"The Bourne Identity" is a very slick and thrilling espionage flick with an original take that I haven't seen before in a serious spy film.  This twist being that the hero spy agent Bourne (played by Matt Damon) has amnesia and doesn't even remember that he is in fact a hired assassin or even his name or who he really is.  With all the smart dialogue and character interaction, this one can easily be categorized as a thinking man's action espionage movie.

      The film begins with the crew on a fishing boat discovering a body floating in the ocean.  This body belongs to Bourne who is actually alive but is found to have been shot a few times in the back and evidently thrown into the ocean to die.  After being nursed back to health by the boat's crew, Bourne embarks on a journey to find out who he is by tracking down clues and leads.  And while he may not know that he is in fact a CIA agent, his instincts and martial arts abilities easily come back to him.  However, he quickly finds out that other people know that he is alive and are after him again to kill him.  To escape one close encounter, Bourne hitches a ride with Marie (Franka Potente) and most of the rest of the movie deals with them running away from would be assassins while Bourne works at putting the pieces together to figure out who he is.  Of course, a romance develops between the two and they find out that they need each other more than they think.

      While the film certainly has it's share of some far-fetched stuff just like any spy movie, there is never a dull moment in this film and it turns out to be a very entertaining popcorn movie.  Damon proves that he can tackle different roles and "Run Lola Run's" Franka Potente puts in a most engaging performance and shows again why she should have a most promising film career.  These two carry the film and have an engaging and very likable chemistry between them.  Chris Cooper also puts in another fine performance as Bourne's boss who at any cost attempts to cover his ass from any repercussions resulting from Bourne's previous failed mission.

      But there are many other good things to say about this film as well.  The score and music invigorates the movie and adds to the excitement and tension as Bourne tries to discover exactly who and what he is.  The fight scenes are good and Bourne's martial arts skills are very believable with the way the scenes are filmed.  The dialogue is intelligent and is void of the silly clichés which usually show up in films of this nature.  The European locales and the accompany cinematography are magnificent and makes this a great film to look at as well.  Matt Damon plays the confused and bewildered spy perfectly and in a believable manner, he is perfectly cast here.  Also, the film contains a great car chase which is right up there with the chase seen in "The French Connection".

      For people who like fast paced and well acted espionage flicks, they won't be disappointed with this film.  It's a fun and exciting ride to the end.