JASON BOURNE (Rated R)

Matt Damon in the role of former lethal CIA operative Jason Bourne has a lot in common with Sean Connery in his iconic turn as suave, tough guy British secret agent James Bond.

These two fine actors so fully occupied their roles of spies that the thought of replacements was unthinkable. Connery skipped one film before returning for his last official 007 role in “Diamonds Are Forever.”

In similar fashion, Damon was not on hand for the fourth Bourne film, “The Bourne Legacy,” which focused on Jeremy Renner’s Aaron Cross, an agent jeopardized by his connection to Jason Bourne.

This brings us to the fifth film, “Jason Bourne,” which really feels like the fourth one, given that “The Bourne Legacy,” released back in 2012, is pretty much, probably in the minds of many, the forgotten chapter.

It’s hard to believe that Matt Damon hasn’t played the part since 2007’s “The Bourne Ultimatum.” The eagerness for his return is equal to the fervor of more than forty years ago for Connery to reclaim the 007 mantle after George Lazenby’s turn in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.”

Nearly a decade later, time has not slowed down Matt Damon’s fitness, both physically and mentally, for the grueling role of an elite-trained assassin who suffered amnesia and yet still attracted the sinister forces seeking his physical termination.

The new twist for “Jason Bourne,” other than the lack of returning characters except for field agent Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles), is that Bourne has regained his memory, though it’s a bit foggy at times.

The story begins in Greece with Bourne apparently subsisting on bare-fisted boxing matches for rent money.

Meanwhile, Nicky, going underground in a hacking collective, has retrieved top secret files on a USB stick that may explain Bourne’s troubled past with the agency.

With the backdrop of the austerity riots taking place in Athens, “Jason Bourne” gets off to its fast-paced action start when Bourne and Nicky are chased by deadly black operatives and half of the Athens police force.

The shadowy figure of an assassin, known only as “The Asset” (Vincent Cassel), is in hot pursuit of Bourne upon the orders of CIA director Robert Dewey (Tommy Lee Jones, new to the series though it feels like he’s been around since the beginning).

The story ties into the growing importance of cyber intelligence, which is the motivating force behind Director Dewey’s partnership with the Mark Zuckerberg-like techie CEO whiz kid Aaron Kalloor (Riz Ahmed), mastermind of a social media outfit known as Deep Dream.

Dismissing privacy concerns, the CIA chief wants access to a new system on the Internet that would give his agency access to computer records and communications of practically everybody in the world, and to achieve that goal he’s struck a bargain with a reluctant Kalloor.

Trust is an elusive concept in the ethereal world of espionage, as it becomes evident within the ranks of the CIA that nobody trusts anyone else, thereby adding another layer to the mystery and suspense.

Fitting nicely into this paradigm is a key member of Dewey’s team, the youthful analyst Heather Lee (Alicia Vikander), once a classmate of Kalloor’s, who could have chosen the big bucks of the private sector but wanted to make her mark in vital government service.

Having analyzed the files on Jason Bourne, Heather believes she can bring the former spy back into the Agency, and she asks Dewey to make her the point person to return this high-value target.

Ambitious and smart, Heather’s proficiency in computer hacking and expert handling of counterinsurgency and drone strikes results in a relationship with Dewey that is one of spirited conflict.

Having the wily Heather in hot pursuit of the target, acting with complicated motives to entice a modicum of trust with the savvy Bourne, lends another element of suspenseful trepidation to a chase that goes from Athens to Iceland, and then Berlin to London.

Even more so than previous “Bourne” films, this installment is a globe-trotting travelogue to the world’s hotspots that also include Washington, D.C. and maybe places like Switzerland and Austria. The action is so fast one loses track of Bourne’s whereabouts.

But then, there’s Las Vegas, the land of mega-sized conventions held in fancy venues amidst the glitter of the Strip, the setting for the climactic showdown including a stunningly destructive car chase on the main thoroughfare.

The incredible chase scene on the Vegas Strip is likely familiar to anyone who’s seen the film’s trailer, but the full force of this exciting ride is a white-knuckle adventure that tops all previous Bourne chases.

Much like the best of the James Bond films, “Jason Bourne” faithfully hews to the super-charged action formula that was established with the initial offering of “The Bourne Identity,” and just so happens to deliver an incredibly grand product.

“Jason Bourne” moves fast during its two-hour running time, but there are satisfying reflective moments when Bourne learns more about his identity and the role his father once played in Operation Treadstone.

The bottom line for “Jason Bourne,” with an ending that leaves one hoping for yet another chapter, is that it is extremely exciting, and an argument could be made that it’s the best since the original. In short, this is a lively action movie worth seeing.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.