The summer of stellar sequels continues with Matt Damon returning as Jason Bourne, a former CIA hit-man with mad skills and a nasty case of hypomnesia. Two years removed from a deadly run-in with his past, Bourne wants nothing more than to be left alone with his scattered memories and his girl (Franka Potente, back – but not for long – from the first film) at their beachfront hideaway far off the grid in India. That, of course, ain’t gonna happen. A covert op in Berlin goes wrong, Bourne is framed, and quickly set upon by both the government agency that created him and a band of murderous Russians who set him up. The hunted, however, soon becomes hunter – and this one-man wrecking crew is hellbent on avenging his lover’s death and maybe even righting a few past wrongs. Paul Greengrass (“Bloody Sunday”) seamlessly takes over the directing duties from Doug Liman, shooting most of the action sequences with a hand-held camera that conveys a strong sense of spontaneity while heightening the intensity. It feels like we’re there, especially in a climactic car chase through the streets of Moscow that ranks among the most the goose-pimply getaways of all time.
Damon– a star who doesn’t get enough credit for his acting ability – is superb as the super-spy who operates on instinct and brute force. The instant recall of suppressed espionage ability is pulled off effortlessly, but what most impresses about Damon is the way he imbues this innately impenetrable killer with such palpable vulnerability. It’s all the more impressive given that this time around, there’s no love interest to lay bare his humanity. You DO NOT want to mess with Jason Bourne, but you might give the poor guy a hug. The supporting cast is top-notch, with Joan Allen as the CIA boss in over her head trying to nail Bourne, and the eminently watchable Brian Cox as an old-school Langley manipulator who may hold the key to the film’s central mystery.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 23, 2004. Read the original PDF.