Bourne Identity (Single-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) ReviewsBourne Identity (Single-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
Racing to unlock the secret of his own identity, amnesiac operative Jason Bourne discovers the deadly truth: he’s the government’s number one target, a million weapon it no longer trusts. Academy Award® winner Matt Damon stars in this super-charged, thrill-a-minute spectacular loaded with “non-stop action!” (Bill Zwecker, FOX-TV)
Rating:  List Price: $ 26.98 Price: $ 13.35
Find More Blu-ray Products |
(out of 10 reviews)
Review by Tony Khamvongsouk for Bourne Identity (Single-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
Rating:
Movie – 4.0
I was always reluctant to see these movies because I was unsure of Matt Damon’s ability to star in a spy thriller, until I saw The Departed a couple of years ago. Needless to say, when I finally gave these movies a chance, Damon did not disappoint me one bit as Jason Bourne. As the “setup” or “opening act” to the eventual series I feel the movie did a very good job portraying Bourne as a character who is lost in the machinations of what his superiors had created — the ultimate weapon. It actually reminds me a bit of Rambo and all those other “super soldier” stories where high honchos get greedy, make themselves a weapon of immense power, but then get bitten in the asses by that very same weapon they’ve come to abuse after so much time. In particular, I really enjoy the growth and gradual re-humanizing of Bourne through his relationship with Marie. The acting, script, and screenplay all feel very genuine and down-to-earth in comparison to a lot of other films within the genre (consisting mostly of the Bond movies with the exception of Daniel Craig’s, which are stellar in their own right, but that’s for another review). The only problem I have is the length. I like long movies, as I feel they have greater potential for character empathy or more epic storytelling. Thank the movie gods they made 2 more films, though. Top this commendable story with some great cinematography, shooting locales, and actions sequences, and you’ve got a very entertaining piece of spy thriller here.
Video – 4.0
Universal presents The Bourne Identity using the VC-1 encode. It’s a pretty good transfer overall. Colors and contrast are spot-on for the most part with a good amount of detail in blacks and some very nice vibrancy, especially in scenic shots. However, I noticed quite a few instances of heavy grain, noise, and artifacting/debris (lots of them) popping up every now and then, and I think a few shots made colors and skin tones look a tad smudgy, but it’s hard to tell with my limited knowledge on film stock and the technicalities of video transference. Bitrates are steady from the high 20s to low 30s and the non-grainy scenes were sharp and DNR-less from what I can tell. It’s definitely not demo material, but much better than a DVD and a commendable effort, nonetheless.
Audio – 4.5
While the video is good, the DTS-HD track is excellent. Directionality is well-placed with subtle dynamic range and a good deal of LFE during gunfights and car chases. In particular, city-scapes with a lot of background noise do a very good job of creating a wall of sound for the viewer to become immersed in. John Powell’s score is also very well-enunciated to further add a sense of mystery and tension to the film’s pace. I’m especially fond of that whirring sound effect when Bourne starts having flashes of his training and instincts kick back in, and the capable DTS-HD track does a great job of having it circle the sound field. It’s almost demo-worthy, though I’d say it’s more or less just a case of the overall sound design not fulfilling the potential. Again, thank goodness for the sequels.
Extras – 4.5
The special features consist of the usual types in commentaries, interviews, and making-of vignettes, though what caught my eye the most were the interview with Robert Ludlum (who unfortunately never got to see his creation on the big screen before his death) and the snazzy looking U-Control feature. It may seem like a silly add-on, but I personally find it to be a every entertaining trinket that compliments the nature of the Bourne franchise very well. It’s like being the head of an espionage group and having this sort of high-tech, virtual clipboard full of factoids and information to help tell the story as it progresses. It’s probably not as spectacular as I make it out to be, but take that into consideration if you ever try using it. And then there’s the flipper feature. I personally don’t care to have a copy of a movie in SD since Blu-ray obviously blows it out of the water in A/V quality. But if you travel a lot without a Blu-ray player or just want to show your friends the difference between SD and HD, then more power to you. It beats a digital copy, I suppose, though I would worry about how easily prone to scratches and fingerprints the disc would be.
Overall – 4.5
For the “starter” of the bunch, The Bourne Identity is a very entertaining jump into the, then-weakening, spy/thriller genre. It looks really good and sounds great on Blu-ray. Extras are plentiful and entertaining, and you even get a copy of it on SD (minus the BD cover art seen on the Box Set’s version, unfortunately). It’s definitely worth the upgrade from DVD. And while I’ve not seen it on HD-DVD, I would guess the increased bitrate and shift from Dolby Digital Plus to a DTS-HD track is a no-brainer. If you’re not looking to buy the Trilogy Box Set because of its usually outrageous price (thank goodness I had Rewards Zone coupons at the time), then the single release might be a good decision if you’re willing to sacrifice disc art and are lucky enough to not get one of the defective flippers floating around out there.
Review by Sunny for Bourne Identity (Single-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
Rating:
I bought all three Bourne Blu-ray/DVD combo movies. All three of them play very well on my Blu-ray player. The picture and sound are fantastic. I cannot find any flaws or problems, and I am so happy to be able to get affordable Bourne Blu-ray movies.
Review by T. Henke for Bourne Identity (Single-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
Rating:
I was a little disappointed that this is a flipper disc. I would have been happier if it was just a Blu-ray with the cover art. I have the standard dvds and wanted blu-ray. The audio is outstanding on my HT. Great price so I can live with it.
Review by J. Parra for Bourne Identity (Single-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
Rating:
Don’t believe the whiners! Every message board post I’ve read decrying the “flipper disc nightmare” has inevitably turned out to be someone who hasn’t even tried the new Blu-Ray flippers. I have all three discs, and they work just damn fine in everything I’ve put them in. I suppose if you have a jones for disc art then that’s a negative, but really—If the disc isn’t in the player, then it should be in the case, so who cares what the disc looks like? Unless you keep everything in folders, in which case I can’t help ya. The sale price on these alone is enough to justify buying them.
Review by T. Coleman for Bourne Identity (Single-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
Rating:
Because after this one, the director decided to fire his DP and employ a Home Depot paint can shaker to film the next other two films. A commentator also thought the director decided to film the fights in ONE SECOND cuts to create “exicitment”.
Back on topic: This is a decent movie. Not a great one. Just decent. I liked it on the Blu, but the DvD wasn’t too bad either.