A Man With Many Names

Rating: 9/10 (26 July 2016)

It's hard to believe The Bourne franchise is over 14 years old. With 4 successful films under its belt to this point, and one more on the way, Jason Bourne has become one of Hollywood's most enduring protagonists. Luckily, after so long and many repeated viewings, The Bourne Identity still holds up.
Before Paul Greengrass came on board and gave us a few heart stopping thrill rides, Doug Liman directed the first entry in the series. While there are a few dated stylistic choices by Liman, he did a great job kicking off the series. It was released in 2002, but it definitely has a 90's action-thriller vibe from its look and feel. It's also far less cinematic than its successors and in turn makes for a great cable watch (which is probably why I've seen this film north of 10 times).
As I understand, the film's budget spiraled after several re-shoots and push back's, so John Powell had little to work with in terms of a natural score. I feel like that helped him create a more grounded sound and tone to the series, as he has gone on to score 3 more Bourne films. Powell's score, along with the great end credits Moby tag, make for one good listen. The Bourne Identity doesn't nearly have the scope that the Greengrass films do, but it has a surprisingly amount of awareness for an action film. The entire series is more cerebral than it gets credit for.
Accompanying Matt Damon as Bourne himself, is an impressive cast that consists of German star Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Brian Cox, and Clive Owen. Potente serves a great counter to Damon in that they both play lost souls searching for answers. She also essentially plays the audience, who is going along with Bourne as he ventures deep into his past. Owen, Cooper, and Cox are all great as different levels of C.I.A. agents. Particularly, Clive Owen, who does so much with so little amount of dialogue.
I'm of the belief that, besides Legacy, the Bourne films get better as the series goes on. With a charismatic performance from Damon, in a somewhat unlikable role, it's all the more impressive just how successful these films have become. Hopefully that continues moving forward.
+Damon's commitment
+Supporting cast
+Powell's grounded score
+Good action, but better characters
-Some dated stylistic choices
9.0/10