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Review: 'Bourne' a thrill-packed ride
« on: Jul 23rd, 2004, 7:08pm » |
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Review: 'Bourne' a thrill-packed ride
Action sequences in Damon sequel better than original
By Paul Clinton
CNN Reviewer
Friday, July 23, 2004 Posted: 2:02 PM EDT (1802 GMT)
(CNN) -- It seems that Hollywood is finally getting the message.
Sequels to big blockbuster action-adventure films don't work when you take the same concept as the original's and throw more money at it to provide bigger explosions and snazzier special effects.
Sequels should stand on their own. "X-Men 2," "Spider-Man 2" and now the sequel to "The Bourne Identity" -- "The Bourne Supremacy" -- do just that, and the studios are reaping the benefits.
"The Bourne Supremacy" -- again starring an unlikely action hero in Matt Damon -- is just as thrilling, edgy and entertaining as the first installment.
In fact, the film's action sequences, including the best car chase ever filmed, are even better. And the movie also delivers a sophisticated espionage thriller showcasing a solid story with a character-driven plot.
Once again based loosely on the popular series of Robert Ludlum's books from the 1980s, this followup film picks up where the first left off.
Jason Bourne (Damon) is still on the run with his lady love Marie (Franka Potente reprising her role from the original). They're living in a small coastal town in India, and Bourne is struggling with a haunted past fueled by splintered nightmares.
Suddenly their underground existence is shattered when a mysterious professional assassin shows up. During their hasty escape, Bourne loses Marie, and he's forced to make good on the threat he made at the end of the first film when he said, "If I even feel somebody behind me, there is no measure of how fast and how hard I will bring this back to your doorstep."
Trust me, he wasn't kidding.
This film takes off like a runaway train, and the momentum never lets up until the very end.
The clock is always ticking fast. Moviegoers experience the rushing sense of being alongside Bourne as he relentlessly tracks down the people trying to kill him.
One of the reasons this sequel is so good is that many of the original players -- both in front of and behind the camera -- are back.
Brian Cox returns as Ward Abbot, a CIA operative; Julia Stiles is back as Nicky, and Gabriel Mann reprises his role as Danny Zorn.
The one major addition to the cast is triple Academy Award nominee Joan Allen as Agent Pamela Landy. Allen has proven again and again that she can hold the screen with an extreme intensity, and her role as Bourne's nemesis adds a lot to the success of this film.
Director Doug Liman stepped down after being at the helm of the first installment, but stayed on for this sequel as an executive producer.
His replacement, Paul Greengrass ("Bloody Sunday"), is more than up to the challenge. His muscular direction, brilliant eye for visuals and creative camera work go a long way in making this sequel as good, or better, than the original. He's created a paranoid thriller that is both intellectually satisfying and hang-onto-your-seat exciting.
Tony Gilroy has again provided a solid screenplay, and Oliver Wood has again brought his extraordinary talents to the screen as the director of photography.
A blockbuster with both style and substance is a rarity, and "The Bourne Supremacy" carries it off in spades.
The action is integrated into characterization and the locations across Europe -- especially Berlin and Moscow -- are used to maximum effect. They add a sense of realism -- and fresh style -- which makes this popcorn movie stand head and shoulders above others in the same genre.
And that car chase, which comes toward the end of the film, will take your breath away. It's even better than the one in "Ronin," which set the gold standard for chase sequences upon its release in 1998.
But in the end, it's the story and the strong central character that makes this film so special. Bourne's journey for atonement, which is the heart and soul of the film, puts a human face on the hyper-macho world of action movies.
Damon is perfect for this part, and you can bet there will be a third film, in what might be a franchise that could be around for some time.
"The Bourne Supremacy" opens nationwide on Friday, July 23rd and is rated PG-13.
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