Ben Affleck plays it safe in his next directorial feature, but if this is the outcome going forward, he is here to stay and I am here for it.

I am not one for sports drama’s, and honestly, this isn’t that kind of sports drama. Between growing up with Michael Jordan and being a big fan of this cast, especially with Affleck in front and behind the camera, these were the biggest sells. If sports drama are not your thing, then I am sure you will also find other value in this as it takes you on this journey of a man on the other side who can only take a risk for the greater good.

All across, the cast is great. Matt Damon gives one of his career best and reminds us why he is still a household name. By the end of this year, I am sure his scene stealing monologue will be one of the best of the year. You will know it once you see it. Chris Tucker is also very good. I wish he had more scenes as he stole every scene he was in. If there any Oscar talks by the end of this year, I wouldn’t mind those two in talks, as well as Viola Davis. I loved her character and her importance; however, I feel like it missed the mark without showing Michael Jordan’s face. There were one too many scenes where they had to awkwardly not show his face and came off more like a gimmick than a storytelling device.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of all is how much it feels like an 80’s movie. While the movie takes place in the 80’s, it truly embodies the 80’s atmosphere as its own character. From the montages to the themes of its time, this will also be something that audiences can click with. If done right like this, I love how movies can do more to explain its time period rather than just explaining the story.

What holds the movie back the most is the lack of character development, which makes some scenes confusing. While Damon’s Sunny is the main character to root for, I also really didn’t know why his journey was so important. He mentions that he had a best man for his wedding, but there is not much into his private life to indicate that he was ever married or why he really needed this deal to work. Ben Affleck’s role as Phil Knight comes off with a lack of confidence. Every time his character is brought into certain scenes, he either appears to be doing random activities or has no clue what his company is doing. That’s not always the case, but it gives me the idea that as he was directing, he forgot that he still needed to actually be in the movie. Plus, that wig was just bad.

My only other issue was within the choice of editing. A top 10 list that Nike abides by is shown early on the film, and the movie decides to use random snippets of this list as the movie goes on. A small detail, but still something that bothered me as it didn’t go in order and didn’t feel important to the structure of the film.

Overall, it’s an entertaining first-time watch that I believe others should go see. The film works well for both sports & non-sports fans. The camera continuously moves around and engages with its characters to keep this drama afloat. I am not sure if it will get any Oscar nominations like others have been predicting, but it is well worth the recommendation!

VERDICT: 4/5 (Really Good)