--- title: "The Bourne Supremacy: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-bourne-supremacy/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-bourne-supremacy" critics_score: 71 critics_reviews: 11 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Bourne Supremacy (2004): what the critics said Critics' score 71 from 11 reviews: 9 positive, 0 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics welcome The Bourne Supremacy as a forceful sequel, with praise centred on Paul Greengrass’s urgent direction and Matt Damon’s restrained performance. The handheld camerawork and rapid cutting give the action a physical immediacy that many find convincing, while the Moscow car chase draws particular praise for its pace and invention. Damon supplies a grounded presence amid the commotion, and several reviews find emotional weight in Bourne’s efforts to reckon with his past. The disagreement is substantial, chiefly over whether that same restless technique helps or hinders the film. Some broadly favourable reviews find the editing confusing or showy, and opinions differ on how much room the action leaves for emotion. The Hollywood Reporter argues that the shaky camera creates distance from Bourne, despite intelligent performances. Slant Magazine is harsher about the characterisation, finding little psychological depth where admirers see a troubled, sympathetic protagonist. ## Empire — William Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). The film builds on and exceeds the original Bourne Identity, delivering one of the finest big-budget thrillers in years through Greengrass's kinetic direction and Damon's underplayed performance. It mixes visceral action with emotional depth, ending on a quiet, touching note rather than a bang. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/bourne-supremacy-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Manohla Dargis Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 23 July 2004. The critic commends Greengrass's brilliantly paced and cut direction that captures Bourne's fractured sense of time and space, especially in the exhilarating Moscow car chase, and notes the film's unexpected moral resonance. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-jul-23-et-dargis23-story.html) ## Radio Times — Adam Smith Rating 4/5. Greengrass improves slightly on the original by delivering consistently exciting action without pushing credibility, thanks to his drama-documentary background. Damon impresses as the slick, silent, angry black hole of a Bourne. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-b3ney7/the-bourne-supremacy/) ## The AV Club — Scott Tobias Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 27 July 2004. The film steps up the efficiency of the original with dazzling kinetics and style, driven by Damon's relatable performance and a compelling identity quest. Greengrass brings purposeful physicality to the action sequences through jittery handheld cameras and purposeful fast-cutting. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-bourne-supremacy-1798199803) ## The New York Times — Stephen Holden Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 23 July 2004. The critic describes the film as reassuring post-9/11 entertainment comfort food and highlights its high-speed action realism, particularly an extended Moscow car chase, along with strong editing that sustains mood over plot. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/23/movies/film-review-spies-chasing-a-spy-chasing-his-identity.html) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 19 July 2004. Festival review. Greengrass imposes a relentless pace that makes a virtue out of plot confusion and delivers visceral thrills in chase sequences, especially the Moscow demolition derby. The documentary-style camerawork gives the film a distinctive feel, though the emphasis on action leaves little room for humour or emotion. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/the-bourne-supremacy/4019446.article) ## Total Film Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 13 August 2004. Greengrass has made a much darker, murkier sequel that explores the human consequences of Bourne's past, with strong turns from the cast including Damon. However, it slows the pacing, features fewer satisfying action sequences and invites comparisons to the superior first film. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-bourne-supremacy-review/) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 18 July 2004. The critic finds the film an erratic but worthy sequel, praising Damon's signature performance and the atmospheric locations while noting that the hyperventilated editing can be confusing and overly showy at times. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2004/film/markets-festivals/the-bourne-supremacy-1200532158/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Michael Rechtshaffen Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 19 July 2004. The review finds the handheld shaky-cam approach creates an undesired distance between viewer and protagonist, rendering the film chilly and distant despite smartly choreographed moments. Performances by Damon, Allen, Cox and Stiles are praised as sturdy and intelligent. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/bourne-supremacy-review-movie-2004-1226119/) ## Slant Magazine Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 21 July 2004. Greengrass replicates the first film's technical elements but fails to renew its indie idiosyncrasy or add psychological depth, resulting in a chilly film without dimensionality or sensuality. The central conflict with Bourne's guilty conscience sucks the air out of the picture. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-bourne-supremacy/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert 23 July 2004. The critic praises Matt Damon's grounded performance as Bourne and the inventive action sequences that highlight the character's resourcefulness. Greengrass's serious treatment and strong supporting cast elevate the film above standard genre fare. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-bourne-supremacy-2004) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw 13 August 2004. The critic finds the film a wildly hectic and stroboscopically edited espionage thriller delivering deafening bangs for the buck. It is raucously and entertainingly put together, with Matt Damon effective as the paranoid super-freak on the run. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/aug/13/3) ## Time Out — MS 10 September 2012. Greengrass proves adept at action in his Hollywood debut, building on the original with feverish handheld camerawork and frenetic editing that lend urgency and ferocious realism. The result is a relentlessly paced, non-stop chase movie with a singular killing machine we can feel for. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-bourne-supremacy) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Rating 4.5/5. 13 August 2004. The critic praises the film's intelligent plot requiring knowledge of the original, flawless performances especially from Damon, Allen, and Cox, and Greengrass's energetic and precise direction, highlighting the sensational Moscow car chase. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-bourne-supremacy-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-bourne-supremacy.md