Reviews: The Bourne Identity

[JoBlo]

JoBlo's 7/10 review of THE BOURNE IDENTITY can be found here: http://www.joblo.com/bourneidentity.htm

And what did you think of the movie? Add your comments below.

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[A.J. Hakari]

I've never read the Robert Ludlum novel both the 1988 TV mini-series THE BOURNE IDENTITY and 2002's summer actioner THE BOURNE IDENTITY were based upon. I just want to get that off my chest right away. Now let me continue by saying that while I still believe the mini-series is a much deeper, more intriguing spy thriller, director Doug Liman's new version does a pretty good job of condensing over three hours of spy stuff into an enjoyable two-hour block of slickness.

Matt Damon plays a man who's found floating in the Mediterranean Sea, with two bullet holes in his back and an account number for a Zurich bank in his hip. He also can't remember who he is or why he got a couple bullets in the back, so after two weeks, he decides to embark on a trip to Zurich to possibly figure out who he is.

Meanwhile, a CIA executive (Chris Cooper) learns of the man's resurfacing in Europe. Turns out he has some answers as to who the amnesiac is, which has something to do with the attempted assassination of an African diplomat.

Back in Europe, the man, who takes the name of Jason Bourne after finding about six passports, a lot of money, and a gun in a safe deposit box, is slowly piecing together bits of his past, with unknown abilities such as great fighting skills and a knowledge of foreign languages coming back to him all the time. But now Bourne realizes the danger he's in and, after an incident at the American consulate in Zurich, pays a bystander named Marie (Franka Potente) to drive him to Paris, where some answers might await him. But getting there means having to fight through the numerous agents dispatched by the Cooper character, all just as well-trained as Bourne, to bring him in and kill him.

The first thing I found myself doing during THE BOURNE IDENTITY was noting the differences between it and the very good mini-series. Bourne was found on the beach in the mini-series. He formed a more tight bond with the doctor who nursed him back to health. The woman he teamed up with was American. There was a subplot about Carlos the Jackal in there. And where was that great graveyard scene?

But the second thing I did, after telling my silly self to shut up and watch the movie, was how good of a job THE BOURNE IDENTITY did at just being an above-average summer shoot-'em-up.

The best part about the flick was how Damon's character was developed. Some might think it'd be cool to suddenly gain fighting powers you haven't previously known, but when Bourne accidentally takes out two policemen who caught him sleeping in a park, he's scared out of his freakin' mind. Then he finds out that going the one place he wants to be, home, will lead to even more danger and confusion. Bourne just wants to chill and sort things out, but Cooper, a CIA boss (Brian Cox), and all the agents hired to bring him in think he's a rogue agent who needs to take a permanent vacation. Matt Damon's unexpected role of being an action hero of sorts actually fits the character; neither of them would ever expect they'd kick serious ass in their lifetime.

In terms of acting, Damon does well as the confused Bourne, Potente, though not as great as she was in RUN LOLA RUN or sweet in BLOW, performs well in a throwaway part, and character actors like Cooper, Cox, and Clive Owen, playing a silent and deadly agent who goes by "The Professor," shine in supporting parts. Only Julia Stiles, who isn't bad here but is in a "OK, she's a good actress, but why her for this tiny role?", sticks out like a sore thumb.

In directing, Doug Liman does a nice job handling his largest-scale production to date. He captures the beauty of the European locales and sets it as the backdrop for various action pieces, the best being a nifty car chase (Marie's Mini vs. a fleet of police cars and motorcycles) and Bourne playing cat-and-mouse with another agent in a vast field. Funny, how Liman seems like he can handle doing a car chase...I must remind people that the "Magic Carpet Ride" chase in GO was pretty damn cool, didn't ya think?

You probably figured out from this review that I enjoyed THE BOURNE IDENTITY (despite a "make nice" ending), and that I enjoyed the mini-series better. But I'm here to say that if you like a good spy thriller, if you like solid action sequences, and if you like just being entertained, THE BOURNE IDENTITY isn't a bad choice. IMHO, it's a pretty good flick.

My rating: *** out of ****

[Strider]

The Bourne Identity (2002)

Rated PG-13 for Violence & Some Language

Director: Doug Liman

Starring Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Clive Owen, Chris Cooper, Julia Stiles, & Brian Cox.

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0258463/5554-15450.jpg

Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is a spy, but he doesn't know that. He doesn't know who or where he is. However, with the help of a young woman he pays for a ride, Marie (Franka Potente), Bourne tries to discover everything he's forgotten.

I went into this film with very low expectations. I was not impressed by the trailer, and I did not believe Matt Damon could pull off a role that was so... unlike him. Well, I was wrong... and I'm glad I was. I don't think I would want to dislike or hate a movie like this. "The Bourne Identity" is a well-crafted spy thriller, and not only that, Matt Damon delivers a flawless performance. I really think this is a good move by him, he shows that he is a very vesatile actor, and he also shows how cool he can be. Throughout the film's entirety, Damon looks like he's having a wonderful time, and that really helps his performance.

Once you see the very cute Franka Potente for the first time in the film, you just know there's gonna be a romance, and you immediately think that it's going to kill the film... but that does not happen here. The romance between Damon and Potente is handled very well, and never ever goes over-the-top. And because of this, it's quite enjoyable to sit through.

My only pet peeve with this film was the ending. I was wondering why it didn't end about two minutes before we reached the annoying ending. I really would like to know why the majority of films have to end with all these stupid, pathetic "hollywood" endings. If there was just one scene that needed to be left on the cutting room floor, it had to be the ending.

"The Bourne Identity" is two hours of great fun. It's a highly entertaining film that should definitely keep you satisfied with it's direction, story, acting, and even it's exquisite locations. There's a new spy in town, and his name is Jason Bourne. I don't know about you, but I'd like to see him again on the silver screen.

Running Time: 1 hour 58 minutes

Grade: 8/10


Strider

[bigred760]

The Bourne Identity isn't a bad movie, actually I quite enjoyed it. First of all, you just didn't know when the movie was going to end, it kept digging a bit deeper into who this guy is and what he's done. You weren't sure if him killing this guy was the end of the chase or was the movie going to last a little longer - which it did.
The fight scenes weren't all that bad either. Matt Damon did quite a good job portraying a guy who'd just kicked someone's ass and then have that look of "How did I do that?"
Franka Potente is hot. I'd never heard of her before, but she fit the bill quite nicely and held her own against the more well-known Matt Damon.
There's the car chase scene which wasn't too impressive as far as Bullitt, The Rock, or any James Bond movie goes, but unless you're going to compare it to those, it's alright.
Basically, all I'm trying to say is, this movie is worth paying seven bucks for.

7/10

[movieDUDE68686]

The Bourne Identity (2002)
Rated: PG-13 Running Time: 2 Hours 15 Minutes
Matt Damon stars as Jason Bourne, in the constantly entertaining "The Bourne Identity". Little performances by Julia Styles, Brian Cox, and whoever was the dad in October Sky; gave great little performances that gave the story a little something extra. Matt Damon has proved himself as an actor in he recent films, and not he proved himself as an action-hero star. I don't really think that the movie was as great as it could have been. Many times throughout the movie, it seemed as though some scenes were completly not needed at all. Matt Damon & Franka Potente do have suprisingly good chemistry, which makes this film a action adventure / love story sort of movie. One could go on and on about the films minor flaws... (the highly unlikely settings @ times) But I'm gonna go on and on about the awesome car chase scene. I loved it, it totally kept me going, and not once did I stop biting my nails and sitting at the edge of my seat wanting and yearning to find out what would happen of the two. I think that is what an action movie is for!
But I can't reward Bourne as much as I thought I would, those pointless scenes wayed down the story but overall I was very entertained.

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[MarkStud5]

“How can I forget you…you’re the only person I know.”

When hearing a quote like that, coming from a guy who has all the abilities that makes him a very cool spy, you wonder what exactly is going to happen to him next.

Of course I’m talking about Matt Damon in, “The Bourne Identity”

A movie that asks, what if you had amnesia? Complete amnesia. You didn’t know who you are, or anything, what would you do?

Well, if that wasn’t enough, what if you started realizing you had a Photographic Memory, a mastery of weapons, not to mention the ability to disappear, and the Ability to kick anybody’s ass who looked at you the wrong way?

What would you do?

Well thanks to Doug Liman, The Director of this incredible Spy Thriller, we find out just what Matt damon would do if he were in that situation. That answer being anything he can and the best he can.

I must admit that this movie is one of the best movies this summer, as well as this year. And ill tell you why

What makes this different from any spy movie out there, like Bond or Powers, is that Damon (Who’s real name is Jason Bourne among many aliases.) doesn’t want to save the world from any plots or conspiracies from the latest terrorist or anything like that. All he wants to do is find out who he is, or for that matter, who he was.

What happens is with this quest, Bourne finds himself battling assassins, police, politicians, and just about everybody else just to find out who he is. The only person who actually wants to help him is a mysterious woman named Marie (Played by Franke Potente who was Lola in “Run, Lola, Run.” She seems to be still running in this movie.) So Bourne must make sure he and Marie stay alive, while trying to find out who he is..

Now, as far as character-wise goes, I liked Damon as Jason Bourne. Matt Damon IS Jason Bourne, and he embodies everything that the character needs as far as Look, Style and Cunning. Potente as Marie is a nice change of pace, because she is Beautiful, and a bit of a spunky girl who we don’t really know about, and don’t really learn that much, which makes her character all that more engaging.

Speaking of Engaging; This movie just oozes style; from the locations from Paris to Zurich to the fight scenes to the very very stylish car chase scene all the way to the ultra-cool finale. (I really don’t think anybody has done that kind of stunt before, Truly inventive, original, and Ultra-Cool.) Not to mention Doug Liman’s style of direction and incredible musical score that really sets the mood for the great thriller.

The man that brought us the Sensational “Swingers” and the Teen Pulp-Fiction “Go” has really done his homework with this picture and brought to us an Incredible adaptation that is sure to please everyone who’s read the book and of course, the people who haven’t.


As far as villains go, we get them all here: Assassins, Politicians, Government Officials, Policemen, and so forth. All of, which are played to solid perfection by the people that, played them. My only problem is Julia Stiles, I mean, serious, WHY was she even there? I honestly wanna know why she was because they could’ve put anybody in that part and they would’ve done fine.

But besides Stiles misplacement, I would have to say that “The Bourne Identity” is one of the best spy thrillers in Years. With a Good Story, Incredible Characters, Awesome Action, and a style like no other, this movie far proceeds beyond the regular Popcorn Blockbuster Summer movie.

9/10

A New Saga is Bourne and I can’t wait to see what happens next…


[This message has been edited by MarkStud5 (edited 06-23-2002).]

[Aaron]

come on people, this was such a stupid movie. so stupid. i mean, OK, the plot is completely unoriginal (robert ludlum completely ripped off la femme nakita, not to mention the long kiss goodnight), but thats a given. i mean, its OK for a movie not to be original, as long as its entertaining. but this movie was just shit. ok ok ok, it wasnt all bad: the fight scenes were pretty solid, matt damon wasnt as bad as i expected him to be, and there was the awsome line: 'hell, even nicki could kill him' (in yo face bitch!). aside from that, this movie licked balls.

first of all, there is a plot hole the size of tom hanks' jowls: why was the CIA (or whatever the fuck agency it was) trying to kill matt damon? why? WHY? it doesnt make sense! why werent they just like, 'oh, your back. hows it goin?'. i mean, they had no beef with him--he was just doing his job.

second, what the fuck? why no t&a? i mean, why even have a romantic angle in a dumn movie like this if your not gonna show anything. and i know i know, its a PG13 movie and they werent about to keep out all the youngins by making it R, but still . . . i mean, after i saw this movie, i realized i had no idea what the chick's tits were like at all. they never even showed her tits clothed, let alone naked. i mean, why? at least--at the very least!--have some cleavage shots, or a shot of her in her bra. its not like the movie was that long . . . couldnt they have included at least one scene of them kickin it? feeeehck.

next gripe: the chase scene was not that good. im sorry, i know a lot of people liked it, but considering the fact that they're hyping it up so much ("a chase scene that rivals the french conncection" declare the previews. my ass), it just wasnt that spectacular. i mean, minicoopers are cool in a retro kinda way, but ill take the fuckin Audi S8 from Ronin any day.

this movie really didnt have enough action (violent or sexual) to make it a solid summer thriller, but it also lacked the plot and intrigue(i mean, come on, 40% of the movie was matt damon whining, 20% was him and the chick talking, 20% was that nicki chick getting yelled at and making posters, and 19% was that dude in washington going 'ill clean it up' and the other dude going 'clean it up!' with the remaining 1% devoted to action and plot advancement) of a good spy movie. i mean, honestly, this movie doesnt really have a plot at all--its just matt damon running around without an aim, and the cia hunting him for no reason. ok, enough for now. if you want a good spy movie, go rent sex commandos 2 (oh man thats sweet) cause this one licks my brother's ass.

peace

[Puck Bond]

The Bourne Identity 8/10...

The Bourne Identity is an imensely entertaining and satisfying spy-thriller starring Matt Damon as Jason Bourne a government assassin who has amnesia and is trying to remember who he is and was. This film works because of the credibility of the performances especially Matt Damon. He is not just some dumb action hero...but an accomplished actor playing this part of a bewildered man trying to figure things out. Franke Potente is also very good in this...she and Damon have excellent chemistry together...because they are both kind of in the same boat...Both of them don't really know where they are going or what they are doing...and there is that palpable dependence of each other that they both share. The supporting cast is solid which includes Chris Cooper, Brian Cox and Julia Stiles...and these all add to the credibility of the film. This film also has a lot of cool style, with its great European locales of Zurich, Paris etc. These locations add to the realness and international intrigue quality that the film has. The action is also fast-paced and exciting with Matt Damon doing some nice ass-kicking throughout and a great car-chase scene that is truly exciting...the audience let out a huge gasp when the chase was over. There is also some very nice action towards the end culminating in one of the coolest and most inventive stunts I have ever seen. It was a truly wow moment! So, overall The Bourne Identity is a terrific and very entertaining spy thriller with great action, locales and a credible cast especially Matt Damon in a new role for him.

[mulatto11]

OMG! I really loved this movie so much! I thought it was so well done and well acted by Matt Damon. He looked really good in the movie and I liked the romance between her and the woman. It was very exciting to watch, and great action. I give it an 8/10!

[carrera4s]

first off...this movie has no beginnin and no end. its a middle. theres no real plot...just matt damon running from everyone.there are huge plots holes and no real sense of flow. the movie just stumbles from one scence to the next. the villians are boring and badly acted. the action scenes are few and far apart and are nothing to really get xcited about. i tried 2 get my $$ back after the movie was over. i wouldnt even reccomend this as a rental. matt damon owes me 9 dollars. 2/10

[REAL_XYZ]

Before this movie, I really didn't like Matt Damon. But I now have a new found respect for the actor. He played a very good secret agent and he kicked major butt too.

I liked this movie. I didn't care why the CIA wanted Matt Damon's character dead. I liked the way that Matt Damon showed everyone who was the boss.

I really didn't buy the attraction between Damon and Potente, but that's OK. The scenes were fun to watch any way.

I say.....8/10.

[James Logan]

THE BOURNE IDENTITY
directed by Doug Liman

A wounded man floating in the sea half-dead is picked up by fishermen. They bring him back to shape, but his memories have disappeared: he's got amnesia. The only link to his past he has is a bank account number surgically stuffed into his hip. Suspense ensues.

I went to see this flick a couple of days ago and was happily surprised. The film holds together, it's original, interesting, suspenseful...it rocks!

First of all, the story and plot are very well thought. As the movie is inspired by a Robert Ludlum novel, I wasn't really surprised. But the spirit was true to the book, so it was interesting to watch.

Second, Doug Liman's directing was fantastic, and made the movie feel better and original, not like the usual Hollywood action thriller. Liman's direcing is full of style, slick and such, but it also feels very "indie" and "European" in some way, which made the film feel different and gave it an identity. The rythm is great, each plot turn is perfectly treated, and the suspense keeps until the end. Great job, Dougie. :)

Finally, one major good point for the flick was the acting. The "bad guys" were perfect (it was fun seeing Julia Stiles in a small but different role, btw), but it was especially Matt Damon and Franka Potente that impressed me. Both of them are perfectly believable, they act out their characters better than anyone else would have, and their relationship really worked for me. Great job there again.

Overall, I think THE BOURNE IDENTITY is a good thriller, just short of great, well-served by a great cast, a good story, and fantastic directing, all that making it different from your usual thriller. I warmly recommend it.

8/10

[areyoubeingserved]

Watched the film today. As far as blockbusters go, quite impressive but it had a lacking presence much like most of them. Matt Damon lacks charisma, a real problem. Interesting to see this as Doug Limans new work... after GO and SWINGERS he makes the transaction into action blockbuster very smoothly.

Brian Cox gives a brilliant performance, but I was extremely impressed of the set up of Clive Owen... I doubted his ability of being able to be bring off the presence as Bond (if the rumors are to be believed) but this should be good ground work. And he's effortlessly cool not saying much until his arm and neck is blown away.

I felt aware of the camera in many parts, not sure why? The chase in the mini was briilliant, but I didn't realise it was happening til a minute later. Distracted.

7.

[DaFuNk44]

The Bourne Identity (2002) --> 7/10

If you’re in the mood for a cool spy movie with tons of fistfights, car chases and intriguing conspiracy scenarios, then look no further than The Bourne Identity. The movie is pretty much a giant chase, with the lead man running from assassins while also trying to find out who and what he is. Matt Daman plays Jason Bourne, the man with all the kick-ass moves and clever tricks. I guess I have a thing for characters with Amnesia (I loved Memento) and maybe it’s because I find it fun watching them find out new things about themselves, while also acting on hunches, for instance when Jason kicks the crap out of two cops without knowing he can or when he speaks German without even thinking about it. Pretty fun stuff. Damon is a bad-ass and pulls off some impressive moves and also is capable of getting out of tough situations and outsmarting his opponents. I’d say one of the cooler characters in the movies this year. The story isn’t gunna knock your socks off, and there aren’t really any real big twists and turns, but it’s a story that strays away from plot holes and remains beleivable while also not getting too serious either. You are able to sit back and enjoy the action and moments of pure adrenaline, and that is really what this movies about, and you won’t be disappointed. Like I said, Damon is real good and remains focused and on his feet the whole way through. Franka Potente is also cute and likable and the secondary players come through as well, like Cox and Cooper. The movie also has some wonderful snowy European scenery and an overall quick pace, with no real dull or slow moments. A rousing, sharp and enjoyable romp.

[Dude]

"DUMN"...


I dont know about you guys, but I think it's FUNNY as hell when someone types DUMB incorrectly, and doesnt spell verify. :D


The Bourne Identity: 8/10

[quoth_the_raven]

ahhh i smell the smell of hollywood action filmy-ness.

perfect stuff for me. personally i like fighting, guns, and big explosions. so i was surely looking forward to this film. and it did not disappoint me at all.

Matt Damon was amazing here. i have never exactly been a fan, but man, he took to the role well and i thought he was pretty believable. and the boy dun good when it comes to the whole action scenes thing. i didnt think he could do it, but hes a pretty convincing ass kicker. overally he handled himself pretty well.

Franka Potente is pretty good as well as the poor lass that gets dragged into all the fun (sorry, i mean life or death chase). i havent seen her in anything much before, but yeah i like her.

and clive owen deserves a special mention here. the man is about the only candidate for James Bond once Pierce hangs up his shoulder holster.

picking up one or two points others have made here, that i totally agreed with. was Julia Stiles there just to provide a little eye candy? cause she didnt really have much to do other than look fairly hot in this film. shes a fair actress and was wasted in what sort of looked like a hastily flung in cameo.

also that horrible ending. why why why why why why did they insist on wrecking a fairly good film with a cheesy ending? that really does piss me off sometimes. why cant we have a good, dark ending to a film more often? i dont wannt Jason getting all happy with his lover.

so gripes aside, it was entertaining stuff and it kept me out of moisture we call weather over here.

so, a pretty good action movie, spoiled mainly by a cheesy ending, for which it has lost a point.

7/10

[freakandgeek]

i didn't this this movie was going to be this good. i really liked it.

7/10

[MovieMan75]

This movie was fairly good. It had an interesting plot and good characters. I really loved that car chase scene, and the field sniper/rifle scene. I liked the flow of how the plot started to reveal itself, and it showed well how hard it would be for a man to find out who he is when he's got amnesia. But once Jason fully understood who he was, the movie really ended on a boring, inconclusive note. I didn't like the final scene, and the ending was just oddly abrupt. I also thought Jason's relationship with Marie should have been explored more. Overall, this was a fairly good thriller. Had some cool action and suprises, but at the end, I was hoping for a bit more. Basically, this just isn't "Memento." (not to say that "The Bourne Identity" was trying to be "Memento" in the first place).

My Rating: 6.5/10.

[bondish]

http://www.darkhorizons.com/2002/bourne/bourn9t.jpg http://www.darkhorizons.com/2002/bourne/bourn3t.jpg http://www.darkhorizons.com/2002/bourne/bourn2t.jpg

The Bourne Identity Decent Action Flick!

I really liked enjoyed this movie. Great action, great setting, great cast, pretty decent. I didn't really want to see this movie at first, but after I'd seen it I was really pleased I had. This is certainly much better than xXx, which I thought was an over-the-top action bomb. This was just right. I though Franka Potente was great as the leading female, and pretty attractive too. The action scenes were cool (car chase through Paris in mini, down steps!) and much more believable than the average action film. The only disappointment I had was the confusing ending and how it didn't explain what happened in the end too much. The ending was also not as good as it could have been. Overall, a solid 7/10.

[Neesh]

I liked it... it kept me entertained for 100 minutes (or however long it was). Doug Liman remains one of my favorite 'new' directors.

[Doc Holliday]

This is one of my favorite movies from 2002 (along with Minority Report, Catch me if you Can, Gangs of New York).

I have read all of the books in the series from Robert Ludlum. The books are great and the movie lives up to the fast paced style Ludlum wrote the boook in.

I was worried about Matt Damon in the Role. I saw Sum of All Fears earlier in the year and HATED Ben Affleck in the role of Jack Ryan. Since I associate these guys through Good Will Hunting, i was thinking....they are going to screw this up with a young hot star in the role of Jason Bourne.

I was totally worng. Damon did a great job. He was totally believable and playted the role to a T! His action sequences were right on the whole time. In fact the timing in the action sequences were great...fast paced, quick editing, and brutal (what Daredevil should have been!)

My real favorite part was Franka Potente. She was fabulous in the role, and I now want to go rent RUn Lola, Run.

If you like spy/action flicks, this is a great one to watch. I saw where a magazine (reputable one, I just can't remember the name) listed it as it's 9th best action movie in the last 10 years (or something like that). Good my memory is crap (I don't know how I can even remember a movie I saw yesterday).

High rating here 8.5/10

[Arathon]

This film is kick-ass! Filled with the right amount of suspense, action and drama. The car chase was awesome. I mean who would've thought a mini could out pace so many cars-Well thanks to Jason Bourne's outstanding driving. The music was really great too, especially when Jason escapes from the U.S embassy. Really awesome beat. Kudos to Doug Liman. He did an excellent job with directing, and the great thing is that he actually went behind the camera a number of times and shot the scenes himself-Something some directors don't do. This is one of my favourite films ever.