Review of The Bourne Identity (2002) by James S — 19 Jul 2015

Eh. It's fine.

This film had me excited. A deadly spy with no memory of who he is? This should be awesome! Instead, what I got was a thoroughly mediocre action movie that was light on action, light on plot, and accented by humdrum acting performances.

There was no cohesiveness, no emotional stakes. I didn't feel for Jason Bourne trying to figure out who he was. It's a very visual film, and while I applaud the filmmakers for trying to let us figure some things out for ourselves, it felt too laissez-faire for my tastes.

There was also no acting to grab me. Matt Damon isn't using his full range here, Franka Potente didn't sell me, and Clive Owen was stone-faced. I did enjoy Chris Cooper and Brian Cox, though.

It's not a bad film, but it didn't hold my full interest, either. Your mileage may vary.