Movie Review: The Bourne Supremacy

[andyfox]

Lots of fun. Sort of a combination of The Fugitive and Mission Impossible. Cool camera work and editing. A great hand-to-hand fight scene, and the car chase to end all car chases. If you like that sort of thing, and I don't, it's great. If you don't like it, it's still pretty good.
Everyone is deadly serious, especially Matt Damon, Joan Allen and Brian Cox, (but they're all very good), and the movie is dark and dank.

If you liked The Bourne Identity (and I didn't), you'll love this. If you didn't care much for The Bourne Identity, this should still be enjoyable for you.

[Ulysses]

I liked it. My short description to friends who watched the Bourne Identity was "more action, a little less plot." My longer description was "people do things Bourne doesn't like so he kills them or kicks their ass."

[turnipmonster]

my only complaint would be the lack of an overall thread. is there going to be a third one?

--turnipmonster

[Toro]

Liked it a lot, more than the first one. After the movie, I told my wife that I never considered Matt Damon to be the action hero type but that he was surprisingly good.

I think that there is no doubt that there will be a third movie by the fact that he still hasn't come in.

[Ulysses]

[ QUOTE ]
my only complaint would be the lack of an overall thread. is there going to be a third one?

--turnipmonster

[/ QUOTE ]

Ludlum wrote three books in this series - Bourne Identity/Supremacy/Ultimatum. Given the strong opening this movie had (far better than Identity, which did well overall), I suspect we'll see the third installment.

Based on her brief appearance in the first movie and her slightly larger role in this one, I wouldn't be surprised if Julia Stiles ends up playing a key role in the third movie.

These books are very dense with tons of interwoven story lines, so these movies are definitely adaptations in the loosest sense of the term.

PS: If this movie does really well, it wouldn't be surprising for them to try to turn this into a James Bond type franchise w/ add'l movies beyond the three books.

[M2d]

Andy,
you didn't like the first movie and you don't like the genre. either someone cashed in some favor chips with you or you have a thing for matt damon.
/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[ArchAngel71857]

you didn't like the first movie and you don't like the genre. either someone cashed in some favor chips with you or you have a thing for matt damon.

Cna't it be both.

BTW, I am young, how many JB books are there? I thought there were enough to at least make the first seven or so movies.

-AA

[GuyOnTilt]

It's a sad day when Americans actually come out of the theatre thinking this was a good film. No plot, no real character development, mediocre camera work, mediocre acting. Lots of explosions and split-second quick-motion camera shots thrown in to keep the movie-go'er on the edge of their seat, but a good film? No. I can't speak for the realism, but the only thing I found good about this film was that they did a good job with the lighting throughout.

Lots of fun. Sort of a combination of The Fugitive and Mission Impossible.

Okay, I'll give you that.

Cool camera work and editing.

Cool? Not really...it was your typical action/thriller camera work and editing in my opinion. Par for the course for this genre. Certainly not anything innovative or unusual.

A great hand-to-hand fight scene, and the car chase to end all car chases.

Ronin has the best driving sequences in a movie. Hands down. After I really watched those, chase sequences like this one don't impress me. It looked like they were trying too hard with their rapid-fire shots of the gearshift, pedals, random "swooshing" of black shots, etc. And like that Saab cab (I thought it was a BMW at first, but I think it was a Saab; could be wrong) wouldn't have stalled at least twice during that sequence...Granted, it was better than the car chases you find in most action movies, but definitely not "the car chase to end all car chases."

If you like that sort of thing, and I don't, it's great. If you don't like it, it's still pretty good.
Everyone is deadly serious, especially Matt Damon, Joan Allen and Brian Cox, (but they're all very good), and the movie is dark and dank.

I didn't like the acting, but dark and dank it was. They did a good job with that, but that's about the only really good thing I can think of to say about The Bourne Supremacy.

GoT

[mikeyvegas]

[ QUOTE ]
Cool camera work and editing.

Cool? Not really...it was your typical action/thriller camera work and editing in my opinion. Par for the course for this genre. Certainly not anything innovative or unusual.

[/ QUOTE ]

I beleive the car chase was all filmed with hand held cameras. That's pretty unusual isn't it?

[GuyOnTilt]

I beleive the car chase was all filmed with hand held cameras. That's pretty unusual isn't it?

I didn't read about how they did the chase sequence, but a lot of films use DV and mini-DV camcorders now and have for the past few years. So no, it's not pretty unusual anymore.

GoT

[WC64]

I really liked the movie and would definitely see the next one if and when it comes out.

[mikeyvegas]

... but a lot of films use DV and mini-DV camcorders now and have for the past few years.

The thing is, the entire chase scene was filmed hand held. I haven't seen any other chase scenes shot this way. Don't get me wrong, I found the movie to be just another summer "popcorn" flick and wasn't too impressed.

[smudgex68]

[ QUOTE ]
It's a sad day when Americans actually come out of the theatre thinking this was a good film.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think they must be used to disappointment. The US remake of the Ladykillers by the Coen brothers is a good example.

[andyfox]

This one was funner and the action scenes were different (the blurriness during the knife fight was interesting) and it had Brian Cox. His line to Joan Allen about stepping in a puddle without the right shoes was almost worth the price of admission.

[andyfox]

Hey, I didn't say it was Citizen Kane. The last two movies I saw was Stepford Wives and Dodgeball, so this was a gem.

[ArchAngel71857]

I didn't like the camera work. I'm sure it was acceptable from the art angle. I couldn't really appreciate the fighting because all I could think of was "I hate Blair Project Witch Project."

-AA

[Rick Nebiolo]

If you live such a life of leisure that you had time for Dodgeball and Stepford Wives check out that movie Maria Full of Grace I linked to yesterday. Hey, I'll make it easy and post the schedule in your area (http://tinyurl.com/5sjcg) (scroll down to the Laemmle's Sunset 5).

~ Rick

[andyfox]

Thanks, Rick. We'll go see it.

Shouldn't you be at the Grand Opening?

Regards,
Andy

[The Dude]

Thank God somebody in the thread said it. I thought I was going to throw up when I read the first 10 responses. I found the movie to be somewhat entertaining, but very disappointing considering my expectations.

I thought the camerawork was awful. The motion was so choppy, so consistently it was a headache. I mean, there are times in action sequences where it's apporpriate, but not throughout the whole sequence. And for crying out loud, an intro shot to a new scene should have smooth panning action, not a choppy shot of the landscape.

Overall the movie was somewhat entertaining, but nowhere near as good as the first. Let's hope for better next time around.

[Rick Nebiolo]

[ QUOTE ]
Shouldn't you be at the Grand Opening?

Regards,
Andy

[/ QUOTE ]

worked from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm today and started a bunch of games. we filled the new section and spilled over two tables into the rest of top section (ten no limit games total). after the appetizers (great shrimp, sushi, spring rolls, and other stuff), ribben cutting, then picture taking we ran a live action tournament that i can't play in. i was tired, we had plenty of help, so i went home.

i also wanted to go spend my next to last night with my visiting brother and hero. why do you think i do so much posting at 2:00 am ? /images/graemlins/grin.gif

~ rick

[astroglide]

dissenters: wtf were you expecting after you saw the first movie and saw the trailer? get overyourselves and save the critique for movies that are intended to be.

[BlackMamba]

Let me put it this way, I was sleep by the end of the movie. The camera work made me get a headache. I really didn't care for the plot. I found out what he did by the middle of the movie. Unfortunately, I slept through the car chase. And the hand-to-hand fight seen made me wanna watch Kill Bill vol.1 many times over. Overall, I really didn't care for the movie /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[astroglide]

i think that's all perfectly valid, i'm just griping about the "this, sir, is no citizen kane!" comments

[brassnuts]

I'm usually the one over-critiquing movies to my friends, but I really enjoyed this one. The jolting camera shots were a little annoying, but other than that, I thought Supremacy was a very entertaining film. Those of you looking for character developement... this is a action sequal with bascically one new character. What do you really expect? I'll agree the plot wasn't too involving, but the movie's "cool factor" made up for it in my mind.

[The Dude]

[ QUOTE ]
Those of you looking for character developement... this is a action sequal with bascically one new character. What do you really expect?

[/ QUOTE ]
Having only one new character in no way means there can't be character development. X-Men 2, Spiderman 2, Terminator 2, and many other sequels had great development of the returning characters.