: The Bourne Identity
When I first heard this was getting remade, I wasn’t the least bit interested. After all, the book was excellent, and there was already a decent film version. Why do it again? I also didn’t like the casting: Matt Damon is way too young for Bourne, and Franka Potente didn’t seem like a good fit. Boy was I wrong: this is a great movie. It’s got action, intelligence, and even a little depth (not too much, but a little). Franka was excellent, and though I still feel Damon is too young (his character is supposed to have years of experience being a top black ops spy), he does a very good job. I really liked the action sequences: the whole idea is that Bourne, a man without an identity (he’s lost his memory, remember), reacts instinctively, and in the film they did that excellently by speeding the action to super-human levels. For instance, in one scene two cops accost him in a park. When one puts his hand on Damon, he reacts without even thinking: in a flash he moves and the two cops are on the ground unconscious. Damon blinks, staring at them, and at his own hands, wondering how the heck he did that. Wonderful! That’s exactly what made the book so fascinating. Bourne’s reaction to his “super powers” humanizes him, makes him someone we can relate to and understand. Overall this is an a great ride: a non-stop action adventure with thrilling sequence after thrilling sequence. Great fun, well acted, and well written. There’s even some depth in the relationship that develops between Damon and Franka (she was excellent, BTW: a suprisingly subtle actress). Well worth your time and superior to the other film (which wasn’t that bad).
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