'Jason Bourne' trailer: 7 thrilling, intense moments

Matt Damon is back as Jason Bourne, and by the looks of a brand-new trailer, seems ready to wreak some havoc. In many ways, the footage — which, clocking in at 150 seconds is the longest we’ve seen of the film so far — will immediately transport viewers to 2007. We mean that in a good way: The fifth installment in the franchise wouldn’t have happened if Damon and returning director Paul Greengrass weren’t convinced that fans were pining for a comeback, and so feels like a beat for beat homage to Damon’s best-known character in all of his super-savvy, tortured glory.

Centered on Bourne’s return after living in “the shadows of Europe” for the last nine years, the film sees the action hero reunite with his former associate Nicky (Julia Stiles) to learn details about his past. Full of sleek cuts, hand-to-hand combat and brooding looks (oh, Bourne, we’ve missed you so), the trailer boasts a number of intense moments that are definitely worth a closer look. Here’s a list of seven high-stakes, crazy, OMG-did-you-see-that scenes that give us clues about where the film — about whose plot Greengrass has stayed frustratingly mum — might go.

1. Bourne remembers “everything.” Looking sweaty and more than a little disturbed, we’re re-introduced to our main character as he’s lying in a bed. (Four Seasons, this is not.) It’s obvious that he’s still haunted by his memories of the Treadstone program, and is full of regrets and headaches accordingly. He’s despondent, morose even, as he lies in bed. But can you blame him? You’d be doing the same thing if you had nothing but time in which to reflect about the past. This scene definitely sets the film up as one of continued self-discovery for Bourne, especially in a later moment where it seems the top-secret government program might be exposed due to an unprecedented federal data breach.

2. If it weren’t for Nicky (Stiles), it seems Bourne would be lying in bed snacking on Cheetos forever, no new movie required. She’s the one who brings him back into the fold, revealing that there’s still plenty for Bourne to learn when it comes to his mysterious past. “Remembering everything,” she tells Bourne as they meet during a demonstration in Greece, “doesn’t mean you know everything.” You tell ’em.

3. Hey look, it’s the girl from The Danish Girl! This is our first look at freshly minuted Oscar winner Alicia Vikander as a CIA intelligence spy, and it’s clear she has a huge part in the project. Based at Langley, it’s her character who first spies Bourne at the Greek riots, and who later suspects that Bourne may be tracking a looming threat that’s largely escaped CIA surveillance. (Saving the world is so hard, you guys.) “He’s seen things. He knows things,” she says. “What if he’s not coming for us? What if it’s something else?” Methinks she’s on to something…

4. Vikander’s debut as a brand-new Bourne character is juxtaposed by an appearance from Tommy Lee Jones, who plays a gruff old military officer who seems to know all about Bourne’s participation in the Treadstone program — something it appears he’s all too willing to hold over his head. “You’re never going to find any peace,” Jones tells Damon’s Bourne. “Not till you admit who you are.” Gulp.

5. One of the reasons why Bourne is a beloved action hero among audiences is because he relies on quick thinking and sheer muscle to wrestle his way out of crazy scenarios. He’s not a spy who has technologically advanced, tricked-out gadgets at his disposal (cough, James Bond, cough). But that’s why we love him — and that’s why fans will definitely feel tingly at the sight of a high-stakes chase scene set during the Greek riots, where Bourne is doing his best to out-maneuver the SWAT teams chasing him.

6. French actor Vincent Cassel might best be known to stateside audiences thanks to his memorable role as a ruthless ballet company director in 2010 thriller Black Swan, and it looks like he’s bringing the same creepy vibes to his role as a villain in Jason Bourne. Dressed entirely black — you gotta love the token bad-guy uniform — his character is first spotted in Greece, and then again on a rooftop where he takes a direct shot at Bourne. Of course, our man Bourne dodges the bullet and lives on continue his super-secret mission, but that means we’re left with plenty of burning questions. Who is this guy? Whose side is he on? What’s his agenda? And why is he after Bourne?

7. What’s a Bourne film without a crazy car chase? We don’t have to find out, as Greengrass delivers with a Las Vegas-set sequence that sees Bourne avoiding SWAT teams who are on his trail. It’s good, clean fun in the spirit of some of the best action scenes of all time. There’s even a gratuitous shot where a SWAT truck crashes into a casino — because nothing screams “high stakes” quite chips and poker tables flying in all directions.

Check out the full trailer for Jason Bourne — which hits theaters July 29 — below.