Fantastic Action, But The Story Is Hardly Original

Rating: 7/10 (1 November 2007)

I'm not particularly a fan of the whole action-movie genre, but I have to say that, in "The Bourne Identity", you have to love the action. It really does make the movie. The fight scenes are incredible, and the chase scene as Bourne (Matt Damon) leads the Paris police on a car chase through the city is amazing. The action alone makes this worth watching.
The story on the other hand is somewhat intriguing as we untangle some of the mystery revolving around Bourne's identity, but the basic premise (which isn't hidden at all in the movie) has a ring of familiarity to it. Bourne is some sort of super-CIA operative who's lost his memory and has no idea of who he was or what he did for a living, but he sure does have some amazing abilities that he hasn't forgotten. As we're told during the movie, he's a $30 million weapon that's malfunctioning. That didn't strike me as particularly original, although it was unclear (to me at least) whether his abilities came from genetic engineering, some type of implant or just incredible training.
Damon's performance was quite good, and I thought Franka Potente came across well as Marie, the woman who helps Bourne and begins to fall for him at the same time, even while becoming increasingly uncomfortable as more is revealed about his past. It's enjoyable and exciting, even if it has a bit of a well-worn premise, and it caught my interest enough to make me want to see the sequels. 7/10