Review of Bourne Identity, The

Introduction

The name`s Bourne, Jason Bourne. Or is it? A man awakes after being pulled from the ocean, with no memory but a Swiss bank account number, which was implanted in his body. Armed with only this he must piece together his identity and figure out why someone is out to get him.

Already I can sense that some of you are saying "hang on, that sounds a bit like the oft-pilloried 1996 Geena Davis/Samuel L. Jackson action flick The Long Kiss Goodnight". Well yes it does, and it also sounds a bit like Enemy of the State, but Robert Ludlum`s original novel The Bourne Identity, and the 1988 Richard Chamberlain TV movie got there long before both of those other efforts.

However, this film bears only the faintest of resemblance to the original novel, taking just the idea and some characters. Everything else is basically discarded and replaced with newer ideas and situations. So how does it all hold up?

Video

A very good 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer greets your eyes. Dirt and dust are absent, as are any other nasty little blemishes. Shot on location throughout Europe in the winter it does appear a little glum at times, but that`s winter for you isn`t it? The join between location and studio is seamless, and many of the locations used double up well for other locations (Czechoslovakia for Switzerland for example).

There are some standard action set pieces on offer here, from the fight scenes to the car chase (nice to see the old Mini getting a run out on screen in something other than The Italian Job).

Audio

A choice of DD5.1 and dts soundtracks, and you won`t be let down by either of them. The dts just shades it, but both offer crystal clarity and plenty bass (where required). Lots of good atmospherics and some nice surround sounds, coupled with a nice score, make this an unexpectedly good audio track.

Features

A rounded selection of extras too, as you would hope for a "big" and modern title.

First we kick off with the audio commentary from director Doug Liman, who talks about everything that went into the film, from securing the rights, through shooting difficulties, his own personal shaping of the story and other interesting facts. A good track that`s worth listening to, just "mind the gap" on occasions, as there are some rather long pauses along the way.

You also get deleted scenes, plus an alternate ending and an extended scene. Unforunately these are largely of very poor quality technically, but they are just about watchable. Easy to see why all bar one of them was left out of the final edit.

Next we have a featurette "The Birth of The Bourne Identity", which is the usual shallow effort. There are some interview clips, interspersed with some scenes from the film, but it doesn`t really tell you much.

Nearing the end of our trawl through the extras, we find a music video, Moby`s Extreme Ways. This is your standard film tie-in, featuring the artist performing, with loads of footage from the film either in the background, or cut in with the footage of the aforementioned artist.

We wrap up with the trailer, and 2 trailers for films coming to a cinema near you in 2003, Ang Lee`s The Hulk, and Rowan Atkinson`s extended Barclaycard commercial, Johnny English.

DVD ROM owners can also play some games and access a secret web site with some more extras that they should have put on the disc in the first place.

Conclusion

Overall, The Bourne Identity doesn`t really have an identity of its own, as we`ve seen so much of it before. The spy who remembers their knife/driving/linguistic skills, the government who are out to get you and can track you if you so much as blink, the spy teaming up with an unwitting civilian and the will they/won`t they love scene.

That`s not to say that it`s a bad film, as it`s certainly an enjoyable evening`s entertainment, but if you thought you might find that bit of originality that the film seemed to promise, it`s not really here. Granted Matt Damon makes a reasonable action hero, and Franka Potente is a good civilian, but they are the only two plus points. Everything else is just average to middling.

The disc comes up trumps though, with an excellent picture and great sound. Add to that an enjoyable commentary and the other more forgettable extras, and you get yourself a good night`s rental. It might not end up in too many people`s collections though.