'Bourne' to greatness.

Rating: 7/10 (21 May 2008)

My Take: Slick and stylish adaptation of the classic Ludlum bestseller.
Robert Ludlum's THE BOURNE IDENTITY, adapted here in this 2002 big screen romp, is an old-fashioned thriller, but a heck of a good one. It's an old-fashioned espionage chase thriller, owing a lot to Matt Damon's excellent performance in the title role, and the superior direction and pacing. Like all good mystery thrillers, this one keeps us gripped, guessing and interested from the first frame to the last. I was hooked.
The film centers on Jason Bourne, a man who finds himself in the middle of the ocean, with two bullets lodged into his back. he doesn't know who he is, and what happened to him. After being rescued by a fishing boat, he is dropped to France where he tries to find out who he is. He finds out he's a government assassin, a professional at the job, who the government no longer trusts. Now, he's a target of the government he used to work for. To escape, he aids help of Marie (Franka Potente), who also becomes a target of the same agency.
There are a number of great chase scenes that follow. There's the Paris chase scene where a Mini Copper is chased by the police. The film is mostly in low-key, but it keeps the energy level really high. There's action here and there, but some really good thrills as well, and a tight plot that keeps us interested and hooked. The performances are great, as is the script. Overall, a terrific thriller.
Rating: ***1/2 out of 5.