Sometimes delayed sequels are actually worth the wait!

“The Accountant 2” is the follow-up to the 2016 film, and again follows Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck), an autistic accountant who must team up with his estranged brother (Jon Bernthal) and a Treasury agent (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) to find a missing child; Gavin O’Connor returns to direct.

I am a big fan of the first “Accountant,” so much so that it was on my Top 10 list for 2016. I was never really calling for a sequel (or connected cinematic universe, like so many films of its era spawned off into), but since we finally did get one, I’m glad they decided to make it more of a buddy road trip comedy rather than a carbon copy action shooter.

Ben Affleck is one of my personal favorite actors, I think he has shown that he can do a good job in drama or comedy, and in the last few years has shown he actually thrives in supporting roles with the likes of “The Tender Bar,” “The Last Duel,” and “Air.” As Christian Wolff, Affleck gets to flex his deadpan comedy skills, offering socially-awkward or matter-of-fact responses to people. He also shares nice brotherly camaraderie with Jon Bernthal, who like usual is the highlight of every scene he is in.

One of the things I liked most about the first film is its inclusion of martial arts and isolated shootout sequences, but found the big final showdown actually the most ho-hum bit. The sequel for the most part focuses more on fighting and threats, with most of the bullets being held for the obligatory act three. In its place is a mystery and some jokey road trip bits, to mostly successful results. From a speed dating convention to country line dancing, there is plenty you  would not expect to see in an action flick, but they’re amusing.

The plot is pretty straightforward but somehow a bit convoluted, with a third act reveal that doesn’t really add to the intrigue (at least the way it’s resolved) and a pretty vanilla bad guy whose name we never even really learn (I’m sure it’s mentioned in passing but he’s only in about three scenes and in two of them he’s far from intimidating). Also for a film called (and following) an accountant, there is actually very little accounting going on here; not that I want to have numbers thrown at me in my thrillers, but I thought the scenes of Affleck uncooking the books was amusing last time.

“The Accountant 2” is a different kind of action movie that should satisfy fans of the original and may be seen as an improvement for people who thought the first one was too straightforward. If you want wall-to-wall action then perhaps this one may be too light and jokey for your taste, but my audience let out a handful of solid chuckles throughout, and I’ll mark it as a fun trip to the cinema.

Critics Rating: 7/10