"The Bourne Identity" was one of a rare breed, a summer action movie that actually treated its audiences with respect. In fact, that crafty little thriller gave the audience credit for being smart enough to follow some fairly complicated plotting.
So it's at least a little disappointing that the sequel, "The Bourne Supremacy," seems to treat its audience like attention-deprived videogame addicts. It's so full of quick-cut editing and camera work that darts, bobs and weaves, that what should be pulse-pounding action scenes are nearly incomprehensible.
True, the first film had much of that, but this one has so much that it becomes infuriating and more than a little tiring.
Still, "Supremacy" is briskly paced and the screenwriting is fairly clever and crafty and salvages the film as a whole.
Of course, it doesn't hurt to have Matt Damon in the lead, who is surprisingly credible as an action star.
Here, Damon reprises his role as amnesiac former CIA operative Jason Bourne. Still suffering nightmarish visions of his past actions, Jason finds himself constantly on the move, along with girlfriend Marie (Franka Potente, who returns for a brief supporting role).
But eventually, his past does catch up to him — in India, where he not only finds himself framed for two killings, he also discovers he's an assassination target.
So Bourne comes out of this state of "retirement" to find the real culprit and clear his name. Meanwhile, CIA official Pamela Landy (Joan Allen) is conducting her own investigation, and she discovers that there may be some ties to a covert agency. Her investigation also seems to implicate another CIA leader, Ward Abbott (Brian Cox), who may know more than he's letting on.
Director Paul Greengrass spends a lot of time here trying to replicate the style of the first film. But he really overdoes the "shakey-cam" bit, to the detriment of the action. (While the camera and editing crews are also at fault, the creative decisions really fall to the filmmaker.)
However, Tony Gilroy's script is a smart one (there's at least one big surprise here), and the cast does some good, solid work.
Playing a stone-cold killer who is trying to make a new life for himself, Damon does have the required physicality and placid demeanor. And character-actor Cox always excels in slimeball roles, even if he does appear to be himself from "X2."
"The Bourne Supremacy" is rated PG-13 for strong scenes of action violence (shootings, fist fights, a knife fight and some vehicular violence), some gore, occasional use of strong profanity, vulgarity (some lewd dancing) and some brief drug content (pharmaceutical use). Running time: 108 minutes.
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