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The Bourne Identity
(June 2002)

An old fashioned cat and mouse thriller. What it lacks in depth and character development it makes up for in action packed sequences that will have you munching on your popcorn until the very end.

Found almost dead and floating in the Mediterranean, Matt Damen plays Jason Bourne a hitman with amnesia. A pile of money, a stack of passports and a gun found in a bank safe deposit box are the only clues to his former life. If things weren't bad enough he soon discovers that someone is trying to kill him. While on the run, Bourne hooks up with Marie (Franka Potente) and the two of them head on a series of wild car chases through Paris. The Dialog scenes between Damen and Potente are well written and the two have a great chemistry together.

The weak parts of this movie all center around agent Conklin, played by Chris Cooper. Who we find out early in the movie is one trying to kill Bourne. Chris Cooper, an otherwise fine actor, is relegated to yelling stock government agent type lines throughout the movie. You find yourself desperately wishing that the Agent Conklin scenes were shorter so you could get back to the main characters.

What is refreshing in this movie is the lack of CGI and blue screen shots, which is increasingly rare in action films. The car chases and stunts in Bourne are meticulously set up and give us a sense of them being "real" that CGI just can't match. Also, Matt Damen plays a surprising believable action hero. When he puts his game face on and starts kicking butt you believe it.

Rating: PG-13 for violence and some language.