The Accountant 2 evaluate

PLOT: After his buddy is killed whereas making an attempt to trace down a lacking girl, Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) makes an attempt to resolve the homicide. When the path results in the damaging world of human trafficking, he’s compelled to contact his lethal, estranged brother Braxton (Jon Bernthal) for assist.

REVIEW: It’s taken 9 complete 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 automobile. Whereas his superhero roles and different stabs at franchises, equivalent to his flip as Jack Ryan in The Sum of All Fears, by no means panned out, The Accountant was a unique 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 might have made the movie a serviceable motion automobile, author Invoice Dubuque and director Gavin O’Connor made the selection to have Wolff be autistic. A such, they spent a big period of time detailing how the quirks of his situation made him higher at his job but in addition made it onerous 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 comfortable to report that the film lives as much as the primary one and may really be higher due to the byplay between Affleck and Bernthal, who make a dynamic buddy pairing. Whereas the plot is complicated at occasions and possibly extra sophisticated 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 trim and engaged and appears to relish as soon as once more sinking his tooth into one in every 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 pace courting 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 rather more amusing than the darker first movie. 

One factor about The Accountant 2 is that, for a lot of the operating 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 closing gun battle in Mexico that riffs on Warmth and delivers in a giant approach.

General, The Accountant 2 works terrifically properly as a slam-bang buddy motion comedy, with Affleck and Bernthal at their best possible. Cynthia Addai-Robinson returns because the straight-laced treasury agent serving to out our antiheroes, along with her proving to be 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 girl who enters their orbit, along with her backstory figuring closely into the plot. The one factor the film is de facto lacking is an effective unhealthy man, with the villains largely 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 type 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 like the modern 87North-style motion flicks which might be in favour now, however The Accountant 2 is old-school in a approach I’ve been lacking. The additional emphasis on characterization solely sweetens the pot. Convey on The Accountant 3!