The Bourne Identity: Special Edition (www.the-usher.com)

"Who am I?"

Found by fishermen floating in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Marseille, he awakes to find that he has no recollection of who he is or how he got there. His only clue to his identity is a Swiss bank account number in a tag a sailor found under his skin when he tended his wounds. When he gets to the bank, he is handed a safety deposit box that contains a large amount of money, a gun and several passports, all with different names. The American one says his name is Jason Bourne (Damon) but when he goes to the US Embassy for help, the guards accost him. The strange thing is that he reacts instinctively to the situation and escapes without even breaking a sweat. More confused than ever, he now has to find out why the authorities want him, where did he learn all those skills and most importantly, who he really is.

The director of the cult hits Swingers and Go, Doug Liman, goes mainstream and delivers a fresh action hit that ripples with speed and style.

Based on the best selling novel by Robert Ludlum and the first of three titles, The Bourne Identity is spy thriller for the new millennium. It zips along at breakneck speed and grabs you from the start, not letting you go until the rip-roaring climax.

Matt Damon is an action star in the making. Nobody could have expected what we are greeted with on screen. His fight scenes are extremely well choreographed but look very realistic. This is combat training taken to the maximum, quick, precise and deadly with Damon handling it like a seasoned pro. As well as the action, the accomplished actor brings a sense of desperation and vulnerability to the character, that makes Jason Bourne actions all that more believeable.

Good support comes from Franka Potente, who is always cool but plays the part with abit more grit than the usual love interest. Chris Cooper plays a very good shady CIA agent and Clive Owen brings a deadly menace to the assassin called The Professor but Julia Stiles is wasted as French field agent Nicolette as all she seems to do is transfer phone call to field agents.

The action sequences are superbly paced and visually striking. The car chase through the streets of Paris alone shows that director Doug Liman can deliver a big budget hit without compromising his already established energetic cinematic style.

All of this is complimented by some great music. The score, from composer John Powell, gives the movie a continual beat, driving the film forward as a relentless pace. Add to this some excellent musical contributions by Moby, Paul Oakenfold and many others and you have a soundtrack that accelerates the film even more.

The Bourne Identity takes the spy thriller on a new more realistic road. Gone are the over the top gadgets and the diner suits, in its place are elements that take you to the edge of extreme possibilities but never steps over the line. This is the start of a great franchise.

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, the transfer is very good, as you'd expect from a modern movie. The picture quality is superb throughout, even during the darker moments of the film, especially during the opening and flashback nighttime sequences. The sound is also first rate, with strong dialogue but it comes into its own during the exhilarating chase and fight sequences.

BONUS FEATURES

The Bookend Scenes: Never-before-seen Opening and Alternative Ending (10.45 mins)
Introduced by producer Frank Marshall, screenwriter Tony Gilroy and actor Brian Cox these are the different opening and ending sequences that where never used. Marshall explains that due to the events of September 11th 2001, the studio was very apprehensive about the movie so the filmmakers shot a different opening and ending to reflect the changing times. (These scenes can be inserted back into the movie by choosing to watch the Explosive Extended Edition of the movie when you play the main feature.)

The Bourne Mastermind: Robert Ludlum (5.45 mins)
Martin Greenberg, editor of 'The Robert Ludlum Companion" and actor and friend James Karen talk about the career of novelist Robert Ludlum. They discuss the prolific writers style, extensive research habits and the influences behind the Jason Bourne character.

Access Granted: An interview with screenwriter Tony Gilroy (4.03 mins)
Tony Gilroy talks about adapting the Bourne books and the changes that were made from the original novel. He also reveals that when he wrote the screenplay he never envisioned Matt Damon in the lead role.

From Identity to Supremacy: Jason and Marie (3.37 mins)
Stars Matt Damon and Franka Potente talk about their characters and the plot of the first movie. They then take you behind the scenes of the second movie, The Bourne Supremacy.

The Bourne Diagnosis (3.26 mins)
Psychiatrist Dr. Reef Karim discusses Jason Bourne's amnesia and if the symptoms shown in the movie are realistic or not.

Cloak and Dagger: Covert Ops (5.31 mins)
Ex-CIA agent Chase Brandon discusses field ops training, weapons and driving and reveals how realistically it was portrayed in The Bourne Identity.

The Speed of Sound (4.04 mins)
Supervising sound editor Per Hallberg, re-recording mixer for sound effects Bob Beamer, sound effects editor Chris Assells and re-recording mixer of dialogue and music Scott Millan take you through the different sounds they had to create for mini chase sequence. After the featurette you gain access to an interactive mixing studio where you can listen to all the individual stems that make up the complete track.

Declassified Information (6.57 mins)
Four deleted scenes entitled "Wombosi on the private jet", "Bourne and Marie by the side of the road", "Psychologist discusses Bourne" and "Bourne and Marie practice on the subway". There is no commentary as to why these scenes hit the cutting room floor however.

Inside a fight sequence (4.43 mins)
Actor Matt Damon and stunt coordinator Nick Powell take you behind the scenes of one of the fight sequences in the movie. Damon talks about this been a completely new experience for him and they both show you the extensive rehearsal regime needed to make the fight look realistic on screen.

Moby "Extreme Ways" Music Video (3.35 mins)
The music video used to promote The Bourne Identity.

Van Helsing Trailer (1.03 mins)
Preview of the new Stephen Sommers action-horror movie.

Cast and filmmakers biographies
Text biographies for Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Brian Cox, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, screenwriters Tony Gilroy and William Blake Herron, novelist Robert Ludlum and director Doug Liman.

OVERALL

This Special Edition of the superb movie seems like abit of a cashing in process as the second film hits cinemas. While the extras are quite good but very short in some case, it is the glaring absences that grab your attention. The original DVD released back in 2003 had a commentary track by Doug Liman and a dts track, which are strangely absent here. The inclusion of these would have made this DVD the ultimate Bourne Identity package but now you are left a little short changed. This is a good purchase if you haven't got the first version but for those who have stick with your own edition and rent the new one if you must.

DVD

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The Usher 2002