This original spy thriller starring Robert Ludlum's amnesiac secret agent is a cinematic adaptation that interweaves additional back-story with events from big-screen sizzler The Bourne Identity to unexpectedly solid effect. Despite obvious gaffes -- overly linear level design, countless clichés (e.g. superhuman intuition powers and unconvincingly accented foreign villains) and a conspicuous no-show by actor Matt Damon -- the tale is not a complete wreck.

If you can ignore the flashback-heavy presentation and occasional clumsy vehicular chase sequences, it's easy to enjoy the shallow experience for its snappy, Hollywood-style bombast. Shootouts are largely underwhelming, but it delivers the goods in terms of melee combat, with the brutal hand-to-hand duels a standout highlight. Whether using context-sensitive commands to dodge incoming jump-kicks, shatter arms and legs or slam bosses' heads into walls and tables, mano-a-mano standoffs feel as moving as their big-screen counterparts. Killer combos and careful timing also play into brawls' stellar choreography, with instant adversary-crippling takedowns never losing their appeal. Admittedly, looking for new ways to maim opponents using nearby environmental objects is half the fun.

Solid enemy artificial intelligence further bolsters the excitement, with assailants learning from your attacks, requiring a strategic approach to any conflict. It's a pity, then, that weak aiming and driving models undermine periodic firefights and racing vignettes, respectively, making them feel like hastily tacked-on additions. We're not particularly thrilled with the straightforward, paint-by-numbers nature of most stages or the artificial look of most characters and settings. Still, in a summer movie season rife with action heroes, this popcorn flick equivalent fits right in.