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Written by Tony Gilroy; directed by Paul Greengrass; starring Matt Damon. Released to DVD on December 7, 2004. During the last decade, it became quite en vogue to bash the studio system. Seemingly more focused on the money and the marketing angles of their films at the expense of the content, the studios often make an easy target. Whether you want to complain that the movies are too formulaic, melodramatic or repetitive (or did I say that already?), Hollywood serves up a variety of movies that provide fodder for all these complaints. However, for all the bad press Hollywood gets and generally deserves, there is one genre of movies that the studios make better than anyone else on the planet that critics generally avoid talking about: that of the action film. For an example of a sublimely enjoyable, innovative and excellent studio action film, look no further than Universal’s The Bourne Supremacy. Matt Damon returns in this sequel to 2001’s The Bourne Identity as Jason Bourne. Bourne is an ex-CIA assassin who suffered through a bout of amnesia in the original. In The Bourne Supremacy, Bourne is framed for a hit on two CIA operatives who were killed in Berlin and soon every available agent in the agency is looking for him. It’s up to him to find his enemies and clear his name. Again. Directed by Paul Greengrass (Bloody Sunday), The Bourne Supremacy is, for once, a literate and intelligent action film. Proving exactly how low the bar is set for these types of films, Greengrass achieves these designations by simply having Bourne’s character do what he has to do in order to clear his name. There are no superfluous fight sequences where Bourne establishes his character with the audience, or moments where he winks at the camera or delivers a one-liner aimed at laughs. No, he goes about his business pointedly, determinedly and as ruthlessly as necessary. The action sequences in The Bourne Supremacy are exceptional and surprisingly frequent; the film has more ‘big’ action sequences than any other movie I can remember, including Bad Boys II and King Arthur. Damon is extremely good in the lead role, possessing a fluid style of movement and fighting that plays well on screen. To his credit, Damon also did a significant amount of his own stunts and the resulting footage is vastly improved because of this. Knock Hollywood all you want, look at Catwoman for material if you must, just leave The Bourne Supremacy out of your rant. It is truly one of the better action films to have been produced within the studio system in the last three years.
chris neumer yes, it's true: Jason Bourne’s real name is David Webb. |
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