She is very likable, and comes across as surprisingly sensible.

The mystery at the heart of this film isn't quite as good as the mystery in Identity. It's pretty convoluted, and had me asking quite a few questions early on. Luckily, it's still very interesting and we do get full answers by the end. Treadstone is still a focal point of the film, though it was killed off by the end of the first flick. We get to explore a bit of Treadstone's past, and get a few more answers regarding the mysterious organization. Most surprising is that Briarcliff (which it was implied was Treadstone under a new name in Identity) doesn't play a role at all here. Pretty odd.

The Bourne Supremacy isn't quite as impressive or fresh as Identity was. The action scenes are way more chaotic and confusing (They are still great, just wish they were shot better), and the directing doesn't feel as strong as the directing in the first film. That said, it's appreciated that there is still a mystery to solve here and the character of Bourne is still as strong and likable as ever. The Bourne Supremacy makes for recommended viewing, just...maybe take anti-nausea medication before you turn it on.

4 STARS