The Bourne Identity

A superficially stylish but utterly unremarkable entry in the espionage-thriller canon, The Bourne Identity is an updated adaptation of Robert Ludlow’s 1980 Cold War thriller of the same name. Boasting competent performances, decent pacing and one excellent car-chase sequence, it passes the time amiably enough, but no-one sane would go out of their way to watch it a second time.

Matt Damon stars as Jason Bourne, an amnesiac in pursuit of a trail of clues which will help to piece together his whitewashed memory: Chris Cooper plays the unspeakable CIA crook who’s set assassins onto Bourne’s trail. Franka Potente (Run Lola Run) shows up as the love interest, but often lets the side down with mechanised spoken English that just isn’t fluent enough.

As functionally competent as its action sequences are, The Bourne Identity just can’t overcome the zero-dimensionality of the characters, a script shorn of wit and a plot full of surprises. Twenty years ago, this might have passed as a gripping intrigue-heavy thriller: today, it should sink more or less without trace.