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The Bourne Identity (Widescreen Collector's Edition) Customer Reviews (49 - 51 of 62 Reviews)

A solid spy thriller.
Matt Damon stars as Jason Bourne, a man who's found afloat in the sea with several bullets in his back. He's salvaged by a fishing boat and awakens to discover he has no memory of his previous life. After he recuperates, he heads to shore to find his true identity. With the assistance of a pretty German woman (Franka Potente), Bourne goes on the run with covert assassins trying to kill him and top government agents trying to cover their tracks.

The Bourne Identity is an interesting summer thriller. It's certainly not an all-out action blockbuster, as the previews might lead you to believe, but there are some terrific action sequences. What truly makes the film work is Damon himself, whose first bid as an action star is completely convincing and engaging. The movie nicely keeps us in the dark about his past, we know just as much as he does and eagerly anticipate every discovery he makes.

From a certain point-of-view, Franka Potente isn't useful except as a love interest, and on that level, her presence works. Not only is she a fine actress, but she and Damon share a palpable chemistry. Hopefully, she'll return in the sequel, and this series won't go the Bond/M:I route with a new love interest in every installment. Take note, Hollywood, steadiness and consistent relationships are always appreciated.

The Bourne Identity's premise is similar to The Long Kiss Goodnight's, but unlike that movie, takes its story seriously and aspires to work as both a thriller and a character-oriented drama, which it does. Once Bourne's past is revealed (not that it isn't that hard to figure out), the film loses a bit of momentum, but does wrap things up believably and in a suprisingly somewhat quiet fashion (compared to say, Bond, Triple X, or M:I).

For action fans, there's enough here to keep them satisfied, with the standout setpieces being an excellent martial arts fight set in an eerily empty apartment and an exhilarating car chase through the streets of Paris. I've seen at least two other films with auto chases set in Paris (Ronin, The Transporter) and this one's my favorite, even though it's also the shortest and features the least attractive car (a mini as compared to an Audi in Ronin and a BMW in The Transporter).

There are a few disappointments here and there, particularly Bourne's showdown with The Professor (Clive Owen), which concludes rather abruptly considering the huge build-up. Julia Stiles is also in the film, and her presence is rather distracting (I can't look at her without thinking, "Hey, it's Julia Stiles!") in a role that could have been played by just about anyone. But in the end, The Bourne Identity succeeds because it rarely goes over-the-top (no megalomaniacal billionaires here), maintains an even tone, and establishes likeable characters and good storytelling.

first-rate character-driven action movie
I really give this 4.9 stars, since I found one of the early action sequences to be a little less than perfect (you get spoiled seeing people like Jackie Chan and Jet Li in action movies), but the Matt Damon does a surprisingly good job with them, and his usual first-rate job of making the character come to life on the screen.

The plot is only related to the Ludlum novel -- the screenplay was morphed into a nicely claustrophobic character story about a small community of people up to no good, and the movie is cast to perfection with a wonderful collection of actors who deliver terrific performances. The director also directed "Swingers" and "Go", and his indy-film background shows through in quite a few scenes where the tension is heightened by the use of handheld cameras and shooting in real locations without a crew.

Damon is just outstanding as an amnesiac with a growing sense of dread about himself and his abilities, and Franka Potente has the presence and intelligence to bring off the character of the girl that helps him at first for money, and then later out of a combination of curiosity, tenacity, and aimlessness (she really doesn't have anything better to do). Chris Cooper, Brian Cox, and Julia Stiles are wonderfully menacing and matter-of-fact as the villians.

Not really true to the book but still an enjoyable thriller
Based on the bestseller by the late Robert Ludlum and executive produced by Ludlum and Frank Marshall, THE BOURNE IDENTITY pares down the book and 1988 miniseries while updating the story for the 21st century. For the few thriller fans in the world who haven't read the book the basic story appears rather old: an amnesiac struggling to learn his real identity, while predictably being pursued by people who want him dead. Director Doug Liman's (GO, SWINGERS) first attempt at an action thriller is fairly good with some spectacular stunt work and an OK performance from Franka Portene (RUN LOLA RUN). Julia Stiles also has what is basically a glorifed cameo and Brian Cox, the original Hannibal Lecter also co-stars. THE BOURNE IDENTITY is a good movie, but don't expect it to remain true to the book. Apparently there are plans to film THE BOURNE SUPREMACY with Damon. I hope that one turns out a little better. And I hope Damon has developed some kind of acting range by them. His Jason Bourne seems to have been "Bourne" prematurely. Not that Richard Chamberlain was much better in the role. It's still worth watching though. Don't let my quibbling put you off.

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