Review

I only wear Converse Chuck Taylors. Low tops. I have about as many shoes as Imelda Marcos. Okay, not really. And I did give in and buy Reeboks a few years ago when I needed something I could wear in the rain, and leather Converse weren't doing the job. I have several pairs of old dress shoes but hardly ever wear them. I didn't even know what Air Jordans looked like until COVID made it possible for me to watch a great documentary series about Michael Jordan for free on ABC. Oh, yeah, and I don't even care about sports.

I still enjoyed this movie. Most of it. Whether the story was true or not, I felt like I learned a lot, even if parts weren't true (they generally aren't in these movies).

It's hard to imagine how a lot of discussion of numbers will appeal to anyone but accountants, but somehow it works. And then there's the process of developing a shoe, which should only appeal to engineering types.

Matt Damon gave a fine performance as a guy we could easily like. Not quite Oscar worthy, though he did give an Oscar speech, and by that I mean he had a scene that one might expect to see as the person's Oscar clip. Sonny sort of lacked confidence and he was kind of a loser but he had determination that allowed him to persevere and get the job done. We know he must have because Air Jordans became so popular, but it was exciting to watch how Nike got to where they were, since the odds we against them from start to finish. It's why people watch "Columbo" and "Elsbeth". And of course Sonny's job was on the line and he was constantly close to losing it. I do wonder how in the 1980s he could get away with "Casual Friday" even in the big meeting. Everyone else dressed up.

Jason Bateman I know mainly as a funny kid. But I watched how he had to mature quickly after the death of his TV mom. I haven't seen him that much in adult roles, but he is obviously an adult now. Here, also somewhat lacking in confidence and annoyed by those who can't get the job done.

Ben Affleck was appropriately quirky as the big boss. While he was pushing for something big to happen, he didn't seem to care quite as much as those under him but he was already rich and not really in danger of losing it all. He was willing to take a risk. And if that hadn't been the case, maybe no one would have listened to Sonny.

Chris Tucker had a great personality and I have to assume it was based on how his character was in real life. I kind of felt guilty in this politically correct era enjoying an attitude that came across as if he was working on the plantation.

You don't mess with Viola Davis. If anyone deserved awards it was her. She knew what Michael needed and she could get it. And she seemed to know what we know now but no one could have known then.

I don't have a problem with Michael being mostly missing. We've heard quite enough from him. Focus more on the others.

North Carolina was a beautiful place and they got the sounds of nature right. I go to Myrtle Beach every year and don't really see what Wilmington looked like here, but it looked great. I suspect where I go, hurricanes won't allow tall trees like Mrs. Jordan said had been there for hundreds of years. Brookgreen Gardens is one of the places in the Myrtle Beach area where I occasionally visit that has a similar appearance.

I enjoyed scenes from the 80s reminding me of things I enjoyed, but not necessarily the music. The 80s were, in my opinion, a terrible decade for music. In fact, things seem to have gotten worse since then but 80s music was so bad. There were exceptions. I was disappointed the song with "Bow wow wow" in the lyrics ended so fast. And somehow I don't find "Money for Nothing" unpleasant even with the guitar solo. Good 80s music (in my opinion) existed but doesn't fit, so I guess it wasn't used for that reason.

A good movie even if you don't actually like sports.