With a plethora of action movies pouring out of the world's studios The Bourne Identity (M) had to pack a different punch to make it a success.

Rating: Null/10 (20 November 2002)

The Robert Ludlum-directed film, now showing at Te Awamutu's Regent Theatre, is just different enough to heighten the entertainment level. For a starter the main character wakes up aboard a French fishing vessel with bullet holes in his back completely unaware of who he is and why anybody would want to shoot him. As the story unfolds the man, played convincingly by Matt Damon, discovers he has almost inbuilt skills in the martial arts and is hounded by the American CIA who have ordered their operatives to kill him. As he makes his way across Europe he hooks up with Marie Kreutz, a Gypsy girl played with by a frantic Franka Potente who helps him discover his own identity. All this unfolds in between a number of innovative chase scenes that occur in some of Europe's most beautiful cities from Switzerland to Paris. The Bourne Identity is a film about choices as the man, who discovers he is Jason Bourne, has to decide whether he wants to continue following the path his life has taken him on or do something different. It makes the Bond movies look like several walks in the park. Real edge of the seat stuff.