Rating: Summary: Great thriller movie Review: This was a thriller in the true old-fashioned sense of the word and had a little bit of everything in it. This was a fast-paced movie that twisted and turned, but not so much that you lost track of what was going on. Having said that you do need to watch the movie and not do 5 other things at the same time!A great movie and one worth just sitting down and watching without distractions.
Rating: Summary: booooooooooring Review: I like Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting). I like Franka Potente (Run Lola Run). I like director Doug Liman (Swingers, Go). I like Julia Stiles. I like Chris Cooper. I was ready to like this film. But how could I? It was really boring. I'm not usually a person who notices interpersonal onscreen chemistry, but there is NO chemistry between Damon and Potente; as a matter of fact, if you told me they hated each other during filming, I'd believe it. Secondly, the plot is implausible. We never really know why Cooper wants to kill Damon. Would you train a guy who could do all this stuff, and then just wipe him out if one mission went wrong? Finally, and most egregiously, the action is just plain boring. The car chase from the trailer is the movie's best action sequence, and it takes place in the middle of the film. There is nothing very exciting after that. I had hoped for great scenes of Europe, and what we see of locations in Prague and Paris are beautiful, but they are infrequent. Julia Stiles and Chris Cooper are utterly wasted. DVD extras are good. Four deleted scenes, an extended scene and an alternate ending, director's commentary, a Moby video, a 14-minute featurette/promo, a trailer, production notes, cast & crew credits, and DVD-ROM features that will work only on Windows machines. Many people here seem to have liked this film, so maybe you will too, but if you decide to see it, do yourself a favor and rent it.
Rating: Summary: Matt Damon Review: Maybe it's just me, but I think I've seen cars that give their lines with more soul than Matt Damon. The story seems weak as well. I have no desire to watch this again, but if the wife was to pop it in the DVD player, I might not leave the room.
Rating: Summary: Enjoyed it, clever, yet action packed. Review: Has a nice sence of action, can't deny that. The beggining has the guy lost at sea, kind of mysterious. I really just enjoyed the great job they did with it. You knew when Jason was paranoid, you knew when he sensed there was trouble. Basically, if you can't figure it out, he was set up for an assassination, or was he? Kind of set up, mediumish, anyways all I know is that Jason was shot 2 times in the back, and yea he screwed up probably. So what is it. Well theres some nice fighting, some good gun shooting action, even a nice car scene. He lost his memory, so he is trying to retrace his steps sort of. He does a fantastic job of being a spy like guy, and has some good instincts, I just loved it for the first time though. When you rent it, you don't know what's going to happen. I would just rent the movie, I don't want to spoil it, but Jason has gotta go up against some pro assassins.
Rating: Summary: Not the book... But just as good!! Review: I guess I was fortunate to not have any expectations when I saw the movie for I had not yet read the book. So in terms of just a movie the Bourne Identity is awesome!!! Everything fits together really well and there were no holes. For a spy movie that's very rare. But this movie had very little flaws. While it's hard to say anything about the movie without giving away the bigger picture, I can say both Matt Damon and Franka Potente played their roles extremely well. Matt Damon was convincing as a martial arts expert/spy while Franka Potente was believable as an innocent beautiful bystander just trying to help... And when I say beautiful I mean BEAUTIFUL. What a gorgeous lady she is, on and off the camera! And her beauty exudes in this film. There are other good things about this movie besides the credible acting! There were some great fight scenes, which Matt Damon was quite good in. The plot was superb with very little/to no holes in it. It was both intriguing and suspenseful and had and ambiance about it that's hard to describe. The superb cinematography was partially responsible for this but what I think added to the feel and really brought this movie to life was the musical score! It did everything a good score does. It brought you to the edge of your seat when it wanted you there or calmed you down when it was time to be calm. From the opening credits the music presented suspense and mystery! If you get a chance check out the score! It's awesome to listen to by itself! On top of this, the movie has one of the most fun car chases with Matt Damon behind the wheel of an old school Mini! While in the background is an awesome song by Paul Oakenfold called "Ready Steady Go" from his new CD Bunkka. All in all this movie was great but there is a problem with it. Though, it's only a problem if you make it one. The novel by Robert Ludlum for which the movie is named is quite different. With the exception of the basic premise of Jason Bourne and who he is, the two stories have few things in common. If you're a fan of the book you will be disappointed in how different it is. On the flip side if you can watch the movie impartially, chances are it will take on it's own existence and will be enjoyable. As I stated previously, I hadn't read the book before I watched the movie. Though the movie did inspire me to read it. This kept me impartial while watching the movie. The book was very awesome but it was so unbelievably different that I recognize both as there own entity. If you're a fan of the book don't expect too much from this movie and I'm sure you will enjoy it for what it is, an action packed suspense mystery! If you like the movie, then check out the book. But be forewarned, the book is old school! Some of the references to technology will make you chuckle if you're young or make you reminisce if you're older.
Rating: Summary: Not quite like the book Review: The Bourne Identity is a very good and intense movie, but it is not as good as the book. I had read the book before watching the movie and was disappointed at the things the movie left out. By the end of the movie you don't even really know if Bourne is a good guy or bad guy. Never the less it is a great story and an above average movie.
Rating: Summary: Great movie! Review: I liked this movie a lot, it was probably my second favorite film from 2002. It had a good story, great action, and it was smart. I think the Bond films are too stylized and outlandish, while this was not only a more realistic spy film but also enjoyable to watch. I gained a lot of respect for Matt Damon, as he was very effective and according to the DVD extras, he did his own stunts. Speaking of the DVD, it has an excellent presentation and a few good extras (Moby video and commentary in particualar). Chris Cooper is excellent, as always. Some people think it veers away from the books too much, however I haven't read those yet. As a film, it definitely stands on it's own feet. And if the books are better than the movie, than they must be great books so I'll check those out also.
Rating: Summary: Very good action movie Review: If you have read the book, well, you know the story, even if the movie is somewhat adapted. The action sequences are superb, Bourne is established as the best-of-the-best, even though the others sent to hunt him down don't seem as good. Franka Potente is good, she fits her character as a German-born American. Matt Damon is good too. I rented this movie, perhaps one day I will own it too (along with The Matrix!) <SPOILER?> As for the Collector's Edition, the alternate ending is probably not worth spending extra money (I don't know how much the normal edition costs). But Widescreen is better, as the movie's supposed to be seen. Maybe they will do a _good_ sequel (unlike Reloaded!), though the ending left me wondering how they would achieve that. Good cast, good director, good movie.
Rating: Summary: Damon and Co-Star Not Served Well by Cinemaphotographer Review: Thank heaven I borrowed the latest version of The Bourne Identity from my public library and didn't shell out bucks to Blockbuster for this horrible remake of an earlier mediocre film of Robert Ludlum's novel. I'd hate to think of any of my pennies trickling down into Ludlum's estate. Are his heirs that hard up they need payment for this kind of dreck? Since most of the one-star reviews have already covered the ground effectively, I'll just say that Matt Damon and his forgetable female co-star were not served well by the cinemaphographer. If their faces had "best sides" we did not see them. Both actors appeared singularly unattractive throughout. Damon's nose is not his best feature, especially in profile, yet we were forced to gaze upon it far too often. Cliches abound of course, including the old chestnut of the hero chopping off his girl friend's hair in huge clumps, while in the next shot she looks as if she's just visited the best hair dresser in Paris. And why did her hair look the same color after the dye job? If disguise was their objective, it failed. The film, no longer a Ludlum thriller, is now an "action pic," with the required car chase. This chase was so boring and predictable, I turned the sound down so the squealing tires did not annoy my three cats. Damon does shine in a certain type of movie--in Grisham's The Rainmaker he was effective as a neophyte lawyer up against big insurance corporation sharks. In that film, there was real chemistry generated between him and his 80-year-old landlady, Theresa Wright. The same can't be said of his pairing with his forgetable partner in The Bourne Identity.
Rating: Summary: The good reviews are Universal Studio employees Review: Anyone who thought this was good must have worked on the film or worked for the studio. It was the most boring and poorly acted film I've seen in years. Matt: "The Battle of Shaker Heights" could actually be better then this.
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