Reel Reflections

‘Bourne Supremacy’ successfully defies long trend of disappointing sequels

Director Paul Greengrass’ second movie in Bourne Trilogy is refreshing, action-packed adventure

As an action-packed adrenaline rush, "The Bourne Supremacy" proves Hollywood still can make good action movies.

For anyone who doesn’t know, "The Bourne Supremacy" is the sequel to "The Bourne Identity," both of which are adapted from writer Robert Ludlum’s Bourne trilogy.

In the first movie we are introduced to Jason Bourne, the main character played by Matt Damon ("Ocean’s Twelve"), an amnesiac CIA hitman. We learn in the first movie that Bourne was an operative for the CIA program Treadstone, lead by Ward Abbot, played by Brian Cox ("The Ringer").

Bourne meets and falls in love with Marie, played by German actress Franka Potente ("The Bourne Identity"), who falls in love with Bourne. The people of Treadstone, believing Bourne has gone rogue, attempt to kill him.

After a wild adventure, the movie ends as Jason and Marie escape to a coastal town in India.

The Bourne Supremacy, directed by Paul Greengrass ("Bloody Sunday"), picks up right where the Bourne Identity left off — with Jason and Marie living in India. There is much Jason still cannot remember, and he is always haunted by a recurring dream that actually may have occurred.

While Jason and Marie are in India, we learn that a CIA operation led by Pamela Landy, played by Joan Allen ("The Notebook"), has been blown. Also, Marie and Jason’s happy existence in India is shattered after a Russian oil tycoon sends an assassin after them. Jason, mistakenly believing that Treadstone still is trying to kill him, decides to end it once and for all.

Fans of action movies will not be disappointed by the newest addition to the genre. Paul Greengrass does a great job keeping the movie moving at a face pace with action sequences, including several memorable scenes — especially an exciting car chase scene in Moscow.

Damon is perfectly believable as the dark and haunted Jason Bourne. He is supported by a good class of actors, including Julia Stiles ("The Prince and Me") returning as Nicky, the information specialist, and Karl Urban ("Lord of the Rings"), as the Russian assassin. Stiles’ character does a terrific job conveying the absolute terror her character feels when she is confronted face-to-face by Bourne.

Urban plays a decidedly different role than the one he played in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and he makes for a solid bad guy.

"The Bourne Supremacy" is not without some flaws. First, the movie looks like it was shot with a handheld camera, creating a jerky movement on screen. Some people might like this technique, but it distracts from the action.

Other than the camera- work, the movie was enjoyable and worth the money. It was refreshing to see an action movie that made some sense with no major plot holes.

Ultimately the plot of "The Bourne Supremacy" is a rarity indeed — a Hollywood sequel that actually is as good as its predecessor.