Squared Jaws

SInce we enjoyed the original, we were looking forward to the sequel: The Accountant² (2025).

It starts in a bingo parlor/dive bar. Daniella Pineda is meeting up with J.K. Simmons, retired to private practice since the last movie. He wants her to find the Salvadoran mother, father and son in an old photo. She declines, but mentions that he has been followed. Soon, they are both fighting their way out. She escapes, but he is shot by a sniper. 

His replacement at the Financial Crimes Unit, Cynthia Addai-Robinson (from the last movie), sees that he has written "Find the Accountant" on his arm. But he (Ben Affleck) finds her first. After reviewing Simmon's pile o' evidence, he decides he needs to bring his brother, Jon Bernthal in to help. To get info on the gangs, they go to a cheap motel and order up a trio of hookers. Bernthal gently asks them to call their security guard. When he shows up, they stuff him into the trunk of Addai-Robinson's car. This is a little bit too illegal for her, so they split up.

Working on her own, she discovers that the woman in the old photo is Daniella Pineda. She had a bump on the head and developed Acquired Savant Syndrome, giving her amnesia and awesome martial arts skills. 

Meanwhile the brothers have figured out that the boy in the photo was separated from the family and is being trafficked. So it's off to Juarez for the big showdown.

First, I want to complain about the running time - there's no need for this to be 2 hours, 12 minutes. There's a scene early on where Affleck tries speed dating. He's reverse-engineered the algorithm to attract women, but his autistic personality drives them off. What is the point of this scene? I guess it's kind of funny, but doesn't contribute to the plot. And we don't really need it for characterization. 

Bernthal gets an introduction where he's trying to chat with a woman in a fancy penthouse. She's clearly terrified, but he just wants to get to know her. When he leaves, we see that he has killed everyone else in the room, but left her, since she's just sex-work bystander. It's a fine scene, a little long, but, you know, we might have enjoyed the action scene that came, unseen, before it. 

I do like Bernthal here. He's get a great look, all cheekbones and a broken nose. He is assured where Affleck is confused by the world of people and emotions. And they are great in the action schemes when we do get them.

We also get the Airstream from the last movie, as well as the home for weaponized autistic children. But this is treated like sacred lore - something for fans to drool over. It's all fine, but I wasn't as excited as I perhaps was supposed to be. 

Still, it was a fine action movie, and we managed to finish it over two nights. And I suppose we'll watch Accountant Cubed when they make it.