Barnes & Noble

This rousing sequel to The Bourne Identity, again starring Matt Damon as the amnesiac ex-spy created by bestselling author Robert Ludlum, boasts a stronger cast, muscular direction, and quicksilver pacing. It begins with Jason Bourne and his lover (Franka Potente), also repeating her role from the original) enjoying life in a tropical paradise -- that is, until she is killed by an assassin gunning for Bourne. Believing that the CIA is behind the attack, Bourne relentlessly pursues his old boss (Brian Cox), who's now dealing with a female administrator (Joan Allen) even more ruthless than he is. And it gets worse: Although Bourne doesn't know it, he's been framed for the murder of a CIA operative in Berlin -- which means his former colleagues are as eager to find him as he is them. The boyishly handsome Damon, whose casting as Bourne originally raised eyebrows, plays the preternaturally gifted spook with remarkable intensity. He's grimly convincing whether jury-rigging high-tech gadgets or dispatching experienced combatants in unusual settings. Interestingly, Damon's is a performance that's carried by pantomime: he has very little dialogue, and we understand much of what he's doing by his facial expressions and body language. Frequent cutaways to the opposition heighten the tension, especially because the Cox and Allen characters are working at cross-purposes; their dialogue exchanges are also wonderfully tart. Paul Greengrass (Bloody Sunday) rates kudos for vividly capturing exotic foreign locations while staging high-powered action sequences, including the best car chase we've seen in years, and maintaining an unflagging pace. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

The second chapter in the "Bourne Trilogy," based on Robert Ludlum's best-selling espionage novels, reaches the screen in this sequel to the 2002 thriller The Bourne Identity. Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) has abandoned his life as a CIA assassin and has been traveling beneath the agency's radar, eventually reconnecting with Marie Kreutz (Franka Potente), the woman he loves. But Bourne is haunted by vivid dreams and troubling memories of his days as a killer, and he's not certain how much really happened and how much is a product of his imagination. When Bourne is led out of hiding by circumstances beyond his control, he must reconcile his past and present as he struggles to keep Marie out of harm's way and foil an international incident with dangerous consequences. The Bourne Supremacy also features Joan Allen as one of Bourne's superiors, while Julia Stiles and Brian Cox reprise their roles as intelligence agents from the first film. Mark Deming

Entertainment Weekly

A conventionally heightened series of escapes and clashes and hide-and-seek gambits, yet the way the film has been made, nothing that happens seems inevitable -- which is to say, anything seems possible. There's a word for that sensation. It's called excitement. Owen Gleiberman

New York Times

This is high-speed action realism carried off with the dexterity of a magician pulling a hundred rabbits out of a hat in one graceful gesture. The crowning flourish is an extended car chase through the streets and tunnels of Moscow that ranks as one of the three or four most exciting demolition derbies ever filmed. Stephen Holden

Boston Globe

The way Greengrass lets you feel the violence is impressive. Most movie heroes punch through armies without scraping their knuckles, but Bourne's a believable wreck by midpoint. Ty Burr

Miami Herald

Achieves an assaultive intensity that adds a level of visceral excitement to car chases, mano-a-mano showdowns -- even simple conversations. It's a style that takes some getting used to -- the images flit by at near-subliminal speeds -- but proves tremendously effective. Rene Rodriguez

Product Details

• UPC: 025192499326
• Source: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound
• Editions: Subtitled, Dubbed
• Time: 1:49:00
• Sales Rank: 14,972

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• The Bourne Trilogy

Features:

DVD MENU