Bourne Identity, the: Richard Chamberlain, Jaclyn Smith, Anthony Quayle, Donald Moffat, Yorgo Voyagis, Peter Vaughan, Denholm Elliott, Michael Habeck, Wolf Kahler, Philip Madoc, Bill Wallis, Franziskus Abgottspon, Roger Young, Alan Shayne, Carol Sobieski, Frederick Muller, Gayle Scott, Martin Rabbett, Robert Ludlum: Amazon.ca: Video

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Though not as briskly exciting as the 2002 theatrical release, this earlier TV adaptation of Robert Ludlum's bestseller has distinct advantages over its big-screen counterpart. It's far more loyal to Ludlum's serpentine plot, boasts greater latitude of geography and character development (allowing Richard Chamberlain's fine performance in the title role), and rises above TV limitations to achieve a big-budget look and feel. Suffering from amnesia and forced to piece together his past as a world-class assassin, Jason Bourne (Chamberlain) enlists the aid of a Canadian economist (Jaclyn Smith), and this pairing of '80s miniseries mainstays remains consistently intelligent, well paced, and altogether respectable. Chamberlain and Smith have adequate chemistry (albeit somewhat shallow), and their dangerous adventure--and eventual romance--is played out against a dozen European locations. Incorporating more of Ludlum's interwoven subplots, this ambitious Bourne is a globetrotter's delight, with a spy-thriller identity all its own. --Jeff Shannon

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Customer Reviews

19 Reviews

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

4.3 out of 5 stars (19 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Great Story, Jun 17 2002

By

Lisa Barker (Fort Lauderdale, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bourne Identity, the (VHS Tape)

I've read the book, viewed the tv movie and watched the newly released remake movie. I enjoyed the remake, however the book was so much better than the story told in the remake movie. A lot of the intrigues were lost, but the movie was updated to our current time and technologies.

Although the tv movie was not totally true to the book, I want to see it again. It is the closest you'll get to the book without reading it. Richard Chamberlain, at the time the tv movie was aired, was a convincing lead character. I read the book years after seeing the the TV movie and felt that although he was not the Bourne character as written in the book, he worked out fine for the movie.

I guess this discussion about Richard Chamberlain and Matt Damon is similiar to the reasons Anne Rice objected to Tom Cruise in Interview with a Vampire. Tom Cruise was fine in the movie, but once you read the book you realized he was defintely miscasted as the Laestat character as written in the book.

When you read the book and get the full story, sometimes it changes your perception about the characters. Richard and Matt may be fine in the movie, but once you read the book, your perspective about the casting may change.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Passion, April 20 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Bourne Identity (Widescreen) (DVD)

When the new one came out with Matt Dameon I was excited to see it, but was sorely disappointed. There was just emptiness, the story was changed and chopped with the loss of any of the great passion of the TV Miniseries.
The miniseries doesn't have all the special effects, but it has passion from people that are believeable and not contrived as in the Dameon movie. Their characters are real and you understand what they are feeling, from love to frustration, from fear to grief, and from confusion to loyalty. Since the Movie changed the story, none of these aspects where even attempted to be shown, just a love affair with no substance.

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2.0 out of 5 stars Unwatchable!!!, Mar 5 2003

By

"tjqmaster" (Laredo, Tx United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bourne Identity (Widescreen) (DVD)

I dont know where all the glowing reviews are coming from but I couldnt be bothered to finish this snoozer. The dialogue is as mono/bisyllabic as you can get and on par with your average Aaron Spelling production. Chamberlain is a cold blooded killer just because he says so and not because anything we see of him. The producer/director were too busy making him available to Jacklyn Smith to fall in love with and they take every opportunity to make googly eyes at each other. "I just need to be held", she says. Puh-leeeez!!!
I accidentally rented this one confusing it with the theatrical movie. I want those two hours of my life that I wastes back.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Bourne to Review....again!!!
After watching the dvd version of Matt Damon's version of "The Bourne Identity," I can't help myself but watch again(!) the tv miniseries version. Read more

Published on Jun 21 2003 by alfo68

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but very 80's
Ok, so the book was really complex. This movie captures some of that complexity; a great deal more than the newer version does.

However. Read more