Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5581 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-01-24
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English, German, Italian, Russian
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 104 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Good enough to suggest long-term franchise potential, The Bourne Supremacy is a thriller fans will appreciate for its well-crafted suspense, and for its triumph of competence over logic (or lack thereof). Picking up where The Bourne Identity left off, the action begins when CIA assassin and partial amnesiac Jason Bourne (a role reprised with efficient intensity by Matt Damon) is framed for a murder in Berlin, setting off a chain reaction of pursuits involving CIA handlers (led by Joan Allen and the duplicitous Brian Cox, with Julia Stiles returning from the previous film) and a shadowy Russian oil magnate. The fast-paced action hurtles from India to Berlin, Moscow, and Italy, and as he did with the critically acclaimed Bloody Sunday, director Paul Greengrass puts you right in the thick of it with split-second editing (too much of it, actually) and a knack for well-sustained tension. It doesn't all make sense, and bears little resemblance to Robert Ludlum's novel, but with Damon proving to be an appealingly unconventional action hero, there's plenty to look forward to. --Jeff Shannon

Synopsis
Matt Damon returns as amnesiac assassin Jason Bourne in this fast-paced follow-up to 2002's The Bourne Identity. Forced out of hiding as the result of an attempt on his life, Bourne fulfills his earlier promise to wreak vengeance on his former CIA employers, some of whom may be in league with murderous Russians. Brian Cox and Joan Allen are both great as warring agency chiefs convinced Bourne orchestrated the murder of two of their own in a deal gone bad. Thanks to tense, gritty direction by Paul Greengrass (Bloody Sunday), the plot stays tight, the characters believable, and suspense and thrills flow steady. Moody photography enhances the urban European locations, which combined with handheld camerawork and fast editing keeps the action realistic and CGI-free. Vividly capturing the fatalist flavor of Robert Ludlum's original novel, this is globalism noir at its finest. Franka Potente and Julia Stiles are back from the original, and the always dependable Marton Csokas shows up as one of Bourne's deadly fellow operatives. A rousing car chase through Moscow may outdo the ones in Ronin and The French Connection for visceral speed and length. As the icing on the cake, John Powell provides a menacing, ambient percussive score.

Customer Reviews

Good but not as good as the original
I really enjoyed the Bourne Identity and was really looking forward to the Bourne Supremacy. While it didn't really disappoint, it certainly did not exceed my expectations.

This is a good film - it retains many of the strong elements of the first film: strong, believable performances, lots of tension and plenty of realistic action including some great chase sequences. However, in a number of important ways it does not reach the high standards of the first film. The plot is too similar to the first film and consequently a little predictable; some of the camera work/editing is too choppy and rather annoying. The cast is good and in particular Joan Allen is an excellent addition but Franka Potente is rarely on screen and is sorely missed.

Better than identity
The first film made the minor error of trying to follow the book too closely, whereas the second ditches Ludlum's story in exchange for high-octane and gut-wrenching cinema.

This film is even more real than the first and Bourne has to be even more ingenious to evade his pursuers, who deliver him a crushing and shocking body-blow early in the film which I will not spoil here. The ending is extremely well-written, although little is said.

This is clever stuff: to make a 'Bond' type film that is actually real, not eyebrow-lifting (sorry Sir Roger!) and that moves like the clappers.

The extras make you warm even more to Matt Damon when you see how they filmed many of the high-speed action scenes and the conditions in which things were done. Just as well Matt's a hardy Massachussetts lad...

A visual feast, pure cinema
Having seen the original on the TV and being completely taken aback by a modern action movie where the action is actually filmed in real places in real time...I went along to the cinema to see this one full of anticipation. I was not disappointed; it was a visual feast, pure cinema everything and more you would want from action movie. Fast moving plot, nice detail, great characters, some terrific camera work and a fantastic car chase to act as the cherry on top of the icing. A must see.