The Bourne Identity (2002)

Featured Audience Ratings

• E.J. B

  
  The Bourne Identity is without a doubt one of the coolest CIA espionage thrillers that I've seen in a long time. It outdoes most of the James Bond and all of the Jack Ryan movies with its fast paced storytelling, amazing action sequences, and gripping, edge of your seat drama… More
  The Bourne Identity is without a doubt one of the coolest CIA espionage thrillers that I've seen in a long time. It outdoes most of the James Bond and all of the Jack Ryan movies with its fast paced storytelling, amazing action sequences, and gripping, edge of your seat drama that is the staple of all the best action pictures. Matt Damon is perfectly cast. The movie starts with Damon as Jason Bourne, shot twice in the back and left for dead in the ocean. Waking up on a shipping vessel, Bourne has no idea who he is but realizes he possesses the ability to speak multiple languages, can analyze every room he's in to the most minute detail, and could kick the crap out of pretty much anybody, even if they were to gang up on him. As he tries to figure it all out, the CIA realizes he isn't dead and commences a plan to dispose of him before his memory returns. But Bourne is too smart despite not knowing his real identity. He pays a German invalid named Marie Kreutz (played by sexy Franka Potente) to drive him to Paris. From there, they are pursued by assassins from all over, and as they struggle to avoid being captured or killed, a romance blossoms. The chemistry between Damon and Potente is great. Both actors are able to tap into the vulnerability of their characters and their own individual wants. Of course it's an action movie and it's typically formulaic for the guy and the girl to fall hopelessly in love, but the actors make it much more believable, so it doesn't feel like the film is just going through the motions. Much credit goes to the director Doug Liman who is very proficient at balancing all the aspects of the cat and mouse chase between the CIA and Jason Bourne. This film spans a lot of locations - from Zurich, Paris, to Virginia - and it never once feels convoluted or confusing. The audience is never confused as to how each character fits into the puzzle, and just enough information is left out to hold interest for the outcome. And of course the fight scenes are simply astounding. The choreography involves a lot of hand to hand combat that moves fast and is often staged in close quarters, keeping Bourne and his adversaries trapped in an enclosed area that warrants such close hand to hand combat. It's almost like elements of a martial arts film have been lifted into the espionage plot, creating a movie that you can watch for its exhilarating action scenes as much as for its intelligent story.

• Directors C

  
  The first of the Bourne series is a thrilling but forgettable action conspiracy film. Matt Damon performs excellently as he did in Ocean's Eleven and Good Will Hunting. It's not as good as these movies because for an action movie it can be a bit slow but The Bourne Identity… More
  The first of the Bourne series is a thrilling but forgettable action conspiracy film. Matt Damon performs excellently as he did in Ocean's Eleven and Good Will Hunting. It's not as good as these movies because for an action movie it can be a bit slow but The Bourne Identity is nonetheless an entertaining bond style action flick.

• xGary X

  
  A fishing vessel rescues a bullet-riddled amnesiac from the ocean and upon reaching shore, he discovers that not only is he a world class ass kicker but nearly every government agency in the world seems to want him dead. Along with Ronin, The Bourne Identity heralded a new era of high… More
  A fishing vessel rescues a bullet-riddled amnesiac from the ocean and upon reaching shore, he discovers that not only is he a world class ass kicker but nearly every government agency in the world seems to want him dead. Along with Ronin, The Bourne Identity heralded a new era of high octane grittiness for the action thriller and a decade on, it actually stands up pretty well. Of course the "hi tec" aspects look a little dated, but it's still a breathlessly exciting conspiracy thriller that dispenses with any irrelevances and gets straight down to the bare bones of a tire screeching, bone crunching rollercoaster ride. Matt Damon is the perfect combination of hard case and bemused victim and Franka Potente makes a much more interesting romantic interest than the generic dead-eyed bimbette that usually adorns this kind of thing. It all looks a bit familiar in this day and age, but this was one of the originals and is still the best Bourne film in my opinion.

• Sophie B

  
  A good series starter. Clever and interesting.

• Alexander D

  
  THE BOURNE IDENTITY is simply the start to Matt Damon's best bunch of movies. It is truly exceptional.

• Eric A

  
  Best suspense/mystery/thriller franchise out there! This thing delivers.

• Drake T

  
  Bourne is the American Bond. Not only is this film smart for the genre it's forced to work in, its protagonist has dimension, and the story? Just as thrilling as the action. Truly an engaging experience that transcends the average expectations of an "action flick"

• Jeff "

  
  The Bourne Identity loosely based on the bestseller by Robert Ludlum (I say loosely because the books and the films are highly different. is one of the most energetic action spy films to ever grace the screen. The cast assembled here is an incredible cast of talented actors. In the… More
  The Bourne Identity loosely based on the bestseller by Robert Ludlum (I say loosely because the books and the films are highly different. is one of the most energetic action spy films to ever grace the screen. The cast assembled here is an incredible cast of talented actors. In the lead is Matt Damon who gives one of his best performances of his career. Starring alongside him are Chris Cooper and Brian Cox who play Ted Conklin and Ward Abbott. Two men who hunt Jason Bourne an amnesiac spy who has no idea who he really is. The Bourne Identity is a phenomenal spy thriller, not perfect, but not terrible. The film is excellent actually and is almost flawless. But as proven with the sequels, the sequels have surpassed this film only because we find out more about the history of Jason Bourne, and theres a lot more story development to that effect. The Bourne Identity is a top notch spy thriller than will hold you in suspense throughout the film. At first I have to admit I really didn't care for this film, but after viewing it a few times after its initial release, I concluded it was a superb film with awesome thrills and action. If you're an espionage film fan or you're fascinated or read works on the CIA and are an absolute junkie on espionage stuff (like I am) I highly recommend this awesome spy Thriller.

• Kristijonas F

  
  An intelligent and well-written action thriller offering a unique mix of action and suspense, with a admirable performance from Matt Damon.

• Brad W

  
  Amazing, thats just one word for it. It lets go as we watch secrets unfold as the series begins. My only problem is you have to pay attention maybe too much. Besides this what a intense and awesome movie. Damon is Bourne.

• Justin Y

  
  Thanks to Robert Ludlum's novel, Doug Liman gets a successful spy thriller attached to his name known as <i>The Bourne Identity</i>.<p>The 110 minute story wastes no time by unleashing the mystery and intrigue from the get go. The nice thing is that the film… More
  Thanks to Robert Ludlum's novel, Doug Liman gets a successful spy thriller attached to his name known as <i>The Bourne Identity</i>.<p>The 110 minute story wastes no time by unleashing the mystery and intrigue from the get go. The nice thing is that the film keeps it this way through the final act. There is a steady flow to the picture as the pacing isn't too slow nor too fast. It is just right and there always seems to be something happening within the story.</p><p>Intertwined throughout the picture are various action sequences. The choreography for the hand to hand combat is noteworthy and the same can be said about the gun play. To top it all off, the film throws in a car chase as well.</p><p>Matt Damon steps into Jason Bourne's shoes without much difficulty and proves that he is a suitable choice for a film of this caliber. The lovely Franka Potente is also a good companion to Damon.</p><p>To sum it all up, <i>The Bourne Identity</i> contains all the makings of a good spy thriller. This is a movie that is easily recommendable.</p>

• Matt G

  
  Plot: A man is picked up by a fishing boat, bullet-riddled and without memory, then races to elude assassins and recover from amnesia. This movie is based off of Robert Ludlum's novels with the same title. The film stars Matt Damon as Jason Bourne, the fighting man with memory… More
  Plot: A man is picked up by a fishing boat, bullet-riddled and without memory, then races to elude assassins and recover from amnesia. This movie is based off of Robert Ludlum's novels with the same title. The film stars Matt Damon as Jason Bourne, the fighting man with memory loss. I'd like to point out that this is an outstanding start in the Bourne trilogy. I also think that this is the best of the three. My favorite Bourne movies (In order) 1. The Bourne Identity 2. The Bourne Ultimatum 3. The Bourne Supremacy This was a great movie for many reasons. It could be Doug Liman's genius directing techniques, it could be the fantastic script, or it could be the action sequences. All of those are great, but I think that Matt Damon's performance seals the deal making Bourne the most badass rebel ever. The music in this is great. I'm really glad that they used Moby's "Extreme" in it. It went along smoothly with the film. You should really check out the soundtrack! The screenplay is phenomenal, written by Tony Gilroy, who wrote the screenplays for the entire Bourne trilogy, and also wrote and directed Michael Clayton, which I've been dying to see. Overall, this is a very well done film. Matt Damon shines as Jason Bourne and the action sequences are as exciting as the first Matrix movie. Grade: A-

• Marc L

  
  Though the movie lacks many of the characters and scenes from the original, it's still an amazing film. I could tell from the first 5 seconds of this movie that is was going to have a mysterious, smart feel to it. And just when I thought it couldn't get any better, it did.… More
  Though the movie lacks many of the characters and scenes from the original, it's still an amazing film. I could tell from the first 5 seconds of this movie that is was going to have a mysterious, smart feel to it. And just when I thought it couldn't get any better, it did. The best part of the movie is easily the story. Jason isn't your classic spy. He doesn;t use fancy gadgets, he doesn't have anybody working with him, and he doesn;t have a very good repuation. He has two different sides. First there's the tough, cold blooded assassin side we see when he fights the Frenchmen in his apartment room and when he is in the field with the sniper. But he also has very moral qualities, like when he refuses to kill Wambosi because his daughter is there. Matt Damon's acting might be on par with Leo DeCaprio's in Titanic. It's almost hard to believe he read it of the script! He played every aspect of Bourne's personality to a hilt. His menace, his kindness, and sometimes his slight insanity. The guy who played Conklin did a good job too. He played Conklin as a cold, mysterious man whose only concern is saving his own skin, and that is the perfect mold for a villain. The fight scenes came at just the right moments too. In most of them, there was a lot on tension before Bourne, or the person trying to kill him, struck. That is muy importante for a spy thriller. Though the movie sacrifices many central themes in the book, it's a wonderful story. I'd reccomend it to not only action fans, but movie fans in general. A masterpiece. Well done Damon, well done.

• Conner R

  
  Definitely what I consider to be the best and most interesting of the three, it's just such a great story and execution. This is able to cover so much ground and have so many characters and subplots yet still feels grounded in reality and well-paced. It's unfair to call this… More
  Definitely what I consider to be the best and most interesting of the three, it's just such a great story and execution. This is able to cover so much ground and have so many characters and subplots yet still feels grounded in reality and well-paced. It's unfair to call this the American James Bond, in no way does Jason Bourne want to be a killer or a spy. He really just wants to be left alone. So in that respect, this works so well as an action mystery; a genre that doesn't have many to its name. Doug Liman directs this movie flawlessly and brings class to what could have been a simple shoot 'em up or hokey thriller. Matt Damon also contributes to the legitimacy, as does the rest of the cast. This is such a rare find, a popular movie that actually delivers ten fold.

• Spencer S

  
  Matt Damon was great as ever, the premise was entertaining, the plot carefully put together, the rest of the cast right for their roles, and of course, stuff blew up. Action sequences were amazing, especially at the farmhouse.

• Kevin K

  
  I was never a big Matt Damon before I saw The Bourne Identity. After I saw this movie, I have realized that Matt Damon is superb at being the leading role in this brilliant action film. Robert Ludlum who made the Bourne Trilogy has made such an impact that they even turned them… More
  I was never a big Matt Damon before I saw The Bourne Identity. After I saw this movie, I have realized that Matt Damon is superb at being the leading role in this brilliant action film. Robert Ludlum who made the Bourne Trilogy has made such an impact that they even turned them into movies. Like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings as well. But what The Bourne Identity does is give us a more modern film when the book was during the Cold War. They do a brilliant job at making sure that they keep the major story line and hopefully they keep the characters as cool and dirty as the book. Unfortunately The Bourne Identity just barely passes with Marie being the girl who wants to be with Jason Bourne unlike the book where she wants to escape the mad man. As story goes, The Bourne Identity starts off on a french fishing boat when the french men find a man in the water. They bring him over onto the ship and realized that he was shot twice and has a bank account number in his hip. The man who was shot (Jason Bourne who is played by Matt Damon) doesn't know who he is and doesn't even know why he was there in the first place. But what he can do is protect himself very viciously. He can take on three men at once, take apart a pistol and many other stuff. So he is trying to find out who he is. OVERALL: Matt Damon is brilliant. He knows what to do and does the acting perfectly for the role as a dangerous man of self defense. The Bourne Identity is fantastic and a great action film.

• Richard C

  
  B+

• Red L

  
  A good action flick. Watch Jason Bourne find out who he is, driving fast cars, killing bad guys, finding a love interest in just 90 minutes! Lotta killing though

• Daniel M

  
  The 1990s were a tough time for the spy thriller. The rebirth of the Bond franchise with Goldeneye soon began to lose its momentum, with both Tomorrow Never Dies and The World Is Not Enough returning the series to well-worn convention. The mainstream success of parodies like Austin… More
  The 1990s were a tough time for the spy thriller. The rebirth of the Bond franchise with Goldeneye soon began to lose its momentum, with both Tomorrow Never Dies and The World Is Not Enough returning the series to well-worn convention. The mainstream success of parodies like Austin Powers and I Spy saw the genre's conventions exposed and widely mocked. And then there was Die Another Day, a clunking greatest hits compilation which lurched between self-parody and in-jokes via rubbish CGI. In the same year that Pierce Brosnan hung up his tux, The Bourne Identity came along and showed the way forward for a genre which many had written off. Although not as radical, or modern, or insightful as its sequels, Identity is a really great thriller on its own terms, combining a great central performance from Matt Damon with an inventive and exciting story, all of which makes for a really riveting ride. To the seasoned spy fan, several elements of The Bourne Identity will appear old-fashioned. While Paul Greengrass used the characters as a starting point to explore the changing nature of surveillance, Doug Liman is largely faithful to Robert Ludlum's source novel, which was written in the 1980s. This might help to explain why the office charged with tracking Bourne uses clunky grey desktops and map pins, rather than slim laptops and interactive touch-screens. The old-fashioned sensibility runs deeper than a design level. The intelligence services that are tracking Bourne are presented as something undeniably monolithic, something which has a free reign over its operations and which is impregnable to the casual eye. The antagonists' character traits are clearly drawn, and there is much less in-fighting than we might expect, either between different agents or between the agency and the government. Despite this simplicity, the film generally avoids tipping over into caricature, and when it does become exaggerated, it is played for light, knowing relief. Where The Bourne Identity is definitely not old-fashioned is in its treatment of the central character. Previous spy thrillers have played heavily on the charisma and overt heroism of its protagonists, whether in their good looks, intelligence or gruff charm. Over time such characters became pastiches of themselves and much of the substance deserted them; Bond started out as a chain-smoking, rebellious anti-hero and ended up as an impossibly talented stereotype with a penchant for eyebrow-raising. Jason Bourne does not risk becoming like Bond, because he lacks the crucial thing which Bond has: an identity, and the self-confidence which goes with it. Bourne has all the inbuilt training and skills of Bond, but his humanity has been compromised to such an extent that he cannot explain or justify his actions. After he beats up the German policemen on the park bench, he stands there bemused because he doesn't know his own strength. This clever inversion of a genre convention allows the film to explore a darker kind of antagonist: not pantomime villains stroking cats, but the intelligence services themselves. The film looks at the despair and loneliness which follow a secret agent around, exemplified by the conversation between Damon and Clive Owen as the latter is dying of his wounds. It humanises the protagonists, showing the level of sacrifice they have made, and the extent to which higher powers have exploited and manipulated their desire to serve their countries. Despite being very difficult to defeat, Bourne comes across as someone who is emotionally helpless and believably vulnerable. We identify with him because he is like us enough that we understand his predicament, and his actions never seem gratuitous or fantastical. The secret of all great thrillers is pace: they need to be slow enough to allow all the character development and plot to be absorbed, but fast enough to increase the tension and gloss over any aspect of the plot which is contrived. It doesn't matter if we question the workings of something after the film is over, because as long as we believe it when it is playing out, the film is doing its job. On these grounds The Bourne Identity is very good indeed. It begins brilliantly, throwing us straight into the action and introducing our main character without any kind of showy pre-title sequence. The plot twists, like the scene of Damon finding all the other passports in the safe deposit box, keep the audience on edge and get us thinking in the mindset of the character. There are a lot more first-person shots in Identity than in the Greengrass films, which give the film a sense of intimacy even during the action sequences. There is a good comparison between this film and Into the Night, since both are about characters being thrown into a world which they don't understand and having to confront an ever-darkening series of events which unfold. But much like Into the Night, some of the moments of character development feel overly reliant on humour. In the quieter sections, when the characters are not being frantically chased, things start to bog down and not all of the light relief works. Although Liman is a good character director (having previously helmed Swingers and Go), he occasionally struggles to match the lighter tone of the characters with the darkness of the central theme. There are several pleasant moments which raise a chuckle, such as the scene at the country house. After Franka Potente takes ages looking for the key, Damon simply breaks the door down, in a manner reminiscent of Harrison Ford pulling out a gun in Indiana Jones. On other occasions the film almost slips into parody, for instance when Damon plans how to get information from a hotel, only for Potente to walk straight in and ask for it. As far as the action sequences go, they are not as frenetic as in the sequels because the camerawork is not as intimate and the editing not so breathtaking. But they are still riveting to watch, and are a seamless continuation of the cat-and-mouse storyline. The car chase involving the Mini is a nice nod to The Italian Job, right down to the car careering down a steep flight of steps. And the fight scenes involving Damon really bring out the edginess and resourcefulness of the central character. The Bourne Identity is a really solid, exciting action thriller which is intelligently written and directed with confidence. Both the script and the cinematography are lighter in tone than the sequels, and there are moments in which things become contrived or seem out of place. But calling it the runt of the litter would be very unkind, since it is a very fine thriller on its own terms. Whatever the merits of the sequels and all the knock-offs that followed, this is the film which proved that there was life left in the spy genre, being on a par with the best work of the Brosnan era. It is a really satisfying experience, especially in light of the genius to come.

• Candy R

  
  Jason Bourne is a CIA agent but he doesn't know it as he has lost his memory. He soon realises he can speak languages and is a fighting machine. Good storyline.

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