by Josh Sewell
The Accountant 2
(Rated R for strong violence, and language throughout. Opens in theaters on April 25.)
The creative team behind 2016’s thoroughly entertaining dad movie The Accountant reunites after nearly a decade (thanks, pandemic!) for a follow-up. The result? An engaging, farfetched yarn that is much different in tone than the first one but just as fun. Considering not many people were clamoring for a sequel and studios rarely greenlight mid-budget, straightforward thrillers these days, it’s a minor miracle The Accountant 2 turned out this good.
Ben Affleck once again plays Christian Wolff, a neurodivergent genius who makes his living “un-cooking the books” for some of the world’s most dangerous people. He also boasts unique skills that go far beyond an aptitude for math, which come in handy when things go wrong on the job.
After he learns that a former colleague has been murdered, Christian joins forces with his estranged, unhinged brother Braxton (Jon Bernthal) and Treasury agent Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson, squandered in an underwritten role) to help find the people responsible. They kill a lot of bad guys along the way, of course. But the siblings also use the opportunity to reconnect after years apart.
The Accountant 2 boasts plenty of intense action sequences for adrenaline junkies in the audience, but what I liked even more was the buddy comedy dynamic. Affleck and Bernthal are both fantastic actors and they’ve got terrific chemistry (they genuinely look and act like brothers), which is why keeping them apart for so long in the first movie was anticlimactic.
Director Gavin O’Connor and screenwriter Bill Dubuque must’ve realized that as well since they bring Christian and Braxton back together by the second act. Whenever they’re bickering or working together against a common threat, the movie cruises along effortlessly. That’s especially true when the brothers find themselves at a country bar.
When Christian uses his pattern recognition skills to line dance with a gorgeous woman (Dominique Domingo), Braxton’s reaction is a delightful movie moment. If it’s possible to earn an Oscar nomination for a single scene, Bernthal needs to be in the Best Supporting Actor conversation immediately.
However, The Accountant 2 hits a few bumps along the way. Much like the first installment, there are a couple of unnecessary subplots that pad the running time to a little over two hours. They’re all tied to the film’s confusing mystery, which leads to an overly complicated conspiracy involving unmemorable villains.
The original had John Lithgow and Jean Smart as potential baddies, and the motive was crystal clear. The sequel needed that level of simplicity and star power instead of asking viewers to keep track of a bunch of people we don’t recognize or care about. It’s even tough to invest in J.K. Simmons’ returning character, since he’s only there to kick off the plot before he’s gone again.
One other aspect I appreciated about the original was that it didn’t treat people on the spectrum like superheroes. While Christian exhibits certain traits typically associated with autism, there are other reasons he possesses a knack for number-crunching and action hero capabilities.
All that goes out the window in The Accountant 2. Affleck is still terrific, keeping his character as grounded as he can in such a ridiculous movie. However, the “do it again, but bigger!” requirements of a sequel mean we also get scenes straight out of X-Men, with a room full of autistic kid hackers obtaining critical info in a matter of seconds using technology that would make the CIA jealous.
Those qualms didn’t get in the way of me having a fun time at the movies, though. O’Connor and Dubuque have stumbled upon a winning formula that gives Affleck a unique version of his pal Matt Damon’s Bourne franchise. I wouldn’t mind seeing a couple more Christian Wolff adventures – especially if they can find a narratively interesting way to bring back Anna Kendrick’s sorely missed character.
Grade: B
Book Spotlight
Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend, by Jason Bailey
(Available on April 29.)
In his nuanced and extensively researched biography, Bailey looks back on the impact and legacy of the late actor James Gandolfini. More than a decade after his sudden death, people are still discovering his iconic work on the groundbreaking HBO drama The Sopranos and dozens of memorable films, so his presence in pop culture has never really faded. Thanks to new interviews with friends and colleagues, Bailey chronicles Gandolfini’s early years as the son of Italian immigrants, his steady rise as a character actor, and his years in the role that would ultimately make him a legend.
(Rated R for strong violence, and language throughout. Opens in theaters on April 25.)
The creative team behind 2016’s thoroughly entertaining dad movie The Accountant reunites after nearly a decade (thanks, pandemic!) for a follow-up. The result? An engaging, farfetched yarn that is much different in tone than the first one but just as fun. Considering not many people were clamoring for a sequel and studios rarely greenlight mid-budget, straightforward thrillers these days, it’s a minor miracle The Accountant 2 turned out this good.
Ben Affleck once again plays Christian Wolff, a neurodivergent genius who makes his living “un-cooking the books” for some of the world’s most dangerous people. He also boasts unique skills that go far beyond an aptitude for math, which come in handy when things go wrong on the job.
After he learns that a former colleague has been murdered, Christian joins forces with his estranged, unhinged brother Braxton (Jon Bernthal) and Treasury agent Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson, squandered in an underwritten role) to help find the people responsible. They kill a lot of bad guys along the way, of course. But the siblings also use the opportunity to reconnect after years apart.
The Accountant 2 boasts plenty of intense action sequences for adrenaline junkies in the audience, but what I liked even more was the buddy comedy dynamic. Affleck and Bernthal are both fantastic actors and they’ve got terrific chemistry (they genuinely look and act like brothers), which is why keeping them apart for so long in the first movie was anticlimactic.
Director Gavin O’Connor and screenwriter Bill Dubuque must’ve realized that as well since they bring Christian and Braxton back together by the second act. Whenever they’re bickering or working together against a common threat, the movie cruises along effortlessly. That’s especially true when the brothers find themselves at a country bar.
When Christian uses his pattern recognition skills to line dance with a gorgeous woman (Dominique Domingo), Braxton’s reaction is a delightful movie moment. If it’s possible to earn an Oscar nomination for a single scene, Bernthal needs to be in the Best Supporting Actor conversation immediately.
However, The Accountant 2 hits a few bumps along the way. Much like the first installment, there are a couple of unnecessary subplots that pad the running time to a little over two hours. They’re all tied to the film’s confusing mystery, which leads to an overly complicated conspiracy involving unmemorable villains.
The original had John Lithgow and Jean Smart as potential baddies, and the motive was crystal clear. The sequel needed that level of simplicity and star power instead of asking viewers to keep track of a bunch of people we don’t recognize or care about. It’s even tough to invest in J.K. Simmons’ returning character, since he’s only there to kick off the plot before he’s gone again.
One other aspect I appreciated about the original was that it didn’t treat people on the spectrum like superheroes. While Christian exhibits certain traits typically associated with autism, there are other reasons he possesses a knack for number-crunching and action hero capabilities.
All that goes out the window in The Accountant 2. Affleck is still terrific, keeping his character as grounded as he can in such a ridiculous movie. However, the “do it again, but bigger!” requirements of a sequel mean we also get scenes straight out of X-Men, with a room full of autistic kid hackers obtaining critical info in a matter of seconds using technology that would make the CIA jealous.
Those qualms didn’t get in the way of me having a fun time at the movies, though. O’Connor and Dubuque have stumbled upon a winning formula that gives Affleck a unique version of his pal Matt Damon’s Bourne franchise. I wouldn’t mind seeing a couple more Christian Wolff adventures – especially if they can find a narratively interesting way to bring back Anna Kendrick’s sorely missed character.
Grade: B
Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend, by Jason Bailey
(Available on April 29.)
In his nuanced and extensively researched biography, Bailey looks back on the impact and legacy of the late actor James Gandolfini. More than a decade after his sudden death, people are still discovering his iconic work on the groundbreaking HBO drama The Sopranos and dozens of memorable films, so his presence in pop culture has never really faded. Thanks to new interviews with friends and colleagues, Bailey chronicles Gandolfini’s early years as the son of Italian immigrants, his steady rise as a character actor, and his years in the role that would ultimately make him a legend.
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com or on BlueSky @joshsewell.bsky.social
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