The Bourne Identity: Explosive Extended Edition (2002)

Having already provided you all with an exceptional plot synopsis in the review for the original DVD release of the Bourne Identity, we'll just provide you with a trimmer synopsis and get straight to the extras of this Explosive Extended Edition.

As the film opens, we witness the rescue of a man (Matt Damon) from the open ocean. He appears dead, and probably should be - he has two bullets in his back, as well as a mysterious laser-pointer capsule that happily projects a bank account number onto the nearest wall. When he’s revived, it soon becomes clear that he hasn’t escaped unscathed - he can’t remember who he is, how he got where he is, or what he’s supposed to do next. He does, however, appear to have a rather handy knack for high-octane chop-socky fighting, which he does instinctually when required. He’s mystified, but when he visits the bank named by the laser pointer and checks out the related safe deposit box, his world gradually starts to fall into place. He’s named Jason Bourne, and the box contains a passport to that effect - as well as a dozen other passports and a hefty amount of cash in multiple currencies (including Australian $100 bills, parochial readers!) Bourne appears to be American - at least that’s what his passport says - so off he heads to the US Embassy, where he’s promptly chased out of the building the hard way by armed men. Desperate, he escapes with German woman Marie (Franka Potente) and commences a frantic run across Europe as he tries to figure out who he is. It’s a dangerous game - the men on his tail quite obviously want Bourne dead. Marie, meanwhile, accidentally falls in love. She, naturally, wants Bourne to be alive...

Personally, with every repeat viewing of the Bourne Identity, I find myself appreciating the movie more and more for the simple reason that it treats the content with the respect it deserves, it doesn't sensationalise the action nor the drama and keeps the suspense situated at the edge of your seat from start to finish.

With this Explosive Extended Edition we get the option of a Never Before Seen opening as well as an alternate ending. Included as a 'click the icon to see the scene' feature as opposed to a seemless branching feature, we see how Bourne is searching for Marie in the beginning and is set up in a sting to be caught by his own team. This also projects the entire movie as being a flashback with the 2 scenes as bookends. It doesn't add much to the movie, even if the short introduction by Brian Cox and director Doug Liman would have us to believe that it in fact was removed because of 9/11. I don't see the reasoning or the connection here.

The transfer here is close to perfection as represented on the original DVD release. I can't fault the video at any point and it's a testament to what justice DVD can do for a movie.

The problem here is the footage 'tacked' on for this Explosive Extended Edition. I say 'tacked' because it's a tacky effort to say the least. Classic examples of extra footage added in and used to good effect, with DVD branching, include the likes of Terminator 2 and Independence Day Special Edition. This release shows no effort to provided a properly encoded anamorphic version of the added scenes. Sure they are only 2 new scenes but if you're going to give the user the option to select which version of the movie they wish to watch, then make it seemless at least.

You won't be wanting to watch the Extended edition after the first viewing.

This is an exceptional soundtrack; there's no doubting that. The 5.1 soundfield is used to perfection in creating an ambience from scene to scene putting the audience in the various European locations with the stars. You certainly appreciate the soundtrack more when you watch the "Speed of Sound" featurette to understand how audio for a movie is put together. It's those subtleties that make the soundtrack for me. In the final mix you may not notice the 'little things' at all but when you hear them layered together, you certainly will notice them if they were to be removed.

Missing from this DVD is the dts soundtrack though. For an Explosive edition this DVD is certainly lacking that BOOM factor it touts itself to be.

Are the extras suffering from Amnesia? Firstly, let's list the features missing in action for this release, as compared to the original sell through release:

• As we mentioned above, the dts audio track has been silenced by the 'company'.
• The Audio Commentary by Doug Liman has also disappeared.
• The Extended Farm House scene hasn't been, umm, extended.
• No Theatrical Trailer is present, nor any teaser trailers for Hulk or Johnny English. I guess that's what happens when you're promoting your other arsenal of titles at the same time.
• Where for art thou DVD-Rom extras.

Are the extras suffering from Deja Vu? What do we have here?

• 7 short featurettes. Inside a fight sequence breaks down the fight scene within the American Embassy with short comments from Matt Damon on what skills he had to learn for the fights. The Bourne Diagnosis explains the selective dissasociative amnesia suffere by Jason Bourne. Cloak & Dagger - Cover Ops takes a look inside the CIA itself with notes from CIA Officer Chase Brandon. The Bourne Mastermind looks at author Robert Ludlum from the prospective of his peers and friends with file footage of Ludlum interviews over the years before his death. Access Granted is a short interview with screenwriter Tony Gilroy and From Identity to Supremacy looks at the relationship between Jason and Marie and the lead up to the Bourne Supremacy.
  Of special note is the Speed of Sound feature where the car chase sequence is broken down into all the layers used to make up the sound for the scene from the Foley through the dialogue to the ambience and other background effects then finally onto the music. Once this segment is finished you are able to interactively listen to each layer individually then the entire final scene. The most annoying thing is the menu remote functions are disabled whist watching the footage.
• The Bookend Scenes - allows you to watch the 'added' scenes individually outside of the extended movie option. As mentioned above, the footage is ordinary, encoded in non-anamoprhic widescreen and pretty poor quality at that.
• Four deleted scenes as with the original DVD release which don't add much to the movie at all and find their appropriate location here in the extras bin.
• Mobys Extreme Ways music video is as per the original DVD release.
• Van Helsing Trailer - non anamorphic but visually impressive.

I'm sorry to say, but for an Explosive Extended Edition, this DVD sure fizzles. What is needed is a proper 2 disc set with the movie on disc one, including both 5.1 audio formats and audio commentary and the bookend scenes as branched version in properly encoded anamorphic transfers. Disc 2 should then feature ALL the extras currently available, with a side serve of the original Theatrical Trailer and a further trailer related to the movie somehow; something like The Bourne Supremacy trailer maybe?

For such a great movie, the anticipation of a Extended Edition was something this reviewer looked forward to. Well, it was good watching the movie again but that diet coke after taste manifested itself in the form of a replacement set of features that did not live up to the original.

It is with regret that I have to recommend the original DVD release for those wanting to own this DVD.

Opportunity missed, mission aborted.