Matt Damon tries his hand at action and successfully breaks away from that private school persona which was at risk of becoming tiresome. Action movies have always made the most money and Hollywood is trying to turn as many young stars as it can into the next Bruce Willis or Stallone. Bourne Identity lets Damon show a side to him that oozes of things to come. He is cast perfectly as the military agent who knows nothing but his deadly skills, not even his name. The fight scenes are uniquely in your face and are directed with superb pace, which helps to emphasise the blind instinctual edge that Jason Bourne (Damon's character) possess. The film follows Bourne as he tries to make sense of what is going on around him, while figuring all this out, he kicks, climbs and shoots his way out of many a hairy situation with a style that surprisingly fits Damon like a glove. Even though the film is a great action piece, I had trouble getting into the film, the directing was slightly hap-hazard which I felt created a tarnished, dis-jointed feel which I found unsettling (or maybe it was just the guy sitting behind me who kept kicking my chair). Either way the film didn't feel as polished as it could have been, which almost stopped me giving it 4/5, however I decided that for most people I don't think such quibbles will hamper the actual enjoyment of this movie. Bourne Identity kicks off the Autumn movie season with a bang, perhaps though too much of a bang for the 12 certificate given to it, it should really be a 15.

4/5