Rating: 
Summary: Action packed and ready to thrill.
Review: This book is about a CIA agent who is found floating in the ocean, where he is picked up by a crew of fisherman. The small bullets and metal piece the ships "doctor" pulls from his back are strange, one has markings on it. Matt Damon plays the CIA agent who is now stricken with amnesia and has no idea who or what he is. He follows the strange code on the medal piece which leads him to a bank in Zurich. There, in a safe deposit box, he finds his identity - sort of. This is a must for Robert Ludlum readers.
Rating:
Summary: Promise Not Quite Fulfilled.
Review: I first happened to watch part of THE BOURNE IDENTITY on cable. I watched the first twenty minutes of the film before I had to leave. What I saw intrigued me enough that a few weeks later I rented the DVD. Overall, the movie wasn't too shabby. It's got some good action sequences (especially the car chase) and a few unexpected surprises. Still, the ending of the movie was a little bit of a let down, almost too cliched. The audience knew from the beginning who Jason Bourne was almost from the beginning and is left with a suspicion of how the film will end. Nevertheless, it's still kind of a let down--I was hoping for more of a "Nowhere Man" type plot. Anyway. Matt Damon does a great job as the title character and Chris Cooper, well, Chris Cooper can seem to improve any role he plays no matter how cliched they are. Overall, THE BOURNE IDENTITY is a decent action/spy flick. You might not enjoy it, but you'll at least feel like you watched a good movie.The DVD includes several deleted scenes, a behind-the-scenes featurette promo, a music video, and the usual director's commentary.
Rating:
Summary: A solid action/espionage movie that does not insult the mind
Review: I did not see this movie when it first came out as I am getting tired of the summer extravaganzas that try to outdo one another with how many more explosions they can generate than what is playing in the next theatre. Notwithstanding, I decided to give it a shot as I loved the energy and pacing of director Doug Liman's "Go," and also liked the comedic edge and freshness that he brought to his debut ("Swingers"). I was still somewhat apprehensive as taut and original action thrillers are very hard to come by as most current movies couple the violence with buddy comedy elements that take away from a genre that has only been successfully executed by Steven Spielberg in his wildly entertaining "Minority Report". But I digress. Since I hate it when reviewers give too much away, I will only say that Matt Damon stars as Jason Bourne (or is he?), a barely alive amnesiac with a pair of bullet wounds in his back, pulled from the Mediterranean by Italian fishermen. The scene itself is very exciting and draws you into it's web. Bourne's only clue to his own identity is a bank account number etched on a capsule implanted in his body. What follows gets very complicated and keeps you on the edge of your seat as other summer extravaganzas seem to fail to. Like its summer "cousins", the movie has action scenes, guns, explosions, an awesome car chase (that relies more on execution than on how many cars can explode), a potential love interest, and many of the usual suspects, BUT it entertains and I did not feel like checking my watch every 5 minutes. Is it Oscar material? Heck no, but within its own genre its one of the year's best. Matt Damon, who I never quite appreciate, would seem to be miscast to play this type of character, but he is actually quite perfect is he tones it down and makes Jason Bourne almost seem like an everyman who slowly discovers that he has skills he never knew he had. The casting department should be proud of itself as it cast Franka Potente (from "Run Lola Run") as the main female protagonist. The actress is not your cookie cutter beauty nor has the marquee appeal that I am sure the producers would have liked to have a "name" for the role; but someone realized that her acting chops and international background would give the movie some grounding as her character is supposed to be a European gypsy woman who I could not see being played by say Julia Roberts. The director does a great job in both action and character driven scenes and manages to bring excitement to a gray winter European exteriors and drab interior settings. With the exception of the first fight sequence (which is makes Damon look like he has superhero powers) and later what would seem to be a physically impossible shoot out, everything feels real and the violence is not stylized. The story is incredibly well paced and even the smaller roles are well cast. The only exception is Julia Stiles, who I hope was only a victim of some scenes winding up on the cutting room floor, as she's a talented actress who brings not a thing to this movie. In a nutshell, this movie is about international intrigue and one man's refusal to be a pawn in some sinister, global chess game. Many things feel improbable but never less than engrossing. Also, the basic premise is not played for laughs (which I enjoyed as I am sick of tongue in cheek homages that use humor as a cop out) and the plot (once fully exposed) for once does not involve a "brilliant" psychopath with either a desire to take over the world or get even for ______ (fill in the blank with your favorite cliché). This movie solidly earns its 4 stars as a nice version of what I'd like to see in summer extravaganzas.
Rating:
Summary: Not Bad
Review: I purchased this DVD on Amazon, watched it and am selling it again. I liked the movie but it is not a keeper. I think the action was that of a typical action film, nothing really spectacular, but Matt did do well acting. I would give it a 3.5 (rounded up to 4).
Rating:
Summary: Underrated
Review: I've heard a lot of bad things about this movie, but you know what...I think it's great. It's exciting, interesting, and it doesn't get boring when you've already seen it. The deleted scenes aren't exactly mind-blowing, but they're worth a look. Check it out, you should like it.
Rating: 
Summary: The talented Matt Damon
Review: With so many meaningless action movies nowadays, most of them are just pieces of fight sequences glued with weak acting and nonexistant plot. "The Bourne Identity" is not a bad action movie, but never steps above average material either. Matt Damon is ok as the lost Jason Bourne and Doug Liman knows how to make some creative and credible action sequences, but the plot is still typical and not very different from so many other spy films. The predictable ending doesn`t help, either.
While it is moderately entertaining, "The Bourne Identity" never achieves that "something" that could make it a must-see. A well-made product, but not much else. Let`s wait for the sequel.
Rating:
Summary: Very entertaining action film
Review: Jason Bourne ( Matt Damon)is found floating in the Mediterranean Sea with two bullets in his back and a strange device with a Zurich address on it.. He also has no memory of who he is. After spending some time on the boat to recooperate, Bourne heads for Zurich to find out who he really is. Almost immediately he is forced to defend himself, and he soon discovers that he possesses the skills of a very dangerous man. With nowhere to go, he turns to the aid of poor German traveler named Marie (Franka Potente) to drive him to Paris. Racing to unlock the secrets of his own identity, he discovers that he is an elite government agent. His CIA superior (Chris Cooper), sees Bourne as a rogue agent, and dispatches assassins to kill Bourne. Now the government's top agent, has become its number one target... I had extremely low expectations going into "The Bourne Identity". Matt Damon has never done anything action related, and there have been many spy thrillers made over the years. I was pleasantly surprised. The action sequences are amazing, the fights are choreographed extremely well, there are tons of twists and turns to keep you guessing, the suspense is nail-biting at times, and the romance between Matt Damon and Run Lola Run's Franka Potente is great. Not to mention the fact that Damon is quite convincing and pulls the role off like he is a veteran action star. This film literally has everything that it takes to make a great movie. As far as the spy criteria goes, I was very pleased as well. The character Jason Bourne does not have any gadgets or gizmos to help him out. He must rely on his hands and his brain to get him out of jam after jam. This results in and excellent cat-and-mouse chase for the whole film. As you can see, the film does have a lot to offer. However, the reason that I cannot give it a five star rating, is due to the fact that it can be slow moving at times, which affects the overall pace of the film. Instead of flowing smoothly, it felt a bit choppy at times. But for the most part, the film is extremely enjoyable. This is the best spy thriller that I have seen since "Ronin". "The Bourne Identity" works so well, because it has something for everyone whether it be romance, suspense, action, or spy related. The DVD offers an alternate ending, deleted scenes, a making of featurette, and more.
Rating: 
Summary: Capable, by-the-numbers thriller
Review: I found it rather amusing to see this film--Matt Damon's first real foray into "Jack Ryan" territory--derail any of Ben Affleck's hopes of becoming a credible action star. Although not as mysterious as it should be (especially when compared to the book), "The Bourne Identity" has several things going for it, not the least of which is a brisk pace, and credible direction. For starters, Europe looks much better through the eyes of Director Doug Liman than it did in Brian DePalma's "Mission:Impossible". Filming on location in Europe will always look better than on a studio backlot, no matter what the pundits say. The action sequences are quite good; although they're more violent than spy thrillers from my youth, they're not as over the top as they could be, but still frenetic enough to appeal to martial arts buffs as well as fans of the original novel. Another plus is the use of Franka Potente, who fits the role of Maria far better than any name, plastic-surgery-disaster actress from Hollywood. At the very least, she and Damon possess far more chemistry than did Affleck and Charlize Theron in the tepid "Reindeer Games". From top to bottom, a crisp, by-the-numbers spy movie that will keep you entertained throughout, but I doubt this film will age very well.
Rating:
Summary: Just OK...
Review: Action packed...yes...good acting...yes...a bit drawn out...yes...easy to follow...no!! This movie was good...but it was very hard to follow, it jumped around a lot!! The action scenes were excellent and it did keep me in my seat and wanting to know what was going to happen next. Special Effects were great and the leading lady was a hotty!! If you are looking for a good...not great thriller...then rent this one!
Rating:
Summary: Decent, but pretty much like any other action thriller
Review: I was really excited to hear one of my favorite books was being made into a film. I was surprised at the beginning whenn they didn't say "based on the book." After watching it, I can see why. The only thing it has in common with the book are the characters and some of the first 5 minutes. The plot is completely different. The book is exciting because Jason Bourne (Damon) is up against the deadliest assasin of all time, Carlos the Jackal, and his origins are a mystery until the very end. Carlos is nowhere in this film, and the secrets of the organization Bourne is from is revealed in the first 15 mins. Another thing that I haven't seen in over a decade, is a very anti-climatic ending. No real final showdown with the bad guy, no incredible revelations, just an action scene that's less exciting than the first fight Bourne has. As a standalone film, it's entertaining. As a book adaptation, it's horrible.
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