One of my favorite movies!

Rating: 9/10 (30 April 2015)

A man who is nearly shot to death gets his life saved by a fisherman. He wakes with amnesia, not knowing who he is. He meets a troubled, but kind woman, Marie. He discovers he is a former assassin named Jason Bourne. Jason must fully figure out why he's being hunted by Treadstone. I think the sequels are amazing as well, but the first is still the best (Though, Bourne Ultimatum is a really close second!) This one feels raw compared to the sequels and the most passionate. I wouldn't say it's action-packed, but the story is very engrossing and there are some action scenes that are exhilarating. There is an amazing (and lengthy) car chase at around the 50 minute mark, which would prove to be a benchmark for the rest of the sequels. I also enjoyed the fight scenes. The shaky cam isn't as prominent as it is in the sequels. If the ending doesn't make you smile, I question your sanity. Another thing I enjoyed about this movie is the character development. Even though Bourne is a Stone Cold killer, his transition into a caring human being was really fun to watch. He really is an anti-hero. Marie is a great character as well. She doesn't have much in her life, so why not go along for the ride? She really has nothing else. It was fun to watch Jason and Marie's relationship evolve. I questioned the casting choice of Damon at first. He didn't seem badass to me , but I'm happy to say he proved me wrong in a big way. I really can't picture anybody else as Bourne. Renner did fine as Aaron Cross in the spin off, but it wasn't the same. I also liked his paranoia as Bourne. It really added to the suspense. Damon is able to make you care about his plight. Franka Potente is solid for the most part. She is stone-faced during some of the most hectic moments, but she comes through. She's got a charm that is hard to resist. Her chemistry with Damon is fantastic and is one of the reasons this movie worked so well. Chris Cooper is really good as the villain. His use of the word "solider" grated my nerves though. Brian Cox is fine. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje is kinda wasted. Julia Stiles is easy on the eyes and good in her role. Clive Owen shows up briefly as an assassin.
This is a phenomenal movie! I consider the Bourne trilogy to be one of the greatest trilogies of all time. I own all of them, and watch them at least once a year. This is still the best!
9.3/10