DVD Corner

Air Blu-ray Review

“Air” is a winner. 

Written by Alex Convery, “Air” is based on the true story of how Air Jordans came into existence. The biodrama does not focus on Michael Jordan, but rather basketball scout Sonny Vaccaro who worked with Nike CEO Phil Knight and the VP of Marketing Robert Strasser. Sonny is tasked with finding a new NBA rookie to be the face of their new basketball shoes. At this time in 1984, the basketball shoe division is on the verge of collapse (hard to fathom that now!) and is in desperate need of help. With a limited budget and even more limited options, Sonny chases after Michael Jordan who was expected to sign with ADIDAS. With shoe designer Peter Moore, Sonny wants to create a new shoe directly for Jordan. The rest, as they say, is history.

Sports biodramas are a dime a dozen, but it’s not often we see movies about the sports industry outside of the game itself. Enter “Air” which tackles a major piece of sports history with the invention of the Air Jordans- the biggest and best basketball shoes that continue to endure to this day. The story behind this successful product is equally as compelling. Director Ben Affleck takes a “Moneyball” esque approach by focusing on characters (AKA real life figures), dialogue, intense negotiations, and plenty of humor to keep things moving Yes, the movie ultimately succumbs to familiar beats and a whole lot of 80’s music and pop culture references to remind you that THIS IS THE 80’s, but that doesn’t hamper the movie as a whole. The decision to not show an actor portraying Michael Jordan (he is in a few scenes but only from the back) is a little odd, but keeping the focus on Sonny and the Nike employees made more sense from a narrative perspective.

Speaking of the characters, it’s the cast that really drives “Air.” Obviously, the big selling point of this movie is seeing Matt Damon reunite with Ben Affleck. Damon is the lead here and he’s in top form. You forget how good of an actor he is sometimes. Ben Affleck spends more time behind the camera this time around, but does pop up as Phil Knight for a number of scenes. Naturally, his scenes with Damon are the best. Outside of those 2, the supporting cast contains a ton of talent like Viola Davis (as Michael’s mother Deloris), Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker (it was nice to see him again), and Marlon Wayans. Even Jay Mohr shows up! As one might expect, they all nail their roles.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.85:1 1080p. Grade: A-

Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. Grade: A-

No extras have been included

September 15, 2023 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Air Blu-ray Review, Air Jordan, Air Movie, Ben Affleck, Biodrama, Matt Damon, Michael Jordan, NBA, Nike, Phil Knight