I was wary going in, having read the novel (the only one by Ludlum I like) more than two decades ago and still retaining fond memories of the miniseries starring Richard Chamberlain. Still, I'm a sucker for anything with Matt Damon in it, and Chris Cooper and Brian Cox are always enjoyable. In this film, you get exactly what you expected - a high tech Euro-spy thriller with lots of famous sites, car chases, and cool accents. Franke Potente (Lola Rennt) plays the female lead opposite Damon, and she still can't act. However, this film isn't about acting, it's about gizmos, explosions, and plot twists. It delivers on all three, but it certainly doesn't even try to transcend its genre and go for anything more.

Jason Bourne wakes up on a small island in the Mediterranean. He doesn't know who he is or how he got there. The Bourne Identity is the story of how he finds out the answers to these questions.