On the heels of tax season arrives “The Accountant 2,” Gavin O’Connor’s sequel to the 2016 film that did not, exactly, leave audiences clamoring for another. But in a movie world where anything successful immediately gets a second one, “The Accountant 2” has the benefit of not having much to live up to.
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Las divisiones en torno a su figura pueden ser una razón Some schools are teaching teens how to sleepCommunity, mentors and skill-building: Experts weigh the role of employee resource groupsPhotos of the Japanese Star Wars fan conventionYour clothes are shedding bits of plastic. Here’s what people are doing about it this Earth DayMore pharmacies offer to speed prescription deliveries to customersBelievers say microdosing psychedelics helps them. Scientists are trying to measure the claimsGoogle faces off with US government in attempt to break up company in search monopoly caseYour clothes are shedding bits of plastic. Here’s what people are doing about it this Earth DaySupreme Court signals support for Maryland parents who object to LGBTQ books in public schools¿Por qué Francisco no volvió a Argentina? Las divisiones en torno a su figura pueden ser una razónThis image released by Amazon shows Ben Affleck in a scene from “The Accountant 2.” This image released by Amazon shows Jon Bernthal in a scene from “The Accountant 2.” This image released by Amazon shows Daniella Pineda, left, and J.K. Simmons in a scene from “The Accountant 2.” This image released by Amazon shows Cynthia Addai-Robinson in a scene from “The Accountant 2.” This image released by Amazon shows Jon Bernthal, left, and Ben Affleck in a scene from “The Accountant 2.” This image released by Amazon shows Ben Affleck in a scene from “The Accountant 2.” This image released by Amazon shows Ben Affleck in a scene from “The Accountant 2.” This image released by Amazon shows Jon Bernthal in a scene from “The Accountant 2.” This image released by Amazon shows Jon Bernthal in a scene from “The Accountant 2.” This image released by Amazon shows Daniella Pineda, left, and J.K. Simmons in a scene from “The Accountant 2.” This image released by Amazon shows Daniella Pineda, left, and J.K. Simmons in a scene from “The Accountant 2.” This image released by Amazon shows Cynthia Addai-Robinson in a scene from “The Accountant 2.” This image released by Amazon shows Cynthia Addai-Robinson in a scene from “The Accountant 2.” This image released by Amazon shows Jon Bernthal, left, and Ben Affleck in a scene from “The Accountant 2.” This image released by Amazon shows Jon Bernthal, left, and Ben Affleck in a scene from “The Accountant 2.” Yet on the heels of tax season, here is “The Accountant 2,” Gavin O’Connor’s sequel to the 2016 film that did not, exactly, leave audiences clamoring for another. But in a movie world where anything successful immediately gets a second one, “The Accountant 2” has the benefit of not having much to live up to. Just balancing the books a little would count as a win for “The Accountant 2.”) whose powers of deduction are enhanced by his autism, just succeeds at punching up the numbers for “The Accountant” in this belated follow-up. It’s a role that was always an odd fit for Affleck. In a way, that’s the intention. Affleck’s Christian Wolff is a monotone bean counter who used to help criminal organizations launder money and clean their books. Now, he’s a combination of stickler and vigilante whose insight into tax filings and other paper trails helps him hunt down any clue. The best scene in “The Accountant 2” might be when he exposes a human trafficking scheme at a pizza company by rapidly calculating a dubious gap of underreported pizza box expenses. Affleck, of course, has always been a more garrulous, charismatic screen presence. The role of savant wasn’t for him; it was for his “Good Will Hunting” co-star, Matt Damon. Here, though, he’s an emotionless android who speaks in clipped sentences and avoids eye contact. And while the “Rain Man” shtick of “The Accountant” always feels forced, you can tell Affleck is enjoying himself.‘Andor’ returns to Disney+ and takes ‘Star Wars’ to new and rebellious placesIn “The Accountant 2,” that’s most true when he’s paired up with Jon Bernthal. He plays Wolff’s more outgoing and freewheeling brother, Braxton, who has a knack for bloody mayhem but harbors hurt feelings from his brother’s distance in recent years. The two make a fine action duo of opposites. The problem? It takes a long time in Bill Dubuque’s unhurried and disordered script to get to them. The movie begins with a set piece of misdirection that adds to the muddled nature of the first act. Retired FBI financial crimes boss Raymond King is meeting someone at a restaurant who might help in his search for a family of Central American refugees. It’s a hit job, though, with snipers in position, and a separate, mysterious assassin lurking about. The scene ends with King’s body taken out with a message he’s written on his forearm: “Find the accountant.” Marybeth Medina , King’s former protege and financial crimes deputy, takes up the case. She knows enough about Wolff to know how to summon him — not with a Bat signal, exactly, but by phoning a neurological research center in New England and leaving a message with a receptionist. Wolff is living contentedly out of an Airstream RV, with an office back at the research center full of young autistic computer hackers. The scenes here are clunky and don’t always move the story along — there’s an aimless but moderately funny one of Wolff speed dating. But once Braxton shows up — another awkward and labored character introduction, by way of a “Wizard of Oz” surrounded by dead bodies — “The Accountant 2” clicks into idiosyncratic place. What that place “The Accountant 2” occupies probably wouldn’t stand up to scrutiny, let alone an audit. For a movie about a detail obsessive, it’s curiously messy. But — and this might matter more — the film has a reasonably firm sense of just how serious and how knowingly silly a movie about an uber-talented accountant ought to be. There is also just a wisp of real-life relevancy. By centering an accountant thriller on the fate of a migrant family, “The Accountant 2” might even be said to be timely. The Trump administration is in the midst of, have resigned in part over a decision to use IRS data to help deport undocumented immigrants. For departing IRS workers, “The Accountant 2” might just be the most cathartic movie of the year. “The Accountant 2,” an Amazon MGM Studios release that opens in theaters Thursday, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for strong violence, and language throughout. Running time: 125 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.Coyle has been a film critic and covered the movie industry for The Associated Press since 2013. He is based in New York City.Student loans in default to be referred to debt collection, Education Department says
Gavin Oconnor Ben Affleck Matt Damon Film Reviews Raymond King J. K. Simmons Melanie Krause Jon Bernthal Cynthia Addai Robinson Entertainment Daniella Pineda Jake Coyle Christian Wolff
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