The Bourne Identity

I have to give this adaptation a big thumbs down. I didn't mind that the character of the doctor was completely eliminated. I certainly didn't mind the casting of Matt Damon as Bourne. (he's pretty hot as an action figure) The first thing that bothered me was Marie. In the book she is such a beautiful, strong, intelligent woman. She helps Bourne unravel the clues behind his identity, and maintains her faith in his integrity. Why did they even keep her name? The Marie in the movie is a gypsy, and although she has moments of intelligence and creatitivity, she's mostly a flake (plus she's not at all attractive). She has no connections that help Bourne, and she actually abandons (!) him in the middle of the movie.

Along with Marie having fundamental differences in her character, she 'meets' Bourne in a completely different situation. The romance could have been so much hotter if Bourne had originally taken her hostage and then saved her life, as in the book. Instead you feel as though the two are thrown together simply because 'she's the only person he knows'.

Even bigger than the Marie problem, the movie has Bourne as an actual assassin, and completely eliminated the central character of Carlos. WTH? The entire book is based on the journey of Bourne discovering his identity, struggling with his initial assumptions. The book is a mystery, with ups and downs as Bourne and Marie discover the small clues that finally paint a complete picture. When they finally find that Bourne is American Intelligence, and has never carried out a cold-blooded assasination, you can almost hear the choir sing Halleluiah. In the movie the only saving revelation was that Bourne could not carry out his last assignment, as the potential victim is surrounded by children. And he tells his 'boss': "I don't want to do this anymore." That isn't a bad story line, but it completely alters the main thread of the book.

I'm looking forward to reading "The Bourne Supremacy" next, but I'm a little wary of what the movie may bring (although I still won't mind watching Damon with a gun for a couple hours)