DVD Review

After seeing this movie for the third time, I can say with authority that it kicks ass. There are many elements to consider about a film before adding it to your personal library, and The Bourne Identity provides several worth mentioning.
The story is very character driven, and that allows viewers to invest into Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) and Marie Kreutz (Franka Potente). Bourne is rescued and resuscitated from the Mediterranean Sea, but he has no idea who he is or how he ended up in the sea. The only clues he has are two bullet holes in his back, a Swiss bank account number hidden in his thigh and a chiseled physique riddled with various scars. Viewers discover things out at the same time as Bourne and Kreutz do. As the story progresses, we begin to see characters that are responsible for Bourne’s condition, and certain plot points are exposed but not explained in complete detail.
This is a spy action film, and action is an understatement for what this movie provides. In a time that includes The Matrix, Blade and Kiss of the Dragon, fight scenes have to be more than just brute force and hard stares. The Bourne Identity provides us with fight sequences that are as poetic and graceful as they are intense and lightening quick.
Another well developed part of The Bourne Identity is the unexpected twists that occur. To preserve them, I will not be specific, but I will say that the viewers should be aware of everybody’s motive in this film.
The last element of this film would be the supporting characters. While we do not get as much information about them, the script does provide more than just two-dimensional window dressing.
The extras provided on the DVD are pretty standard. They include a promotional behind-the-scenes feature that provides a little bit of insight, but not as much as others have. It also includes a music video by Moby, production notes in the DVD liner and commentary by the director. The commentary is cool and does provide some entertaining information. I recommend checking it out after you have watched the film. The DVD also includes a feature called Total Axess DVD-Rom, and it can be used to view additional deleted scenes and play games.