The Bourne Identity

December 9, 2004

Rated: PG-13 Runtime: 118 min Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Matt Damon surprised us with a truly great action star performance in The Bourne Identity. He’s got the look, he’s got the skills and persona, heck, if he had an accent he could be the next Bond.

The Bourne Identity

What would happen if a spy for the CIA was in an accident and lost his memory? To complicate matters even more, what if this spy was discovered floating in the ocean with bullet wounds? That’s the premise behind The Bourne Identity, a man trying to solve the mystery of who he is, when the answer to that question certainly isn’t a simple one.

After a bit of checking at a bank he discovers he is most likely Jason Bourne, though there is a bit of a question in that regard due to his circumstances. It’s not long before he finds himself in need of a ride, and any ride will do, so he hooks up with a young lady outside the bank (Franka Potente) with a Mini Cooper who gives him a lift to Paris in exchange for $20,000. Nice work if you can get it.

That’s about as much detail as you can get from the previews, and I’m not going to risk spoiling anything by giving any more of a summary here. What I will tell you is that this movie as a lot of action in it, a great car chase and some nice plot moves near the end. Matt Damon really does pull this role off with style, making the fight scenes look very real and making us think that all spies must have the best jobs on earth. The only thing that kept this movie from a perfect 5 star rating was it’s pacing, it was just a tad slow at times. Perhaps we’re getting too stingy with the 5 star rating, I’m not sure.

Take a date or head to the theater with friends, in either case you won’t leave disappointed. Highly recommended.

Posted by John | Filed Under 4 Stars, Brian Cox, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Franka Potente, Matt Damon, PG-13, Theatrical, Thriller