Not quite as good as I was expecting, but still fun

Rating: 7/10 (25 February 2008)

The Bourne Identity has been hyped by many people as the ultimate spy film, out-Bonding Bond etc. etc. To a certain extent that is true - it was exciting, broadly plausible and full of action. On the other hand, for a start it wasn't exactly a spy film. Bourne starts off not knowing who he is, he is chased around a lot and nearly gets killed a few times and he ends up still not really knowing who he is. He doesn't do any spying, he just realises slowly over the course of the film that he is himself a sort of spy.
The plot was barely recognisable from the book, apart from a few names, the chase from Zurich to Paris and the fact that people were trying to kill him. The reason why they were trying to kill him and the people responsible were new and the CIA involvement was never fully explained or developed. Perhaps this was a good thing, as the book is, I think, overly complicated, but they could have kept some sort of link.
In terms of plausibility, some of the fighting looked like something out of The Matrix (maybe genuine, but filmed to make it look like it was a bit super-hero) and the part where he jumps down a 4-storey stairwell using a dead body to cushion his fall was frankly laughable.
As it is, I still enjoyed it and agree it is a great improvement on most Bond films - as witnessed by the way that Bond was reinvented for Casino Royale. The lack of plot carry-over also means that I can watch The Bourne Supremacy when it's on TV next week without worrying that I am still only 1/2 way through the book.