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The Bourne Identity (2002)
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Overview
User Rating:
Your Rating:
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Release Date:
14 June 2002 (USA)
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Tagline:
Matt Damon is Jason Bourne See more »
Plot:
A man is picked up by a fishing boat, bullet-riddled and without memory, then races to elude assassins and recover from amnesia. Full summary » | Full synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
Bank
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Fishing Boat
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Bank Account
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Passport
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Martial Arts
See more »
Awards:
3 wins
&
4 nominations
See more »
NewsDesk:
(1176 articles)
Watch Erased with the Sound Off and You'll Still Know What's Going On
(From Village Voice. 16 May 2013, 9:00 PM, PDT)
Film Review: ‘Erased’
(From Variety - Film News. 15 May 2013, 8:53 PM, PDT)
DVD and Blu-ray Deals: The Bourne Trilogy, Star Trek, The Master, Let Me In, Twilight, Breaking Bad, and Hundreds More
(From Collider.com. 14 May 2013, 8:40 AM, PDT)
(From Village Voice. 16 May 2013, 9:00 PM, PDT)
Film Review: ‘Erased’
(From Variety - Film News. 15 May 2013, 8:53 PM, PDT)
DVD and Blu-ray Deals: The Bourne Trilogy, Star Trek, The Master, Let Me In, Twilight, Breaking Bad, and Hundreds More
(From Collider.com. 14 May 2013, 8:40 AM, PDT)
User Reviews:
First-class spy thriller but nothing to do with the books - 93%
See more (800 total) »
Cast
(in credits order) (verified as complete)
Directed by | |||
| Doug Liman | |||
Writing credits(WGA) | ||
| Tony Gilroy | (screenplay) and | |
| W. Blake Herron | (screenplay) (as William Blake Herron) | |
| Robert Ludlum | (novel) | |
Original Music by | |||
| John Powell | |||
Cinematography by | |||
| Oliver Wood | (director of photography) | ||
Film Editing by | |||
| Saar Klein | |||
Casting by | |||
| Joseph Middleton | |||
Production Design by | |||
| Dan Weil | |||
Art Direction by | |||
| Laurent Piron | |||
| Bettina von den Steinen | (supervising art director) | ||
| Yann Biquand | (uncredited) | ||
Set Decoration by | |||
| Sandrine Mauvezin | (as Alexandrine Mauvezin) | ||
Costume Design by | |||
| Pierre-Yves Gayraud | |||
Makeup Department | |||
| Jean-Charles Bachelier | .... | hair stylist: second unit, Paris | |
| Jean-Charles Bachelier | .... | makeup artist: second unit, Paris | |
| Jirí Farkas | .... | hair stylist: Prague (as Jirka Farkas) | |
| Jirí Farkas | .... | makeup artist: Prague (as Jirka Farkas) | |
| Kay Georgiou | .... | key hair stylist | |
| Patrick Girault | .... | hair stylist: France | |
| Alexis Kinebanyan | .... | special makeup effects artist | |
| Tamara Koubová | .... | hair stylist: Prague | |
| Tamara Koubová | .... | makeup artist: Prague | |
| Alena Mareckova | .... | makeup artist: second unit, Prague (as Alena Marecková) | |
| Patricia Planche | .... | makeup artist | |
| Jean-Luc Russier | .... | key makeup artist | |
| Bobo Sobotka | .... | makeup artist: second unit, Prague (as Bohous Sobotka) | |
| Jean-Christophe Spadaccini | .... | prosthetic makeup artist | |
Art Department | |||
| Jean-Marc Auriol | .... | stand-by painter | |
| Jana Chovancova | .... | art department coordinator: Prague (as Jana Chovancová) | |
| Alain Darthou | .... | construction manager (as Alain-Henri Darthou) | |
| Armand de Tayrac | .... | art director: second unit, Paris | |
| Jerome Fortier | .... | head carpenter (as Jérome Fortier) | |
| Richard Guille | .... | propman: second unit, Paris | |
| Eric Guinot | .... | propman: Imperia | |
| Angela Gygi | .... | props assistant: Imperia | |
| Yvan Hart | .... | head plasterer | |
| Radan Kapinos | .... | propman: second unit, Prague | |
| Pascal Lavoué | .... | property master | |
| Martin Manousek | .... | stand-by construction: second unit, Prague | |
| Costas Papas | .... | art director: Greece | |
| Ludek Pokorny | .... | construction supervisor: Prague | |
| Nathalie Sarret | .... | head painter | |
| Zbynek Skabroud | .... | propman: second unit, Prague | |
| Fanny Stauff | .... | assistant art director trainee | |
| Gilles Ségurel | .... | stand-by propman | |
| Zbynek Trojan | .... | stand-by construction: second unit, Prague | |
| Mirka Valova | .... | art department interpreter | |
| Karel Vanásek | .... | property master: Prague | |
| Olivia Bloch-Lainé | .... | assistant set decorator (uncredited) | |
| Sandra Crouch | .... | assistant art director (uncredited) | |
| Warren Drummond | .... | storyboard artist (uncredited) | |
| Daran Fulham | .... | assistant art director (uncredited) | |
| Isabelle Kostic Crosley | .... | assistant set decorator/buyer (uncredited) | |
| Jan Kotik | .... | graphic designer (uncredited) | |
| Thomas Lechevallier | .... | art department trainee (uncredited) | |
| Lenka Pavlakova | .... | art department interpreter (uncredited) | |
| Jérôme Poirier | .... | ripper (uncredited) | |
| Lionel Pouchard | .... | storyboard artist (uncredited) | |
| Benoît Sanson | .... | property buyer (uncredited) | |
| Kamel Tazit | .... | props (uncredited) | |
Special Effects by | |||
| Philippe Hubin | .... | special effects supervisor | |
| Jean-Christophe Magnaud | .... | special effects coordinator | |
| Jirí Vojtech | .... | special effects crew | |
| Martin Kubricht | .... | special effects crew (uncredited) | |
| Lawrence Michael | .... | special effects technician (uncredited) | |
| Pascal Molina | .... | special effects (uncredited) | |
Visual Effects by | |||
| Melanie Boettcher | .... | accountant: Illusion Arts | |
| Matt Bouchard | .... | CG artist: ILM (as Matthew Bouchard) | |
| Justin Brandstater | .... | matte artist: Illusion Arts | |
| Pamela Choules | .... | visual effects editor: Illusion Arts | |
| Ken Dackermann | .... | digital compositor: Pacific Title Digital | |
| Peter Donen | .... | visual effects supervisor | |
| Linda Drake | .... | visual effects editor | |
| Syd Dutton | .... | special visual effects: Illusion Arts | |
| David Dwiggins | .... | visual effects producer (as David L. Dwiggins) | |
| Stefen Fangmeier | .... | visual effects supervisor: ILM | |
| Chris Flynn | .... | digital compositor: Pacific Title Digital | |
| Travis Flynn | .... | digital lineup: Pacific Title Digital | |
| Mark Freund | .... | compositing supervisor: Pacific Title Digital | |
| Carolyn Garcia | .... | production assistant: Illusion Arts | |
| Richard Gervan | .... | rotoscoper: Pacific Title Digital | |
| Brien Goodrich | .... | digital compositor: Pacific Title Digital | |
| Martin Hall | .... | digital compositor: Pacific Title Digital | |
| Maureen Healy | .... | digital painter: Pacific Title Digital | |
| Veronica Hernandez | .... | digital painter: Pacific Title Digital | |
| Scott Hilton | .... | visual effects production assistant | |
| Bill Holloway | .... | data manager: Pacific Title Digital | |
| Heather Hoyland | .... | digital compositor: Pacific Title Digital | |
| Mark Kenaston | .... | digital assistant: Illusion Arts (as Mark Kensaton) | |
| Adam Kowalski | .... | camera operator: Illusion Arts | |
| Jennifer Law-Stump | .... | digital compositor: Pacific Title Digital | |
| Lynn Ledgerwood | .... | special rigging: Illusion Arts | |
| Matt Linder | .... | digital compositor: Pacific Title Digital | |
| Lisa Markou | .... | coordinator: Pacific Title Digital | |
| Fumi Mashimo | .... | lead animator: Illusion Arts | |
| Mamie McCall | .... | visual effects production coordinator: Illusion Arts | |
| Darin McCormick-Millett | .... | visual effects producer: Pacific Title Digital (as Darin Millett) | |
| Richard Patterson | .... | digital supervisor: Illusion Arts | |
| Sarah Peacock | .... | visual effects coordinator: ILM | |
| Susane Preissler | .... | visual effects consultant | |
| Kenny Price | .... | digital lineup: Pacific Title Digital | |
| Michelle Rothburgh | .... | production assistant: Illusion Arts | |
| Dave Simmons | .... | digital compositor: Pacific Title Digital | |
| Aaron Snow | .... | digital assistant: Illusion Arts | |
| Catherine Sudolcan | .... | visual effects producer: Illusion Arts | |
| Bill Taylor | .... | special visual effects: Illusion Arts | |
| Garv Thorp | .... | coordinator: Pacific Title Digital | |
| Mike Wassel | .... | matte artist: Illusion Arts (as Michael J. Wassel) | |
| David S. Williams Jr. | .... | compositing supervisor: Illusion Arts | |
| Habib Zargarpour | .... | associate visual effects supervisor: ILM | |
| Christine Zavala | .... | visual effects production coordinator | |
| Zachary Cole | .... | technical support: ILM (uncredited) | |
| Mark Coleran | .... | on-set screen graphics (uncredited) | |
| Chris Crowell | .... | digital compositor (uncredited) | |
| Steven Fagerquist | .... | visual effects (uncredited) | |
| Christopher Grandel | .... | trailer digital effects, Howard Anderson Company (uncredited) | |
| Peter N. Griffith | .... | visual effects property master (uncredited) | |
| Nicholas Hasson | .... | visual effects technical assistant (uncredited) | |
| Lloyd Hess | .... | technical support (uncredited) | |
| Brad Kalinoski | .... | digital artist: wire and rig removal (uncredited) | |
| Patrick Keenan | .... | digital artist: Pacific Title Digital (uncredited) | |
| Derek Ledbetter | .... | visual effects (uncredited) | |
| Henric Nieminen | .... | visual effects (uncredited) | |
| Jim Pearson | .... | marine coordinator: visual effects unit (uncredited) | |
| Rebecca Ramsey | .... | title producer: Kaleidoscope Films (uncredited) | |
| George Sakellariou | .... | production engineering: ILM (uncredited) | |
| Jeff Wells | .... | digital artist: Pacific Title Digital (uncredited) | |
Stunts | |||
| Laurent Boismaré | .... | stunt double: Bourne | |
| Radek Bruna | .... | stunts | |
| Rémi Canaple | .... | stunt wire rigger | |
| Damon Caro | .... | martial arts trainer | |
| Alexandre Cauderlier | .... | stunts wire effects | |
| Patrick Cauderlier | .... | stunt wire effects coordinator | |
| Patrick Cauderlier | .... | stunt wire rigger | |
| Viktor Cervenka | .... | stunts: Prague | |
| Jean-Jacques Desplanque | .... | stunt double: Castel (as Jean-Jacques Desplanques) | |
| Yan Dron | .... | stunts | |
| Alain Figlarz | .... | stunts | |
| Pascaline Girardot | .... | stunt double: Marie | |
| Cyrille Hertel | .... | stunt double: Bourne (as Cyril Hertel) | |
| Jan Holicek | .... | stunts | |
| Martin Hub | .... | stunt coordinator: Prague | |
| Jindrich Klaus | .... | stunt driving double | |
| Jean-Claude Lagniez | .... | stunt coordinator | |
| Gareth Milne | .... | stunts | |
| Nick Powell | .... | stunt coordinator (as Nicholas Powell) | |
| Gary Robert | .... | stunts | |
| Jiri Simberský | .... | stunt double | |
| Francis Bataille | .... | stunt driver (uncredited) | |
| Gilbert Bataille | .... | stunt driver (uncredited) | |
| Joseph Beddelem | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Guillaume Bounaud | .... | assistant stunt coordinator (uncredited) | |
| Alain Bour | .... | stunt driver (uncredited) | |
| Patrice Bour | .... | stunt driver (uncredited) | |
| Rémi Canaple | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Guy Chasseuil | .... | stunt driver (uncredited) | |
| Laurent Chasseuil | .... | stunt driver (uncredited) | |
| Ludovic Dodot | .... | stunt driver (uncredited) | |
| Cyrille Dufaut | .... | stunt driver (uncredited) | |
| Steve Griffin | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Enrico Horn | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Romain Iannetta | .... | stunt driver (uncredited) | |
| Blanka Jarosova | .... | stunt actor (uncredited) | |
| Sébastien Lagniez | .... | stunt driver (uncredited) | |
| Bruno Letroult | .... | stunt driver (uncredited) | |
| Miroslav Lhotka | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Dimo Liptkovsky | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Hervé Livet | .... | stunt driver (uncredited) | |
| Laurent Pailler | .... | stunt driver (uncredited) | |
| Pascal Roblin | .... | stunt driver (uncredited) | |
| Patrick Ronchin | .... | stunt driver (uncredited) | |
| Alexandrine Roux | .... | stunt driver (uncredited) | |
| Sébastien Seveau | .... | stunt driver (uncredited) | |
| Jean-Pierre Suchet | .... | stunt double: Denis Braccini (uncredited) | |
| Romain Thievin | .... | stunt driver (uncredited) | |
| Raymond Touroul | .... | stunt driver (uncredited) | |
| Olivier Vitrant | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
Animation Department | |||
| Gary Hebert | .... | animator (uncredited) | |
Casting Department | |||
| Vanessa Baker | .... | adr voice casting | |
| Nancy Bishop | .... | casting: Prague | |
| Marie-Sylvie Caillierez | .... | extras casting | |
| Nathalie Cheron | .... | casting: France (as Nathalie Chéron) | |
| Kate Dowd | .... | casting: Europe | |
| Claire Hammond | .... | casting assistant | |
| Jirí Hrstka | .... | extras casting: Prague (as Jirka Hrstka) | |
| Michael Laguens | .... | extras casting: France | |
| Michelle Morris | .... | casting associate (as Michelle Morris-Gertz) | |
| Capucine Oeuvrard | .... | extras casting: France | |
| Minna Pyyhkala | .... | casting assistant: Prague | |
| Brendan Donnison | .... | voice casting (uncredited) | |
| Vicky Wildman | .... | casting assistant: Europe (uncredited) | |
Costume and Wardrobe Department | |||
| Loïc Barnier | .... | costumer | |
| Catherine Boisgontier | .... | costume supervisor | |
| Marie Bouvier | .... | costumer (as Marie-Pierre Bouvier) | |
| Christian Calviera | .... | costume supervisor | |
| Bela Friedlová | .... | set costumer: second unit, Prague | |
| Hana Kucerova | .... | costume supervisor: Prague (as Hana Kucerová) | |
| Agathe Laemmel | .... | costumer | |
| Tina Morel | .... | costumer | |
| Renata Rysava | .... | costume supervisor: second unit, Prague (as Renata Rysavá) | |
| Nathalie Suhard | .... | dresser: Paris | |
| Sarka Zvolenska | .... | set costumer: Prague (as Sárka Zvolenská) | |
| Bela Friedlová | .... | wardrobe (uncredited) | |
Transportation Department | |||
| Martin Grange | .... | picture car coordinator (as Martin Grangé) | |
| Jiri Husak | .... | transportation coordinator: Prague (as Jirí Husák) | |
| Václav Kocman | .... | driver | |
| Julien Pruvot | .... | transportation captain | |
| Mamadou Sall | .... | driver: Mr. Damon | |
| Jeremy Bau | .... | transportation coordinator (uncredited) | |
Thanks | |||
| Costas Andreou | .... | special thanks (as Captain Costas Andreou) | |
| Claire Hammond | .... | in memoriam | |
| Kamil Kotek | .... | special thanks: The Office of the Mayor of Prague (as Ing. Kamil Kotek) | |
| Robert Ludlum | .... | in memoriam | |
| Jiri Maceska | .... | special thanks: Ministry of Industry and Trade (as Vice Minister Ing. Jiri Maceska) | |
| Stuart H. Pappé | .... | special thanks (as Stuart Pappé) | |
| Sebastian Pawlowski | .... | special thanks: COPA | |
| Pavel Vlach | .... | special thanks: District Office of Prague 1 (as Ing. Pavel Vlach) | |
| Karel Zrout | .... | special thanks: District Office of Prague 1 (as Ing. Karel Zrout) | |
Production Companies
- Universal Pictures (presents)
- Kennedy/Marshall Company, The (as Kennedy/Marshall)
- Hypnotic
- Kalima Productions GmbH & Co. KG
- Stillking Films
- East West (2002) (Russia) (theatrical)
- Toho-Towa (2003) (Japan) (theatrical)
- United International Pictures (UIP) (2002) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- United International Pictures (UIP) (2002) (Austria) (theatrical)
- United International Pictures (UIP) (2002) (Brazil) (theatrical)
- United International Pictures (UIP) (2002) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
- United International Pictures (UIP) (2002) (Germany) (theatrical)
- United International Pictures (UIP) (2002) (Finland) (theatrical)
- United International Pictures (UIP) (2002) (UK) (theatrical)
- United International Pictures (UIP) (2002) (Italy) (theatrical)
- United International Pictures (UIP) (2003) (Japan) (theatrical) (Far East)
- United International Pictures (UIP) (2002) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Universal Pictures (2002) (USA) (theatrical)
- Argentina Video Home (2009) (Argentina) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
- Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (DVD)
- Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (VHS)
- Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (2006) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
- Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2005) (2007) (Finland) (TV)
- Sony Pictures Entertainment (2003) (Japan) (DVD)
- Sub (2010) (Finland) (TV)
- Universal Home Video (Brazil) (DVD)
- Universal Home Video (Brazil) (VHS)
- Universal Pictures Benelux (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
- Universal Pictures Benelux (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD) (HD-DVD)
- Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2003) (Finland) (VHS) (DVD)
- Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2004) (Finland) (DVD) (Extended Explosive Edition)
- Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2007) (Finland) (DVD) (3-disc Collector's Boxset)
- Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2007) (Finland) (DVD) (3-disc The Ultimate Bourne Collection)
- Universal Pictures (2003) (Japan) (DVD)
- Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
- Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray) (Universal's 100th Anniversary)
- Illusion Arts (special visual effects)
- Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) (special visual effects)
- Pacific Title Digital (digital effects)
- AFM Lighting lighting rental facility
- Actions Movies stunt equipment
- Associated Press Television News stock footage courtesy of
- Barrandov Studios studio facilities provided by
- Behind the Scenes Freight shipping by
- Cinecascade vehicle stunts
- Deluxe prints
- Helicopter Film Services aerial filming services provided by
- JTV Catering catering
- Kaleidoscope Films Group titles
- One Step Up foley recorded at
- Pacific Title opticals
- Panavision camera equipment provided by
- Panavision cameras and lenses
- Paramount Pictures Scoring Stage M score mixed at (as Paramount Stage M)
- Paramount Pictures Scoring Stage M score recorded at
- Rockbottom Rentals cell phone rentals
- Rockbottom Rentals world phone rentals
- Runway post-production
- SEKANI stock footage courtesy of
- Signet Sound Studio score mixed at (as Signet Sound)
- Sony Pictures Studios sound re-recording
- Soundelux sound editorial services
- Stillking Films production services: Czech Republic
- Susie Pugh-Tasios Productions production services: Greece
- Synxspeed rushes (uncredited)
- Useful Company 24-frame computer graphics generation and playback
- Varèse Sarabande soundtrack published by
- West Trend Apartments accommodation agent
Additional Details
Also Known As:
See more »
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for violence and some language
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
119 min
Country:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Austria:14 | Brazil:14 | Canada:14A | Denmark:11 | Finland:K-15 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15 | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 (certificate #37892) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Iceland:14 (original rating) | UK:15 (TV rating) | Malaysia:18SG | Hungary:14 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:12 | Italy:T | India:UA
Filming Locations:
Company:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
Both Brian Cox and Chris Cooper shot all their initial scenes in just five days. Both actors later returned for re-shoots to adjust the film's ending. Cox's abandoned re-shot scenes can be found on the DVD.See more »
Goofs:
Continuity: When sitting in the car outside the train station we see someone walk to the right in the background pulling a blue suitcase wearing blue jeans and a khaki top. When we cut back to the same view a few seconds later the same man is walking past again to the right.See more »
Quotes:
Movie Connections:
Featured in "Bad Movie Beatdown: Die Another Day (#4.25)" (2012)See more »
Soundtrack:
Ready Steady GoSee more »
FAQ
Would Manheim have succeeded in killing Bourne if he had been sent to kill Bourne?How closely does the movie follow the novel?
Is this movie based on a book?
See more »
See more (800 total) »
Message Boards
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After years of being on the run, Jason Bourne has finally been caught... and added to my growing DVD collection. "The Bourne Identity" is a cracking espionage thriller with a surprising choice of lead actors. A gamble, as it turns out, that pays off in spades. This is easily one of the best all-out action films I've seen in recent years and even blatant discrepancies between film and book fail to sour your enjoyment, unless you're a serious Ludlum reader (which I am not but am thinking of rectifying this situation after watching this).
Baby-faced Matt Damon plays Jason Bourne, picked up by sailors drifting out to sea. He has no memory of who or what he is, he has several bullets still in him and a curious gizmo in his hip which tells him of an accountant held in Zurich. Gradually, Jason begins to put the pieces back together again, especially when he discovers that unknown individuals are out to kill him for reasons beyond him. Luckily for Jason, he has an uncanny instinct for violence and escapism which will doubtless prove useful. Along for the ride is Marie (Franka Potente), a German civilian who quickly gets caught up in the fracas with the aid of a funky red Mini Cooper.
Sharp, snazzy and well paced, "The Bourne Identity" is a blast-a-minute spy film in the great traditions of James Bond. Exotic locations throughout Europe, a sexy female companion and OTT set-pieces - what more could you ask for? Thankfully, Bourne is much more of an intriguing character than 007 as his memory loss provides him (and us, of course) the perfect vehicle for clue-chasing and baddie-bashing. Amnesia is a tricky thing to sell to an audience for credibility but this is a rare exception. He has no snappy one-liners, no cheesy chat-up lines. He feels much more like an actual spy rather than Bond's increasingly frequent self-parody of such. Neither does the action feel too contrived as a gripping escape from the US embassy in Paris proves. The subsequent car-chase also is exciting and very well produced, though nothing to touch "Taxi" (the French original, anyway) for a car chase in Paris. Both Damon and Potente (who I've only seen in "Run, Lola, Run") are first-class, portraying the unwitting fugitives with tense brilliance. The soundtrack is also first-rate - pulsating and rarely intrusive, typical Moby but if you're a fan (as I am) then you'll lap it up.
There are some slight issues I have to question, though. The character of principal super-assassin The Professor (one-time Bond candidate Clive Owen) felt a little stereotypical to me and not enough is explained by the time the ending arrives, meaning I'll have to catch Bourne again in "The Bourne Supremacy". But the fact is that this feels like a modern spy film. It's tense, thrilling and engrossing as you continue to discover more about Bourne and what he does. It's more contemporary than Bond and it pisses all over "xXx". Despite initial belief that he was too nice to play a hard-ass spy, Damon proves me wrong and in the best possible way. "The Bourne Identity" comes highly recommended from this viewer, who is now off to buy some Ludlum books. And that is mighty praise indeed.