Ben Affleck returns within the follow-up to his most profitable motion movie, with Jon Bernthal upped to co-star standing.
PLOT: After his pal is killed whereas making an attempt to trace down a lacking lady, Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) makes an attempt to resolve the homicide. When the path results in the harmful world of human trafficking, he’s compelled to contact his lethal, estranged brother Braxton (Jon Bernthal) for assist.
REVIEW: It’s taken 9 entire years, however right here we’re with a long-awaited sequel to The Accountant. For my cash, the primary movie ranks as Ben Affleck’s best-action car. Whereas his superhero roles and different stabs at franchises, similar to his flip as Jack Ryan in The Sum of All Fears, by no means panned out, The Accountant was a special story. The position of Christian Wolff appeared tailored for him. Within the first film, Wolff, who labored as a forensic accountant for the mob, was revealed to be one thing of a do-gooder, utilizing the knowledge he realized from jobs to assist the feds take down violent criminals.
Whereas all that may have made the movie a serviceable motion car, author Invoice Dubuque and director Gavin O’Connor made the selection to have Wolff be autistic. A such, they spent a major period of time detailing how the quirks of his situation made him higher at his job but additionally made it arduous for him to bond with others, together with his brother Braxton, who was initially the antagonist within the first movie, who had a change of coronary heart on the eleventh hour.
Within the sequel, Bernthal’s been bumped as much as co-star standing, with the film enjoying out like an ultra-violent model of Rain Man in some respects, with the 2 teaming as much as unravel a violent plot. The Accountant 2 has been extremely anticipated right here at JoBlo, and I’m glad to report that the film lives as much as the primary one and may truly be higher due to the byplay between Affleck and Bernthal, who make a dynamic buddy pairing. Whereas the plot is complicated at instances and possibly extra difficult than it wanted to be, it’s all simply an excuse to place these two guys collectively and allow them to do their factor. For his half, Affleck appears to be like trim and engaged and appears to relish as soon as once more sinking his enamel into considered one of his most memorable characters.
Regardless of being killers, the film does a pleasant job humanizing each of them. Christian and Braxton are portrayed as finally lonely, with Wolff giving velocity relationship a attempt whereas Braxton agonizes over whether or not he ought to undertake a canine. You get the sense that the factor that’s lacking from each of their lives is solely one another. Bernthal, specifically, is allowed to nearly stroll away with the film, as Braxton pushes Christian’s buttons for largely comedian impact, making the movie way more amusing than the darker first movie.
One factor about The Accountant 2 is that, for a lot of the working time, the motion takes a little bit of a backseat, save for a nifty opening scrap with J.Okay. Simmons, who returns from the primary movie in a smaller position, and a cool second the place Christian violently interrogates a thug. But, within the final half hour, the motion is ramped as much as a degree not seen within the first movie, with a sprawling last gun battle in Mexico that riffs on Warmth and delivers in an enormous means.
Total, The Accountant 2 works terrifically effectively as a slam-bang buddy motion comedy, with Affleck and Bernthal at their very best. Cynthia Addai-Robinson returns because the straight-laced treasury agent serving to out our antiheroes, together with her proving to be a great foil, particularly for the extra murderous Braxton, who doesn’t fairly have the scruples his older brother has. Danielle Pineda additionally makes an impression as a mysterious hit lady who enters their orbit, together with her backstory figuring closely into the plot. The one factor the film is basically lacking is an effective dangerous man, with the villains principally a barrage of faceless goons who solely exist so Affleck and Bernthal can blow them away within the climax. Christian’s squad of fellow autistic savant helpers additionally appears somewhat too omnipotent, particularly with them being all youngsters – though this appears to be a form of deliberate riff on Sherlock Holmes’s Baker Avenue Irregulars.
I’m not complaining, although—as a meat-and-potatoes motion fan, I’ve been ravenous for a movie like this. I really like the modern 87North-style motion flicks which might be in favour now, however The Accountant 2 is old-school in a means I’ve been lacking. The additional emphasis on characterization solely sweetens the pot. Carry on The Accountant 3!
