Something you have surely seen before

Rating: 5/10 (23 July 2002)

After seeing the trailer of The Bourne Identity I was really looking forward to the film because it promised to be a gripping spy thriller. Well, after seeing it I was a little disappointed. This does not mean that the film is bad but although it was a spy thriller, it was not gripping. This is because you've seen similar films over and over again. This might lead to the impression that you can predict what comes next and you certainly can. The action sequences are definitely state of the art but the plot won't take your breath away. This is partly because you have the feeling that Mat Damon/Jason Bourne does all this searching for his identity not because of curiosity but because he's got an awful lot of time on his hands. Furthermore the romance between F. Potente & M. Damon bears more resemblance to an arranged marriage than to affection. In short, this is a movie full of cliches, which can be recommended if you want to spend some time on a rainy day.