Review of The Bourne Identity (2002) by David G — 25 Aug 2012
The daddy of the modern spy thriller. Has very little in common with the excellent Robert Ludlum novel upon which it is based but it's so damn good in its own right, that doesn't even matter. The story is intelligent, clever and perfectly paced, drip-feeding us clues and revelations about Matt Damon's mysterious, amnesiatic assassin Jason Bourne, interspersed with gritty, hard-hitting action scenes. The latter are nothing if not influential, introducing the Filipino martial art of Kali into popular culture - a fighting style so photogenic it's been seen in everything from The Book of Eli to Repo Men ever since. Matt Damon proves a great choice for Bourne - part cold and taciturn, part vulnerable, always deadly, always charismatic. The rest of the cast have no trouble keeping up with a fine collection of veteran character actors such as Chris Cooper and Brian Cox.
The first and best (in my opinion) of the Bourne series, but why stop there? This is one of the best action thrillers period.
This review of The Bourne Identity (2002) was written by David G on 25 August 2012.
The Bourne Identity has generally received very positive reviews.
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