The Bourne Supremacy (2004)

Director:

Paul Greengrass

Writers (WGA):

Robert Ludlum (novel)
Tony Gilroy (screenplay)

Release Date:

23 July 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

They should have left him alone.

Plot:

When Jason Bourne is framed for a botched CIA operation he is forced to take up his former life as a trained assassin to survive.

Plot Keywords:

Jason Bourne | CIA | Assassin | Train | Shot In The Back

Awards:

5 wins & 19 nominations

Cast

Matt Damon	...	Jason Bourne
Franka Potente	...	Marie
Brian Cox	...	Ward Abbott
Julia Stiles	...	Nicky
Karl Urban	...	Kirill
Gabriel Mann	...	Danny Zorn
Joan Allen	...	Pamela Landy
Marton Csokas	...	Jarda
Tom Gallop	...	Tom Cronin
John Bedford Lloyd	...	Teddy
Ethan Sandler	...	Kurt
Michelle Monaghan	...	Kim
Karel Roden	...	Gretkov
Tomas Arana	...	Martin Marshall
Oksana Akinshina	...	Irena Neski

Also Known As:

Die Bourne Verschwörung (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violence and intense action, and for brief language.

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English | Russian | German | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) | Malaysia:18SG | USA:PG-13 (certificate #40976) | Canada:PG | Italy:T | New Zealand:M | India:A | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Czech Republic:12 | Finland:K-11 | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:12 (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Alexanderplatz, Mitte, Berlin, Germany

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Jason Bourne never smiles in the movie.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Jason enters the train to Moscow at Berlin Ostbahnhof, there is an announcement for a train heard on the platform: "... nach Hamburg. Über Hannover, Bielefeld, Dortmund." (... to Hamburg via Hannover, Bielefeld, Dortmund). There are no direct trains from Berlin to Hamburg going through these towns. In fact, there are not even on the way. Going from Berlin straight westward to Cologne you would get through these cities, Hamburg is farther north and there is a direct connection without any stops (takes 1,5 hours).

Quotes:

[first lines]
Conklin: [voiceover - memories] This is not a drill, soldier. We clear on that? This is a live project. You're a go. Training is over. Training is over.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Gilmore Girls: Emily Says Hello (#5.9)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Extreme Ways

A much more interesting, camp-free James Bond

The Bourne series are, without a doubt, the Bond films of the 21st century. What is even better is that they are the Bond we've been waiting for: one without the cheese, sleaze, camp predictable villains and cheap puns. This second installment in the series is a well-made, engaging adrenaline-booster and surprisingly every bit as good as The Bourne Identity.

Once again, we get to follow Matt Damon as Jason Bourne on the search for his lost identity. He had initially planned on putting his past behind him, but it sneaks up on him in the form of an assassination attempt in Thailand - while he is enjoying his life with Marie (Franka Potente). What I love about Franka Potente is that she is such a natural beauty and not in-your-face gorgeous like Bond girls and the like. It all fits with the low-key style of the film.

This film has mostly moved away from the flashy technology and violent showdowns of its fellow action-thrillers. Bourne Supremacy instead moves back to more traditional kinds of action, just like The Bourne Identity did. Its focus is the chase, not the confrontation or the gadgets. It is extraordinarily refreshing to see an action film like this, even more when it accomplishes everything it sets out to do and has so much brains.

The only minus to The Bourne Supremacy is its shaky, dizzying camera-work. I know a lot of people have complained about this, and usually I would disagree because this kind of cinematography can be a good thing, but it goes slightly overboard in the film at several points.

8/10