The Bourne Identity (2002) Critic Reviews

A first-rate thriller with grit and intrigue to spare.Read the full review

Blisteringly fast, Bourne also has a strong or striking supporting actor around every corner: Chris Cooper, Brian Cox, Julia Stiles and Clive Owen in roles that range from meaty to amazingly small.Read the full review

The Bourne Identity, like its hero, triumphs through sheer unreflective professionalism. It is, by today's standards, a modest thriller, with a self-contained storyline and with very few big special effects.Read the full review

This is an entertainment that really entertains because any number of interesting and unexpected choices were made, starting with the selection of Doug Liman as the director.Read the full review

There isn't a dull or dumb moment in this movie.Read the full review

The movie is a generic paranoid espionage fantasy, but its proportions are refreshingly correct. It moves quickly, adroitly, and without fuss.Read the full review

The outcome is distinctive and entertaining. There's no way you'd mistake this for James Bond, and no reason you would want to.Read the full review

A skillful action movie about a plot that exists only to support a skillful action movie. The entire story is a set-up for the martial arts and chases. Because they are done well, because the movie is well-crafted and acted, we give it a pass. Too bad it's not about something.Read the full review

The result is not only entertaining but also refreshing, a shameless crowd-pleaser with a healthy cynicism about itself.Read the full review