Ben Affleck stars in action-packed sequel ‘The Accountant 2’
Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) and Braxton (Jon Bernthal) reunite for “The Accountant 2.”
Amazon MGM Studios
Take Ben Affleck’s original “The Accountant,” subtract the math, add country line dancing and multiply it by two brothers. The result is a crime thriller sequel that’s not as winning but still mostly satisfying.
Director Gavin O’Connor’s 2016 movie was a combo of “A Beautiful Mind” and B-movie action, featuring Affleck as a socially awkward CPA with high-functioning autism, special-forces skills and a big heart. It didn’t knock Hollywood’s socks off when it was released but found a cult fandom via cable TV reruns. So now we have “The Accountant 2” (★★½ out of four; rated R; in theaters April 25), boasting a more conventional formula and taking Affleck’s Christian Wolff on a cross-country journey to help a friend and connect with his hit man brother, Braxton (Jon Bernthal).
In the first film, Chris saved a junior accountant (Anna Kendrick), reunited with his lost sibling and rode his Airstream into the sunset. Eight years later, he’s contacted by Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), the treasury agent who previously hunted him because of Chris’ dealings with criminals.
Her old boss Raymond King (J.K. Simmons), someone Chris had helped, was shot dead in LA and left a wall of random evidence involving a broken family, human trafficking and global assassinations. (For the record, it’s not as cool as Christian’s window walls painted with math equations from the first movie.)
Marybeth doesn’t know what to do with this stuff. But before he died, Ray wrote “Find the accountant” on his arm, knowing that Christian’s uncanny penchant for solving puzzles and problems would make him a natural to tackle the various mysteries.
Chris recruits Brax to help as well as a room of brilliant computer wizards led by Justine, Chris’ partner with nonverbal autism who communicates via a British computer voice. (The role was recast for the sequel with autistic actress Allison Robertson, but original actress Alison Wright still plays Justine’s voice.) Along the way, they uncover a prison full of kids in Mexico they need to deal with, plus an enigmatic assassin (Daniella Pineda) who was the last person to meet with Ray before he was killed.
The first “Accountant” really dug into Christian’s world, from why he has a collection of priceless artwork and rare comic books to his thought-provoking backstory. The sequel spends more time with the detective work, which just isn’t as interesting, but the movie finds nifty little moments for character-building excursions.
A speed-dating outing for Chris goes hilariously awry, and while it’s tonally weird considering much of the movie, it’s fun because it peels a few more layers from the paradox that is Chris. Same for a trip to a country bar, where Chris picks up the dance moves insanely quickly and Brax starts a window-crashing brawl.
The pairing of Affleck and Bernthal is essential. Chris doesn’t get his brother’s jokes, the brash Brax has a bunch of hard feelings he needs to work through, but there’s a gentle warmth between the two actors that makes them a joy to watch. It gives this franchise a secret sauce: These movies could easily be dumb, two-fisted affairs, yet there’s a thoughtfulness in them, alongside a commitment to exploring heroic neurodivergent characters that the usual macho movie wouldn’t even touch.
Let Jason Statham wreck dudes with “The Beekeeper” and “A Working Man,” and let Affleck be a role model for empathetic masculinity – who can still wreck dudes if needed – with “The Accountant” movies. Just toss in some more math next time.
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