The Bourne Supremacy 2004

Critics score:
81 / 100

Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes

Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press: Moviegoers who complain about what a shaky camera does to their innards should pack antacids for this one. Read more

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: A rare breed of action flick -- one that doesn't take human life for granted. Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: An enjoyable-enough night at the movies, though it's not as well-crafted as its predecessor. Read more

Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune: Almost as good as its predecessor. Read more

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper: ... one of the best thrillers in recent years. Read more

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: It's good enough to make a third Bourne movie a welcome possibility. Read more

Bill Muller, Arizona Republic: A solid cloak-and-dagger actioner. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: A terse, tight, impressively smart package. Read more

Manohla Dargis, Los Angeles Times: Brilliantly paced and cut. Read more

Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle: More action-filled and tense than The Bourne Identity. Read more

Paul Clinton (CNN.com), CNN.com: Just as thrilling, edgy and entertaining as the first installment. Read more

Michael Booth, Denver Post: This admirable franchise should change your idea of what makes a good thriller. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: 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. Read more

Leah McLaren, Globe and Mail: The Bourne Supremacy not only lives up to the promises of the novel by Robert Ludlum, but in many ways manages to improve on the first film. Read more

Philip Wuntch, Dallas Morning News: A sequel that reaches a higher plateau than its predecessor. Read more

Joe Donnelly, L.A. Weekly: The need to separate from the first film seems to have sliced most of Identity's considerable charm right off the bone of what could have been (and still could be) an interesting franchise. Read more

Jan Stuart, Newsday: The Bourne Supremacy is essentially a string of how- will-he-get- out-this-one set pieces, but they have been cooked up with nerve-frying elan by British director Greengrass. Read more

Lisa Rose, Newark Star-Ledger: While the movie has a higher IQ than the average summer action blitz, it underperforms as a thrill-dispenser. Read more

Jami Bernard, New York Daily News: The movie is mostly a series of frenetic clashes, dubious near misses and car chases. It lacks the human interest and snowy splendor of the first movie. Read more

Rex Reed, New York Observer: Another of those incoherent Robert Ludlum spy thrillers with more logistics than logic. Read more

Stephen Holden, New York Times: In the wake of 9/11, this globe-trotting post-cold-war melodrama full of standard cloak-and-dagger intrigue has the reassuring aroma of a home-cooked meal served while riding the world's smoothest roller coaster. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: Bourne's amnesia gimmick is a tired one, but there is a future in spy movies with this sort of blend of action and cynicism. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Falls short of its predecessor in almost every area, except perhaps acting. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: The movie skillfully delivers a series of fights, stalkings, plottings and chases, punctuated by a little brooding. Read more

Charles Taylor, Salon.com: An entertaining, well-constructed spy story (though not as satisfying as the first film -- perhaps because it's not as simple). Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: Almost everything that made The Bourne Identity refreshing -- the wit, the irony, the suspense, the novelty of its premise -- is gone. Read more

David Edelstein, Slate: A tour-de-force of thriller filmmaking. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: A worthy successor to the smash original. Read more

Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star: Good enough to make one have faith in certain things again, like spy movies, sequels and the charismatically low-key, quietly lethal movie-star charisma of Matt Damon. Read more

Time Out: [Director] Greengrass proves himself equally adept at action, building on the edginess of Doug Liman's original with a feverish handheld camera and frenetic editing. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: Gripping film. Read more

Todd McCarthy, Variety: Once again, Damon scores in the title role by never courting audience sympathy and playing his all-American good looks against the hard-shell brutality of the character. Read more

Michael Atkinson, Village Voice: Most of Supremacy is an overedited headache that hardly makes up in frayed nerves what the visuals lack in clarity. Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: Spy movies just got thrilling again. Read more

Stephen Hunter, Washington Post: The movie is utterly synthetic. Read more