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The Bourne Identity (Widescreen Collector's Edition)

The Bourne Identity (Widescreen Collector's Edition)

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Bourne Identity
Review: Great movie! Matt Damon is very good in this part. Would recommend this movie to anyone

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Wrong title, but the movie is ok
Review: It is VERY loosely adapted from the Bourne Identity and not much related to the book. I like the book very much, it's like a Harry Potter for adults, you need to read all of it to know what happens, reading the front and end doesn't make you wiser.

If you are interested in the movie The Bourne Identity, I'd suggest the version with Richard Chamberlain acting. In my opinion, a Bruce Willis or Harrison Ford would be better suited for the role of Jason Bourne.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great entertainment. Fast pace. No dull moment.
Review: This is not a superb film in the sense that it is not one of the films that stays with you for a lifetime and gives you a totally new experience. No. You have seen many movies of the same sort and yet, this movie is very good of its kind and extremely enjoyable. The movie moves in a fast pace and there is no dull moment. Matt Daemon portrays Jason Bourne - a young man trying to search his identity after being found at sea with nothing but two bullets in his back and a capsule containing bank details in his leg. He is surprised to discover certain "survival" abilities in himself and a lot of hostile reactions - all seem like pieces of a puzzle he has to build up. Jason Bourne starts his long journey to find who he is accompanied by a girl he meets along the way. Although the part could have easily been made up to be a typical "macho" role Matt Daemon is able to convey the confusion of Jason Bourne struggling to find his identity and is both charming and fragile. Franke Potante is adorable with her slight accent and the European scenery is indeed a change and gives the movie a somewhat "refined" and even "sophisticated" touch. The movie is not too violent and the romance between the couple is quite convincing. I fell in love with both of them in the hotel hair cutting scene. Reading the previous reviews I agree that not all is logical in this movie, but spy business always seem a bit of science fiction to me and I am willing to "suspend my disbelief" for the pure enjoyment which I received.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A refreshing take on a overused formula
Review: What could put people off from seeing this movie is (1)It is a "remake" of a TV movie. (2)The story begins with trained assassin who lost his memory. (3)It has Matt Damon (4)It is PG-13, so perhaps it's not violent enough.

But what made "The Bourne Identity" so good is exactly the above, with the addition of stunning visual, fast-paced story, and Franka Potente.

Even though we are exposed to many of the premise with a guy (or woman) who wakes up and can't remember who he or she is, but realize that he or she possesses superhuman abilities, hence go on a journey to find out what happened. "The Bourne Identity" is not so different, but without wasting too much time on the actualy "search", troubles come one after another for the hero. In another word, nothing in the 118 minutes feel redundant (with the exception of the love scene).

The dialogues are clever, the action is slick without going over the top. Every actors delivered an adequate job for the characters they are given. And one big surprise for Matt Damon who normally comes accross as the whiney wimpy guy is actually believable as an ex-assassin.

The DVD is a neat package itself. The picture is top-notch, and the thunderous soundtrack (especially DTS) is house shattering. However the extras are a bit of disappointment, there is an "...-kissing" making-of, a few interesting deleted scenes plus a "stickier" alternative ending, cast bio and production notes. Compare to some "collector's Edition" that came out recently, this one does appear to be thin.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Exciting
Review: Quick, action-packed movie. Awesome indeed. I will now read the book, i hear its better.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Alternate ending? Hah!
Review: Fans of Robert Ludlum please avoid this movie. The movie adaptation takes extreme liberties with the novel. In the novel, Jason Bourne was an identity created by the US intelligence community in a counter mission to entrap the world's most notorious assassin, Carlos the Jackal. After Jason is shot and found floating in the Mediterranian, Jason Bourne can only slowly recall pieces of that knowledge and we the reader don't know the whole story either. What made the novel so exciting was the discovery process which we undergo with Jason. We learn about his language skills, weapons training, and martial arts ability. Is he a killer or at least a very dangerous man? As Jason tries to piece together his memory, Jason forces Marie into helping him elude his pursuers. Can she trust him when he says he won't hurt her? It would seem inconsistent with his ruthlessness and training? The tension present in the book was sorely missing in the movie. In summary, the movie replaces this masterwork with a relatively simplistic tale of a CIA assassin with amnesia running "off the reservation" and creating a potentially embarrassing international incident that needs to be cleaned up.

By the way, the "alternate" ending is nothing but a teaser to sucker fans of the movie/novel to rent or worse buy this DVD. I am offering no spoilers in saying that the "alternate" ending only differs slightly from the original ending. The major improvement is the lack of corny dialogue which is replaced mostly by kissing.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Freely Adapted Indeed
Review: I started reading this book on a vacation and got so enthralled that I actually read when I got home (I don't read much at home). I intentionally waited to see the movie until I had finished the book. Big mistake. I was so disgusted by the "free adaptation" that I could not even enjoy the movie. Every second was filled with "wait a second, that's not how it was supposed to be." It wasn't until months later when I saw the movie again on DVD that I even was able to evaluate it on its own. From watching the DVD and totally ignoring what I remember of the book, the film isn't too bad, but there should be some kind of warning before films that are "freely adapted" from books, especially ones as good as The Bourne Identity.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: German contribution...
Review: Damon is very dynamic as Jason Bourne. Fantastic and unexpectedly dynamic as never before, Damon along with his German girl give a terrific show especially in the action sequences. Franka Potente is excellent. It is a genuine, satisfying spy story that can make you feel pleased after watching it. Well directed and with good cast as both bad and good guys are great. The sound is also carefully designed and gives you the impression that you are followed too. It may be not so close to the book but...it is better! So don't care and enjoy!
A little note that should made, for whoever didn't understand it, is that in the ending scene, the island where Damon finds his German beauty is the Greek island Mykonos!!! Have Fun!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Action Fan
Review: I've read Ludlum's books since he first published. His plots are intricate with more layers than an onion. Like Tom Clancey, his long and involved story lines do not lend themselves to a 120 minute film abbreviation. The mini-series with Richard Chamberlin was fairly faithful to the book, this is like the Cliff Notes version, lacking both complexities and conherence of the book. As a stand alone action movie with a passing nod to the original book, it's OK. Matt Damon looks much too young for the seasoned spy, Jason Bourne, but he does a good job with what the script offers. This is a good example of why so few of Ludlum's book became movies. The film will be enjoyed far more by those who are not Ludlum fans. Don't expect the throw away toung-in-cheek wise cracks that make most action flicks fun. This one takes itself seriously.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Bourne Identity - A heart pounding spy thriller!
Review: Starring Matt Damon and Franka Potente, a beautiful German actress, The Bourne Identity is a huge success. Fraught with intense action scenes and rich character development, this movie resounds with the passion of a high speed thriller that will bear many viewings. I must admit to some trepidation about Matt Damon in an action role given his past roles, this trepidation doesn't bear out though, as he performs admirably in the role of a CIA assassin who has lost his memory.

The premise:

Jason Bourne is a CIA assassin who is found floating in the Mediterranean Sea by a fishing boat. He has two bullets in his back, an odd little laser device with a Zurich address and no memory as to who he is. After two weeks on the fishing boat, he heads for Zurich and the search to who he really is. Once he starts on this quest, he finds that he has some absolutely amazing skills and is almost immediately defending himself from being killed in several different ways. He is then fortunate enough to find Marie, who he pays to drive him to Paris. The quickly developed relationship between these two characters is quite beautifully filmed.

What ensues is clearly one of the best spy/action thrillers to come out in some time. This films action sequences will leave you exhausted and the plot line will enthrall you completely. If this is your type of genre, I highly recommend this film.

The Special features are also quite interesting; of note are the alternate ending and the "Making of" clips. {ssintrepid}


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