DVD - The Bourne Identity/The Bourne Supremacy (12) (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

DVD - The Bourne Identity/The Bourne Supremacy (12)

11:16am Friday 24th August 2007 in

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THIS double bill of the amnesiac CIA agent has been released just in time to whet your appetite for the latest movie in the trilogy and, for anyone who missed either of the first two, it's a chance to catch up on the story so far.

Compared to the majority of action movies The Bourne Identity starts at a slow pace, but it's Bourne's thoughtfulness and fear at discovering exactly what he's capable of that really make this movie so good.

Marie, his chauffeur-come-partner (played brilliantly by Franka Potente) highlights the reality of his predicament, unveiling his humanity as he unwillingly draws her into his world, destroying hers in the process and knowing at every turn exactly what the consequences will be for both of them. It's well paced and well acted stuff.

By the time we reach The Bourne Supremacy, the audience is firmly behind Bourne's new life, and the filmmakers lose something by blowing it apart so quickly and completely.

We have to drop what former knowledge any of us feel we have of Bourne, and wonder what facet of his personality will emerge now that he has nothing left to lose.

The result is a frenetic series of misguided chases in which Bourne effortlessly outwits the CIA agents hunting him down and we're left wondering what the point is to it all.

Quality actors are wasted at every turn, from Joan Allen and Brian Cox bustling around their control room, to Julia Styles being forced to constantly wobble her bottom lip and provide exposition.

I still have some affection left for the franchise, which I can credit mainly to Matt Damon, who has held onto his orginal character well despite the drop in quality.

I can only hope the next installment injects some of the humanity back into the story. If only they would let Damon write the thing, it might perk it up a bit.