Product Description

Universal The Bourne Identity - HD-DVD
Academy Award Winner Matt Damon stars in this explosive, action-packed hit filled with incredible fight sequences. Found with two bullets in his back, Jason Bourne discovers he has the skills of a very dangerous man and no memory of his violent past. Racing to unlock the secret of his own identity, he discovers the deadly truth: he's an elite government agent, a 30 million dollar weapon the government no longer trusts. Now this top operative is the government's number one target in this super-charged, thrill-a-minute spectacular loaded with "Non-stop action!" (Bill Zwecker, FOX-TV).

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4318 in DVD
• Brand: Universal
• Released on: 2007-07-24
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: English, French
• Dubbed in: French
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 3.00 pounds
• Running time: 119 minutes

Amazon.com
Freely adapted from Robert Ludlum's 1980 bestseller, The Bourne Identity starts fast and never slows down. The twisting plot revs up in Zurich, where amnesiac CIA assassin Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), with no memory of his name, profession, or recent activities, recruits a penniless German traveler (Run Lola Run's Franka Potente) to assist in solving the puzzle of his missing identity. While his CIA superior (Chris Cooper) dispatches assassins to kill Bourne and thus cover up his failed mission, Bourne exercises his lethal training to leave a trail of bodies from Switzerland to Paris. Director Doug Liman (Go) infuses Ludlum's intricate plotting with a maverick's eye for character detail, matching breathtaking action with the humorous, thrill-seeking chemistry of Damon and Potente. Previously made as a 1988 TV movie starring Richard Chamberlain, The Bourne Identity benefits from the sharp talent of rising stars, offering intelligent, crowd-pleasing excitement from start to finish. --Jeff Shannon

From The New Yorker
In this latest iteration of the international thriller, two young people-an amnesiac American who possesses mysterious violent skills (Matt Damon), and a beautiful European vagabond with a taste for adventure (Franka Potente)-race across Europe to escape powerful forces eager to kill them both. Adapted by Tony Gilroy and William Blake Herron from a 1980 novel by Robert Ludlum, the picture has tons of up-to-date surveillance equipment, and it features an unfamiliar Filipino martial art called kali, a kind of stuttered karate (block, block, slash, kick). But the movie is still a relic of the bipolar Cold War, and suffers from a fatal lack of purpose. Great actors like Brian Cox and Clive Owen are wasted in tiny roles, and Julia Stiles, as an operative lucky enough to be assigned to Paris, is stuck in a closed room wearing headphones all the time. Directed by Doug Liman, who used to make nifty little movies like "Swingers" and "Go." -David Denby
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

I love that Euro stuff
Great movie, lots of action. My favorite scene had to be when the two main characters are in Franka's car and she asked "What kind of music do you like?" There they were driving in that tiny car, running from the officials, and she's being kind. It made me think of being in a similar vehicle, '59 Renault, equipped with an in-dash short wave radio. That was Europe to me and this line brought it back.

Bourne to Survive
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This movie is loosely based on the 1980 novel of the same name by Robert Ludlum (1927 to 2001).

Do you like action-packed mystery-thrillers? If you do, then this movie is a must-see.

The viewer along with the main character in this movie, later revealed to be Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), suffers from amnesia, not knowing his own identity (thus the movie's title) or anything about his past. As the movie progresses, both the viewer and Bourne discover one major thing: he posses a lethal survival skill-set that's light years above that of the average Joe. The other things Bourne discovers about himself make him unhappy with him, at one point saying:

"Everything I find out [about myself], I want to forget."

Once the viewer discovers that the premise of this entire movie is about discovering identity, then it can only hold the viewer's attention in one way: through action. It is on this that the movie delivers especially with respect to incredible fight sequences. One character summarizes the majority of the movie when he says that Bourne leaves a

"trail of collateral damage from Zurich to Paris."

It is at the movie's end that all is revealed.

Matt Damon as Jason Bourne effectively carries the entire movie. If not for his fine performance, I think this movie would have probably been a flop. I also found that the background music and sometimes gritty photography to be impressive.

This movie spawned two sequels: "The Bourne Supremacy" (2004) and "The Bourne Ultimatum" (2007).

The only problem with this movie is that the idea of Bourne constantly trying to discover his identity can become tedious. True, the action sequences attempt to take away from this tedium but I found myself getting a bit restless as the movie proceeded.

Finally, the DVD itself (the one released in 2004) is perfect in picture and sound quality. There are many extras including an alternate ending.

In conclusion, this movie introduces us to a new action hero and his name is Jason Bourne!!

(2002; 1 hr 50 min (excluding end credits); wide screen; 20 scenes)

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Poor video transfer spoils an otherwise worthy library addition
The video transfer of this film is too dark, but an adjustment to your TV brightness setting will yield an acceptable viewing. The extras are quite informative especially the part dealing with Ludlum's knowledge of the intelligence community.