The Bourne Supremacy (2004)

Paul Greengrass took over the Bourne series and apparently filmed the whole thing while jogging. The shaky cam is the style, and sometimes it’s thrilling, and sometimes you honestly can’t tell who’s punching who. The plot is basically a long hallway between the first movie and the third one, a frame-up you’ll figure out well before the CIA does. Still, it hits. Matt Damon plays Bourne quieter and sadder this time, a guy hauling guilt around like a heavy backpack. Joan Allen walks in as Pamela Landy and instantly becomes the smartest person in every room. Karl Urban says almost nothing as Kirill and is still scary. The Moscow taxi chase is a demolition derby through rush hour, and a fight in Munich with a rolled-up magazine proves Bourne can turn any newsstand into an armory. At 108 minutes, nothing is wasted. A 7.4 because it’s tense and smart even when the camera needs a nap. $3.31 says you roll up a magazine this week just to see how it feels in your hand.

What works: Joan Allen’s Pamela Landy, the Moscow car chase, and Matt Damon’s guilt-heavy take on Bourne.

What doesn’t: The shaky cam often makes the fights hard to follow, and the frame-up plot is easy to see coming.

Who it’s for: Fans of the first movie who want the same hero with more regret and much faster editing.