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The Main Characters
--Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is a secret agent hiding out in India with his girlfriend, Marie, in Goa India. When someone comes after him, he is forced to seek out his former employer’s to get them to back off.
--Ward Abbot (Brian Cox) is Bourne’s former employer. He ran the agency that Bourne worked for and seems to fall in some shady dealings.
--Agent Pamela Landy (Joan Allen) has set up an operation to get information on the death of a Russian Prime Minister years ago when her agents were killed and Bourne’s fingerprints were left at the scene of the crime. She gets access to his files and starts seeking Bourne for more information on why he seemingly busted her sting operation.
The Setting
All over Europe, from Germany to Russia.
The Plot
The film begins in Goa, India where Jason Bourne is living comfortably with his love interest from the first film, Marie. He is troubled by broken dreams of his past and has recurring nightmares of one specific event. The film leaves India where we cut to Berlin where Agent Landy has set up a stakeout to gather information on the death of former Russian Prime Minister Neski. Neski and his wife were murdered 16 years ago in what seemed like a suicide/murder. The stake is blown as mysterious Russian operative Kirill kills the Landy’s agents, who were getting this information. Kirill and his operatives frame Jason Bourne as the perpetrator. Kirill then goes to Goa, India and flushes Bourne out of his hiding place. Bourne thinks it is his old employers at Treadstone that are after him and goes out on a mission to find Treadstone and get them to stop following him. This of course leads both parties to realize the truth about the whole Neski situation and sees Bourne seek out Kirill in Russia as well as Landy learning the truth about Ward Abbot’s Treadstone operation.
Movie Review
The movie starts off on the ground running and doesn’t stop. It’s a true action/spy movie that really doesn’t let up. The story is tight and actually solid for a movie that is an action flick and things make sense. It builds off the first movie in a way that doesn’t make it necessary to have seen the first one to enjoy this one. Matt Damon is again perfect as Bourne. He plays the part just so well I can’t imagine anyone else doing it. He plays the confusion that Jason Bourne feels just perfectly. Coupled with that is the amazing camera work of the movie. It is jagged and fast-paced, simulating the confusion Bourne feels at the situation. In a way, we are made to feel as Jason Bourne feels. The action scenes are also fantabulous. The car scene in Russia is perhaps one of the best chase scenes in recorded history (though the wanton deaths it must’ve caused to innocents is just an afterthought). Karl Urban plays the ruthless assassin Kirill to a T, and everyone else throws in a solid performance. There was Joan Collins reserved performance as Agent Landy, Brian Cox’ powerful role as Ward Abbot, and even Julia Stiles low-key performance as Nicky. Excellent action flick that makes sense and doesn’t let the action overtake the plot. ***1/2.
DVD Features
A) Extras
1) Explosive Deleted Scenes (7:13)
Here is a rundown of the deleted scenes:
---A) “Shack”-Bourne goes to a shack (possible after Marie dies) and finds something (possibly cash)
---B) “Naples-buys the car”-Bourne uses said money from shack to purchase a car.
---C) “Abbott Gretkov in Berlin”-Abbott walks and meets Gretkov discussing the Neski situation and Landry’s influence.
---D) “Bourne in car, writing book”-Bourne trying to piece together Landy’s and Abbott’s relation to Bourne.
---E) “Westin Grande Lobby”-Landy meets Abbott in a hotel lobby about Neski’s murder. Abbot then frames Bourne for the murder he helped commit.
Overall, these scenes weren’t missed that much. It seems all of them would have come early in the movie and they were cut to move the plot along. Honestly, not worth the time to watch it.
2) Matching Identities: Casting (5:28)
Paul Greengrass starts off talking about Matt Damon playing the sometimes cold-blooded killer in a way that makes him the hero. Greengrass speaks of Joan Allen as Landy (and Brian Cox calls her one of the top 5 American actors) and then the interaction between Pamela Landy and Ward Abbott, and Joan’s and Brian’s interplay between the two. Paul then goes a little into Julia Stiles’ and Keith Urban’s character. Seemed wayyy to short, as they could’ve expanded on why the actors fit the roles so well and more of the actor’s themselves talking about their roles.
3) Keeping it Real (5:00)
This feature focuses on keeping the movie as real as possible and as cliché free as possible. To do that, an independent filmmaker (who has different views on the directing) was used, and that was Paul Greengrass. He brings you inside the action with lots of hand held shots, and close ups. Paul mentions how he tries to keep the actors from thinking too much and just playing the character and being natural. This was a very informative clip for its short run time.
4) Blowing Things Up (4:02)
One of the stalwarts of the action movies, shit blowing up. In this case, we take a look at the house. They tried to keep it as real as possible so no CGI was used in the explosions and the stunt men were pulled back via cranes. Really cool look at how that one scene was set up.
5) On the Move with Jason Bourne (4:52)
Location, location, location. That’s what we take a look at now. Bourne Supremacy takes us all over Europe and unlike other films, they actually went to the locations the move took place to film it. They went to Berlin, Moscow (which was freezing), and Goa. The extra concludes with a still showing that this movie is available on DVD! Must’ve come from a website or something which explains why the features are so short.
6) Bourne to be Wild: Fight Training (4:23)
You can imagine what this one is about. The fighting scenes were choreographed using the fighting style of Phillipino Cali. Pretty decent feature. The best part was Matt wanting to do all the stunts himself since the audience, “is so hip now that they would know if you’re using a stuntman.”
7) Crash Cam: Racing Through the Streets of Moscow (6:04)
This was the big action scene of the movie. They go over all the technical aspects of filming it, and what they went through. Probably the best feature on here.
8) The Go-Mobile Revs Up the Action (6:50)
The Go-Mobile rig is attached to the front of the car that gets an up close look at the driver in the car as well as surrounding areas. It is driven by a stuntman remotely and can give shots that never before would’ve been possible. Pretty amazing piece of equipment.
9) Anatomy of a Scene: The Explosive Bridge Chase Scene (4:43)
Jason Bourne is a smart secret agent; he thinks on his feet, he doesn’t have a spiffy gadget to use. He had planned to get the train, but of course, the train doors don’t close (where usually they would). So he ran across the tracks before a train hits him and jumps onto a barge. They show how they created this scene, especially Matt jumping off the bridge (and still needing to look cool). The best part was a take they show where Matt doesn’t clear the railing so he’s lying on it improvising. Cool stuff.
10) Scoring with John Powell (4:49)
John Powell talks about scoring this film with themes from the last one, as well as new themes, and why he used certain musical themes for certain parts of the movie.
11) Feature Commentary
This is done by Director Paul Greengrass. I listened to it once, but never wrote anything about it, nor do I remember anything about what he said. I remember it was boring though. Let’s see if this changes my mind. One of the main gripes I have with commentaries with only person is that there are frequently long periods of silence. This is no exception to that. He does have some funny anecdotes though, like in the airport when Matt Damon accidentally laid out the CIA guy interrogating him. Overall, it was alright. Not as boring as I remember it, but too many periods of silence.
12) Cast and Filmmakers
Profiles on: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Brian Cox, Julia Stiles, Karl Urban, Gabriel Mann, Joan Allen, Paul Greengrass, Tony Gilroy, Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley, Paul L. Sandberg, and Robert Ludlum.
13) DVD Credits
I didn't watch this, sorry.
14) DVD-Rom
I also didn't put this in my DVD-Rom, sorry.
B) Audio/Video
There’s English 5.1 DD for the audio (which is also available in French and Spanish) and English, Spanish and French subtitles. The video is in Fullscreen (1.33:1) because my brother bought it for me for Christmas and had to watch it with me, thus I couldn’t exchange it and I am not buying another one (unless it’s re-released when the Bourne Ultimatum comes out…).
C) Liner Notes
As with most DVD’s with the snap buttons, there’s no liner notes for the movie, and only a slip of paper with other Universal movies.
D) Easter Eggs
None
Overall Review
The DVD starts off with some previews (Shaun of the Dead, Collateral, Miami Vice and Vegas Season One). The movie was in a word, breath-taking and worth the price of admission. It was an excellent action / espionage movie that is better than the previous. The DVD itself lacks the explosive punch of the movie. The “extras” were 4-5 minute shorts taken direct from the website and the commentary is average at best. The extras that they had were at least easy to watch, but there was no making of, and nothing that really went in depth. I would’ve really preferred something with more substance. Still, it’s an awesome movie and should definitely be seen.
Overall Rating
6.0
10.0 Perfect
9.0-9.5 Near Perfect, Highly Recommended
8.0-8.5 Really good disc, Recommended
7.0-7.5 Good DVD, Mildly recommended
6.0-6.5 Above Average DVD. Mildest of mild recommendations
5.0-5.5 Decent all around disc, but catch it on TV
4.0-4.5 Great Movie but horrible DVD
3.0-3.5 Horrible movie but great DVD
2.0-2.5 There’s at least some merit to this DVD, but not much.
1.0-1.5 Horrible DVD, don’t even bother
0.0-0.5 Worst DVD ever
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