I went into this movie with quite a bit of curiosity. The trailers made it look exciting, and I was very interested in seeing if Matt Damon could pull off the whole action thing. If there was a wild card here, it was director Doug Liman. After all, this hip film maker was responsible for directing Swingers and Go, and while his second movie had a swift pace, it was hardly an action picture.

The Bourne Identity is based on a Robert Ludlum pulp novel, and features Damon as a man with amnesia. As he travels around Europe trying to remember who he is, he befriends a young woman (played by Run Lola Run's Franka Potente) who ultimately aids him in his quest. Of course, the more Damon learns about himself the more disenchanted he becomes. His martial arts skills and other fighting capabilities lead him to believe that he may be some kind of killing machine.

And while we're on the topic of killing, The Bourne Identity is surprisingly vicious for a PG-13 rated flick. But then, The Sum of All Fears (featuring Damon's good buddy Ben Affleck) had a fair share of destruction as well.

Damon is really good here. He's really beefed up for the part and his fighting skills are very impressive. While he doesn't always capture the confusion associated with amnesia (something Guy Pearce did so well in Memento), I still found the performance convincing. I also enjoyed Potente, and especially liked the subtle connection that develops between she and Damon. The underrated Chris Cooper is all but wasted in a role as a CIA official. He makes the most of what he has to work with, but it doesn't amount to much. He's the stereotypical bad guy. Julia Stiles also shows up in a role that serves absolutely no purpose.

As I expected, Liman seems out of his element here. While The Bourne Identity is never boring, it's pace seems to be off. Sure, this movie has everything you could want in a spy thriller. Car chases, adrenaline pumping fight sequences, beautifully exotic locations, and a surprise ending (which I felt was a tad silly). But for some reason it all just feels a tad convoluted. And as I mentioned before, Liman also seems compelled to waste some really talented actors.

The Bourne Identity seemed fun while I was watching it, but when it was all over, I didn't go away very satisfied. Memento was a great movie because, aside from being completely innovative, it seemed to amount to something. The Bourne Identity just became too repetitive for my taste, and it never really seemed to go anywhere. When we finally get the big resolution and find out what exactly led Damon to the amnesia, I didn't buy into it for a second.

The Bourne Identity is mildly entertaining. It does feature a convincing Damon and some thrilling moments but Liman and his screenwriters take something that starts off smart, and nearly drain it of all it's intrigue.