Movie Review: The Bourne Supremacy

It's always the question if art reflects life or if life reflects are. I'm not going to venture a guess, especially these days, where the conservative right loves to point out that all of life's screw up can be found somewhere in the media. I like to think it's more complex then that, that's for sure.

Such is the path that leads me to the Bourne Supremacy. With 9/11 hearings completed, we've seen that the screw-ups are really all over the map. But it's not just one screw up, but several working in tandem for a really big f--- up. I couldn't stop noticing the similarities here.

Here, we have an experimental spy that screwed up due to a faulty wiring and amensia (the Bourne Identity) and the various government agencies trying to act like it's not their fault. Of course, the theme is carried on, to a grander scale, in this very complete sequel, The Bourne Supremacy. Where again, the government is up to no good and not doing what they are supposed to do.

Hmmmm, sound familiar?

I mean, if everyone had done what they were supposed to do, then 9/11 wouldn't have happened as well, right?

Same here, a rogue agent becomes a liability. Not good.

Oh, the parallels between life and art don't end there. How about a large oil company using illegal funds?

Corporations doing bad things? Never heard of that happening.

All of this noticing, I'm not mentioning the good stuff. This is a good movie. It's just like reading a good book. There's plot twists, actions sequences and stellar acting. I supposed the most natural thing to do would be to compare it to Bond spy movies, but really can't. The villains in those movies come off as megalomaniac, not politicians. And the goons that killed in each? I have to credit to Bourne, these bad guys are Bad. Meaning, they don't drive up in hoards to massacred off by the hero. Instead, we have goons that are adept at killing and fight back, using intelligence and guile to attack Jason Bourne. It adds a dimension of fear into fight scenes.

And yes, Jason is a fine specimen, I have to admit. Matt plays him with a certain reflect, as if he doesn't want to be a killer. Fight scenes are fast and furious, but when they are completed, there's a look of regret on his face. He even walks slowly away after killing one henchmen, as if there's no joy in his job. Matt has made the right choice in maintaining this franchise. If the scripts continue to be as good as they appear here and in the original, I look forward to the next title, The Bourne Ultimatum.

Sequels, I'm learning can really be a treat, and I should not have complained about them earlier. I must remember, I love comic books, and what is that but one sequel after another? It's like coffee with old friends. You look forward to see who they are doing and what changes have been made, but the familiarity continues. Here is a good sequel. Right up there with Spiderman 2, the Godfathers, the early Star Wars and yes, Toy Story 2.

I really recommend this movie.