Directed By Doug Liman.
 
  Screenplay by Tony Gilroy and Blake W. Herron 
 
  Matt Damon   (Jason Bourne) 
 
  Chris Cooper (Conklin) 
 
  Frankie Portente (Marie) 
 
  Brian Cox (Ward Abbott) 
 
  Clive Owen (The Professor)
 
   My ho hum review of The Bourne Identity is probably based on the fact that I was weaned on the James Bond franchise.  Don't get me wrong, I admire the craftsman ship of director Doug Liman and screenwriters Tony Gilroy and Blake W. Herron.  Jason Bourne is a stripped down hero, grounded in reality.  This is evident by the bare bones approach that Doug Liman takes to most of the fights scene.  Bourne gives as good as he gets but he definitely takes a few licks when he's engaged in combat.  Still, I found myself longing for something like "Casino Royale."  That's a back to basics Bond outing that still manages to keep the swagger that that particular franchise is known for.  Perhaps my problem with The Bourne Identity is the fact that Doug Liman and his writers may have stripped things down a little to much.  In my view, there's nothing to really get excited about here.  At various intervals this film seems to plod along.  Perhaps this is due to the fact that Matt Damon didn't impress me as much as I thought he would in regards to the Jason Bourne role.  I'm sorry but Matt Damon's name doesn't come to mind when I think of a conflicted bone shattering assassin with a dark side.  
 
  Plot:  Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is a CIA attack dog who wakes up as an amnesiac after he is pulled out of the water and eventually rescued by a passing freighter.  The problem?  Bourne has no idea who he is and how he ended up in the water.  After making a few moves to try and sort things out, Bourne's re emergence is discovered by the company and his elimination becomes a top priority.  Enter Bourne's former handler, Conklin (Chris Cooper) who is feeling the heat from a higher up named Abbott (Brian Cox) who wants Bourne neutralized as quickly as possible to prevent the company's black op work from seeing the light of day.  With the heat coming down heavier and heavier on him, Conklin enlists another shadow op named The Professor (Clive Owen) to make his problem go away.  I'll stop there, you can decipher the rest of the plot on your own. 
 
  I was kind of disappointed to see how greatly under utilized Brian Cox was by the screenwriters.  I would've liked to have seen him on screen a bit more considering his rather excellent turn as a heel in "Chain Reaction."  Chris Cooper does all he can as Conklin but he doesn't quite that have nasty streak in him.  That's the hallmark of a great heel turn and it's sorely needed in a film like The Bourne Identity.  Especially for a film fan like me; a person who needs something to sink their teeth into.

  It's the same issue I have with Matt Damon.  He's not bad as Bourne, his performance is rather work man like in fact.  Still, he doesn't seem to have that gear that elevates a character like Bourne into the anals of cool anti hero status.  In the final analysis The Bourne Identity feels like one of those meals where you finish up and you feel like you just didn't get enough for your liking.

Recommended:
No

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age