‘Jason Bourne’ is a fast, scary super-spy thriller

What It's About: Action-packed conspiracy thriller "Jason Bourne" goes by in a whoosh. Director Paul Greengrass ("Captain Phillips") has reduced a familiar super-spy's story to basics, and has cut literally to the chase.

Two chase sequences through Greece and Las Vegas are spectacular — one a car after Bourne and Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles), an ex-operative turned hacker, in Athens, and Bourne after a SWAT truck on the Vegas strip.

Greengrass, who helmed, uses a propulsive rhythm throughout, with fluid camera movements by cinematographer Barry Ackroyd and a pulsating music score by David Buckley and John Powell that contributes to a frenetic feeling of danger.

After a nine-year absence, Matt Damon ("The Martian") has returned as the tormented former CIA special operative. This time, he is drawn out of the shadows to find out the truth about his father (Gregg Henry), who built the CIA program that turned David Webb into trained assassin Jason Bourne.

CIA Director Dewey (Tommy Lee Jones) doesn't want Bourne gumming up his new plans. He enlists a lethal hitman The Asset (Vincent Cassel) to do his messy work.

Performances: Everyone is very serious, with Damon a formidable killing machine, never smiling.

Oscar winner Tommy Lee Jones returns to wicked form in the villainous bureaucrat role, a juicy part.

As his loyal soldier, Oscar winner Alicia Vikander ("The Danish Girl") is steely determination with a cold, cunning vibe, as cybersecurity honcho Heather Lee.

Rising star Riz Ahmed ("Nightcrawler") is effective as a social media magnate Aaron Kalloor, drawn into dealing with a CIA project.

Julia Stiles has a brief but pivotal role, giving Bourne the information he needs to go on a fact-finding quest and vengeance mission.

Cassel excels as the hell-bent bad guy, a good match for Bourne.

What Works: This is a speedy exercise drawing from current world events, and fits into the franchise.

The lead character finds out more of the missing pieces of his life, which is a good story.

What Doesn't Work: This is the fifth movie carrying the Bourne name, although I think the people involved here want us to forget the Damon-less "The Bourne Legacy" (2012).

The other three followed the same formula. After the outstanding first one, "The Bourne Identity" (2002), based on Robert Ludlum's book, the other two — "The Bourne Supremacy" (2004) and "The Bourne Ultimatum" (2007), also directed by Greengrass, blend together, so it's hard to recall specifics.

As long as we know he can't remember things, and there are a number of secrets from the past yet to be revealed, we're fine. We're not required to keep track of those previous sequel details.

As well-made as these are, what is lacking is levity. James Bond's canon injects humor in every movie. A little laugh here and there would help break up the relentless foreboding.

If you are a fan of the series, get ready to fasten your seatbelts for one frantic experience.

This story was originally published July 28, 2016 at 4:25 PM with the headline "‘Jason Bourne’ is a fast, scary super-spy thriller."