Opening

87% Star Trek Into Darkness May 16
24% Erased May 17
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44% The English Teacher May 17
42% Black Rock May 17
77% Pieta May 17
—— Populaire May 17
21% 33 Postcards May 17

Top Box Office

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50% The Great Gatsby $50.1M
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69% The Croods $3.6M
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60% Oz the Great and Powerful $1.1M

Coming Soon

—— The Hangover Part III May 23
77% Fast & Furious 6 May 24
—— Epic May 24
94% Before Midnight May 24

The Bourne Identity (2002)

tomatometer

83

Average Rating: 7/10
Reviews Counted: 184
Fresh: 153 | Rotten: 31

Expertly blending genre formula with bursts of unexpected wit, The Bourne Identity is an action thriller that delivers -- and then some.

80

Average Rating: 6.9/10
Critic Reviews: 40
Fresh: 32 | Rotten: 8

Expertly blending genre formula with bursts of unexpected wit, The Bourne Identity is an action thriller that delivers -- and then some.

audience

91

liked it
Average Rating: 3.9/5
User Ratings: 875,869

My Rating

Movie Info

The best-selling suspense novel by late author Robert Ludlum comes to the screen for a second time, following a 1988 made-for-TV movie. Matt Damon stars as Jason Bourne, a barely alive amnesiac with a pair of bullet wounds in his back, pulled from the Mediterranean by Italian fishermen. Bourne's only clue to his own identity is a bank account number etched on a capsule implanted in his body. He quickly finds the Zurich bank where money, a gun, and a few identification documents await, but after

Jan 21, 2003

$121.5M

Universal Pictures - Official Site External Icon

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Cast

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All Critics (184) | Top Critics (40) | Fresh (162) | Rotten (31) | DVD (46)

A first-rate thriller with grit and intrigue to spare.

June 12, 2008 Full Review Source: Variety
Variety
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Efficient set pieces come neatly spaced every ten to 15 minutes -- just often enough to keep you credulous -- and the trans-European settings lend a classy backdrop.

February 9, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out
Time Out
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Liman can uncork leap-out-of-your-seat shocks, draw out suspense scenes with malicious finesse and even ease a touch of romance and droll humor into the yarn.

May 19, 2004 Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Top Critic IconTop Critic

A rollicking adventure yarn.

July 25, 2002 Full Review Source: New York Observer
New York Observer
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The Bourne Identity is no mere summer amusement park ride. It's as gray as Go was colorful and a cool contrast to its source material.

July 20, 2002 Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Great fights. You wouldn't think of Damon as a tough guy, but he's worked really hard on the physical stuff here and it shows.

June 26, 2002 Full Review Source: Washington Post
Washington Post
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Violent but thrilling first of the Bourne action trilogy.

January 1, 2011 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media

"The Bourne Identity" is a well-written action spy film that stays true to its espionage thriller genre while inflicting flinch-inducing moments of pure cinematic action.

February 28, 2010 Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com
ColeSmithey.com

A suspenseful thriller that showcases stunning visuals, great acting and a story that will keep you entertained from start to finish.

September 8, 2009 Full Review Source: Hollywood.com
Hollywood.com

This is a long sweet breath of fresh air in the action genre, a genre I'm admittedly very tired of, and I welcomed this change of pace with an action film that has an actual plot.

April 29, 2009 Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed
Cinema Crazed

Farfetched plotting nearly capsizes this globe-trotting thriller but director Doug Liman certainly keeps the international intrigue and testosterone flowing at an entertaining clip.

August 7, 2008 Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review
Sacramento News & Review

You may be surprised by the fact that this formula spy thriller has been delivered with a matter-of-fact efficiency that proves highly entertaining.

August 3, 2007
KPBS.org

A sleek espionage thriller that reduces the world to the size of a postage stamp. Matt Damon is terrific.

July 26, 2007 Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine)
Bangor Daily News (Maine)

The movie is about muscular speed and skill, and that's all it's about. Like its hero, it's blank by design.

July 23, 2007 Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com
eFilmCritic.com

For once, a sequel would be welcome.

December 30, 2006 Full Review Source: Empire Magazine
Empire Magazine

An action movie that's as much about character as it is about saving the day.

September 1, 2006
Reel.com

...Liman is also clever enough to make the real action start when the motor stops.

March 3, 2005
The Nation

Plenty of very cool fight scenes, edited such that although they are fast-paced, you can actually see what's happening.

January 15, 2005 Full Review Source: ScreenRant
ScreenRant

The Bourne Identity is an intense, violent, bite-your-nails-to-the-quick thriller.

December 6, 2004
Looking Closer

One of the many problems, other than Damon's lack of emotion, is the fact that there's no suspense.

October 7, 2004 Full Review Source: tonymedley.com | Comments (12)

I'd advise you to grab the ["Collector's Edition"] for the commentary and rent [the "Extended Edition"] for the few featurettes that are worth watching.

July 29, 2004 Full Review Source: Needcoffee.com
Needcoffee.com

...puts the snap, crackle and pop back into the spy thriller.

July 23, 2004 Full Review Source: Boulder Weekly

A smart, taut little spy film, different from the rest of its genre mainly because of its simplicity.

July 20, 2004 Full Review Source: CinemaBlend.com
CinemaBlend.com

Audience Reviews for The Bourne Identity

16/02/2013 (Online)
August 26, 2007
EightThirty

Super Reviewer

the more i consider and watch this series, the more i like it. like bob dylan on rock and folk music, and die hard on action films of the 90's, this series has its fingerprints all over action films since its release in 2002. one of the best action films of its decade.
January 5, 2007
sanjurosamurai
danny d

Super Reviewer

    1. Ted Conklin: What is the French word for "stakeout"?
    – Submitted by Ann A (3 months ago)
    1. Marie Kreutz: Do you have ID?
    2. Jason Bourne: Not really.
    – Submitted by Nandu J (9 months ago)
    1. Marie Kreutz: Do you have ID?
    2. Jason Bourne: Not really.
    – Submitted by Lucas M (11 months ago)
    1. Jason Bourne: [talking to Conklin] I told you to come alone, but I guess that was too hard. So try this- I'm gone. [hangs up cell phone]
    – Submitted by Lucas M (11 months ago)
    1. Jason Bourne: I swear to God, if I so much as feel someone behind me; there is no measure to how fast and how hard I will bring this fight to your doorstep.
    – Submitted by Thomas M (13 months ago)
    1. Jason Bourne: Everything I found out, I want to forget.
    – Submitted by rob g (2 years ago)

Discussion Forum

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Latest News on The Bourne Identity

August 16, 2011:
Is Brad Pitt The Gray Man?
He's in talks for the adaptation of Mark Greaney's assassin-on-the-run thriller.

April 22, 2011:
Weekly Ketchup: Jeremy Renner Is the New Bourne Star
This Week's Ketchup saw many casting announcements, including new roles for Elizabeth Banks, Tom...

February 27, 2010:
Damon and Greengrass Say Bourne Is Buried
Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass are out promoting "Green Zone," fielding plenty of questions about a...

Foreign Titles

  • La mémoire dans la peau (FR)
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