Category Archives: Netflix DVD

The Accountant (2016)

From IMDB:

As a math savant uncooks the books for a new client, the Treasury Department closes in on his activities and the body count starts to rise.

From NetFlix

Offering two very different skills to his clients, a financial forensics expert and trained assassin goes to work for a tech mogul who’s determined to eliminate those responsible for secretly manipulating the company’s financial records.

Netflix sent me this DVDS which lasts 2 hours 8 minutes.

Of all the many Ben Affleck films I have seen, in some respect this is one of his best Instead of a romantic hero, he is an autistic,  number savant, assassin. Naturally you can expect a lot of violence. Moreover the action and shooting sequences are over the top if not just plain impossible. Still isn’t it fun to see that our anti-hero never misses a punch or a shot? And such advanced weaponry!

But there is more to the story than just the noise, because in some way the major theme is autism. We get to see Christian Wolff’s childhood traumas, his siblings, and  the extremes to which his father goes so that Christian can protect himself during his lifetime. In that regard expect a great plot twist.

Ben Affleck was 44 during the filming.  Older actors include J.K. Simmons (Will Pope in “The Closer”),  Jeffrey Tambor (the transsexual dad in “Transparent”),  and John Lithgow (who has a huge resumé).  One of the younger stars is Anna Kendrick who plays Dana Cummings, whom Christian is determined to protect.

Such violent action films are my guilty pleasure. Loved it!

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016)

From Netflix who sent me the DVD:

Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) returns with his particular brand of justice in the highly anticipated sequel Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. When Army Major Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders), who heads Reacher’s old investigative unit, is arrested for treason, Reacher will stop at nothing to prove her innocence and to uncover the truth behind a major government conspiracy involving soldiers who are being killed.

So what if you have seen one then you have seen all the Jack Reacher films (of all the action films, for that matter)!  Once the action starts I am attracted like a fly to fly-paper. Never mind that Tom Cruise looks much older. At least give him credit: not bad for someone who is now 55 years old. Never mind that his street fighting skills are improbably staged, they are still fun to watch. Never mind that he and his fellow fighters for truth and justice get some unlikely breaks from time to time just to let their side win. Never mind that the last 10 minutes or so are unbearably maudlin. Never mind that our hero can just barely speak an emotive line of script.

Who cares! What you see is what you get and it just plain fun!