A well-worn genre gets an exciting 21st-century makeover in this hip and energetic tale from former indie director Doug Liman. Based on the novel by Robert Ludlum, it stars Matt Damon as an amnesiac who's found floating half-dead in the Mediterranean with no means of identification, except for a device embedded in his hip containing a Swiss bank account number. Unaware that he's actually a top CIA assassin, he heads for Zurich to investigate, facing cops and government killers as his employers try to wipe out their now renegade operative. The film is fast-paced and slickly executed, with an edgy sophistication that must have influenced the reinvention of the Bond franchise with Casino Royale in 2006. Despite a routine plot, every scene feels fresh and believable, making intelligent use of a sharp, well-fleshed out script and strong performances. Damon takes to his smart action hero role with ease, and there's gutsy support from Franka Potente as his love interest.

Wounded to the brink of death and suffering from amnesia, Jason Bourne is rescued at sea by a fisherman. With nothing to go on but a Swiss bank account number, he starts to reconstruct his life, but finds that many people he encounters want him dead. However, Bourne realizes that he has the combat and mental skills of a world-class spy—but who does he work for?