Back to the Box Office: Reviews for Air: Courting A Legend, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie

0:00 You get more out of life when you go out to a movie. No on with the shoal. Hello everybody, and welcome back to the box office. I am Jeff Johnson. It's to me David Burns, and we are discussing two iconic heroes, both Michael and Mario this week. First up, we're gonna take flight with air courting a legend. Basketball is the future.

0:42 I want to sign Michael Jordan's damn job and company their black people down jobs. I need the greatest basketball shoot it's ever been made. How long do we have Monday? We can't get Michael Jordan. It's about you and yourself and your ego. You show up at the house ye have Here we go there a story of greatness takeing theaters. Gag fa. Okay, so let's let's jump into uh, let's jump into this one, Dave. You know we're talking about the story of shoe salesman Sonny Vacaro, how he takes Nike basically from a nothing company. They are not in the basketball game at this point and basically makes history going after Michael Jordan. Right, Yeah, what an incredible story. It's funny. I knew a little bit about the story I didn't know the complete story, so I was totally fascinated by this movie.

1:34 I'll tell you right now, I've got thirteen pairs of Air Jordan ones in my closets. Big fan. I knew I was gonna love this movie. This movie did not disappoint, especially with you know, being directed by Ben Affleck starring Matt Damon. We got Ben and Matt back together. What you think of their performance, their chemistry. I want to say I want to see more of them, but I liked a little bit of a break that we're getting because it seems like they're picking quality scripts to be in together. And it shows because they shine in this movie. They have not lost a step in this film. It's fantastic. You know, we could talk about them at length all day, but we got to talk also about you know, obviously Ben Affleck playing Nike CEO Phil Knight, Jason Bateman playing ahead of marketing Rob Strasser. I love the fact that he is playing an actual person. Yeah, but still giving us that Jason Bateman feel right, you're gonna have Jason Bateman playing Jason Bateman a little right? Well, you do?

2:37 You do have just a little bit love the fact that we got Viola Davis and Julius Tennan playing Dolores and James Jordan. They have great as Michael's parents. They have great chemistry, probably because they're married in real life. But man, Viola Davis, who was hand picked by Michael Jordan, by the way, sensational in this role. There's a reason why she was and pick because she is an incredible actress. And when she's having dialogue with Sonny Matt demon Um, you just hang on every word that she's saying. This. This is a film, Dave. This is dialogue driven. He's this story. You know, you're not gonna get a lot of action. You're not gonna get a lot of basketball action, right, this is This is a film with a lot of people doing a lot of talking. And I gotta give credit to the script talking about Alex Convery who wrote this well initially wrote this. This is this is one of those uh famous scripts from the the unproduced Blacklist from twenty twenty one. Uh Matt and Ben find it.

3:43 They they put their magic on it, you know, and boom, We've got this this amazing film. So absolutely love it. You would you would expect that Michael Jordan was heavily involved with this. Turns out he wasn't he. Uh you know. Ben Affleck has has said that, yes, I took a lot of notes from Michael. I would call Michael, but other than that, you know, a sipeh of Michael saying, hey, you gotta have Viola Davis he was. He was mostly hands off and would just fact check them when they needed it right. And you know, just to go back to what you're saying, you know, if you're going into this movie thinking you're going to get a lot of action, don't don't expect that. This movie is well written. It's very dialogue driven. There are scenes that where two people are talking on the phone and it's written so well that again you're hanging on every word that's coming from each of the actor's mouth because it's just the story is that interesting and filmed so well. We always stay spoiler free in these reviews, but I will say this, U, there are there's a couple of scenes where it's two people talking on the phone, and yeah, you do hang on there every word. One scene in particular, and Dave, you know who I'm talking about. I'm talking about Chris Messina, who plays David Fulk, Michael Jordan's agent. This guy, I don't know where he's been, but he might be one of the best reasons to see this film. His performance. Yeah, he is brilliant in that role. And not to give anything away, but I'm telling you he just turns that switch on and off, on and off, on and off in that performance and does an incredible job at it. He absolutely Speaking of incredible,

5:15 let's take a quick minute and talk about the phenomenal soundtrack to this film. Oh my gosh, I mean because this let's be this, this is factual. It takes place in nineteen eighty four. If you are fans of the eighties, if you're fans of the that pop culture at that time, you're gonna love this movie. And the music's the soundtrack that was chosen for this is not going to let you down right, Dave, And it's perfect. Then each song is very specific to what's going on in the film, and it adds so much another dimension to it. It's perfect. I won't tell you which artists and which songs you're gonna hear because it's that I feel like that's a fun part of the movie. I'll tell you who you don't get Dave. Incidentally, Ben Affleck actually and this is a huge soundtrack, but uh, two artists that he actually went after and did not get.

6:08 He wanted Duran Duran, and he wanted the rhythmics. Those two would have put him over budget. So he he finally had to say, Okay, enough enough. He chose wisely because the music didn't get is perfect. It is perfect. I'll tell you right now. This is one of the best films I've seen this year. So it takes uh, it doesn't take a lot for me to say, absolutely see it. But Dave, let's sear from you. Uh what do you? What do you have for our listeners? See it? Stream it or skip it? So when I was going to see this movie, I felt like, it's this is a drama movie. This is probably going to be a you know, I'm gonna say streaming, but you what, no, go see this movie. It is directed well, written, well acted well and I have a feeling we're gonna get some more Oscar nominations for Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. So yeah, fantastic take Flight with according a legend, you will not be disappointed. You will not well, Dave, let's uh if you're ready. Let's level up.

7:05 Let's level talk about our other feature today. That's right, the Super Mario Brothers movie. Who come on, Mario, our biggest bitch of be kinds? Now? I got this, No parb that is a cruel twist of face. You're gonna help me find my brother? There's a human Do you think I know every human being with a mustache? Brian? I gotta cool out there with the letter of his first name because I don't to the biggest fight of our lights only a beaters April Fi. Okay, Dave. First thoughts, um, if you're a fan of the video games, if you grew up with the video games, even if you didn't grow up with the video games, you are going to enjoy this film immensely. So many Easter eggs are in throughout this It is a fun little ride in a very colorful film. I don't even know what to say now, because you have just taken all the things I wanted to say, so all I can do is absolutely agree with you. Uh you know we we were of the generation that grew up on the original Nintendo Entertainment System. Yeah, we've talked heavily about it in our limited series nineteen eighty six. Uh yeah, if you're a fan, if you grew up playing the games, you're gonna love this film.

8:26 If you didn't grow up playing those games, you're still gonna love this film. And I can't I mean just the picture quality, the colors, the color palette. Oh, it's brilliant, beautiful, gorgeous, gorgeous film. I can't wait. I can't wait. I'm I'm sure I'm tipping my hand, but I can't wait to have this film in four K in my collection. It's beautiful. Man on those four KTVs? Oh, you know it? Wow, gotta be let's talk about this cast. Let's let's uh, let's talk about the Coopla in the room, Chris Pratt and the voice, because that's what everyone has talked about again spoiler free, Dave. I feel that they handled how the voice comes uh just magnificently. Such a credit to the film on how they they addressed the voice issue. Yep, and uh and I thought it was really smart how they came up with it.

9:18 I really do too. Um. I didn't know what to expect going into it, but when they showed us that, I really enjoyed it more. Absolutely. Yeah, And you know, for the for the True for the true fans. You know, Charles Martinet, Uh, he's in there, you know, playing Mario's dad. So Giuseppe Uh loved that, which you think at Charlie Day playing Luigi. You know, this is the third time that Chris Pratt and Charles Day have worked together the Lego One and the Lego Movie in Lego Movie two h and now they are together again in Super Mario Brothers. H Charlie Dave would fantastic as Luigi fan. That says a lot about their chemistry. I mean, we were just talking about Matt and Ben's chemistry, but but Chris and Charlie's chemistry. U definitely I bought into the idea of them being brothers. Oh yeah, they did a great job with that. How did you feel about the one and only Jack Black voicing Bowser?

10:11 He was perfect as Bowser. You know, there are some hysterical scenes with him that you're going to see that you're actually you're gonna last you really are. And he's just so good because he's just over the top sometimes good over the top. You know. Yeah, yeah, I could I could see him. I would love to see it. Behind the scenes where where he's just in the in the recording studio. I can't imagine him doing nothing but smiling ear to ear as he says this dialogue. Because he was fantastic as Bowser. Uh more fantastic uh Anna Taylor Joy playing Princess Peach, very strong female character. Loved loved her role, loved her, loved her performance, and it was a well balanced between all the characters in my opinion.

10:54 Yeah, because this is one of those like, uh Heroes quest type of films. Yep. Uh So you've got Princess Peach, You've got Mario Luigi. We got gotta talk about Toad played by Keegan Michael Key. Yes, fantastic again. You know, loved him and while Seth Rogan as Donkey Kong, I think he was part of my favorite part. Uh. Seth Rogan was perfect as Donkey Kong and there is a lot of laugh out moments with him. Yeah, I gotta say, we gotta be careful again. I would love to talk about this movie in depth. Yeah, but I feel like anything we say about the story, I mean, this is this is littered with hundreds of Easter eggs. Yeah, for old school fans, for new fans, So all I can say is it is one wild ride that will take you back to the eighties. It will It will definitely put a smile on your face. Yeah, Definitely pay attention to stuff going on in the background. Pay attention to stuff that's going around the actors, that the characters in the in the movie, because there's like Jeff said, there's a lot of Easter eggs that are easy to miss, but when you see them, you're going to smile. Yeah, because Dave, like, we're walking out of the theater and you're like, did you You're you're kind of giggling, You're like, did you catch the such and such? And I'm like, oh, I missed that, but I did see this, And you're like, wait, I didn't see that. This is this has got credit credit to the filmmakers because this is a situation definitely, um where they have they have created a film that you're gonna want repeat play on because you're like,

12:26 oh, I want to see like you said, now, I know the story, I've seen the movie. Now I just want to watch the background and see how many things I can I can I can get And in the music was brilliant because you get the music from the Mario games that you love and know, but they blend it with an orchestra and stuff that too. You know, they slow it down, they speed it up, and they use it exactly from the video game too. It fit perfectly to this movie. Yeah, brilliant blending of eight bit technology with current CGI, with the music. This is UH talk about a director's uh A roundup of directors directed by Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelinek, Perry Ludec and Fabian Pollock. Wow.

13:11 Um, yeah, four people and I could see that. I could see where four people would need to be involved to put this thing together because it was absolutely absolutely fantastic. Yeah, um, Dave again, I feel like we have definitely tipped our hand. But uh see it. I'll let you go first this time. See it, stream it, skip it without a doubt. Go see this movie. This movie was made for the big screen because you get you get CGI. It's colorful, it's fun, um and if you love Mario, you have to see this on the big stream because a small TV stream will not do this movie justice. It will not. I rarely say this, but I will say see it twice because you're gonna want to see it. Just to enjoy it. You're gonna want to see it, just to start catching all the all the fun stuff that you probably missed your first feeling. I can't wait to go back and see it again, right, Dave, I agree, But I gotta tell you this movie blew the weekend away, Jeff, tell you it's gonna be number one, right. Oh, there's no doubt. It has become the best animated film debut in For money, it came in worldwide three hundred and seventy seven million dollars in five days. Jeff, what, yeah, are you kidding me? Nope, one hundred forty six globe, you know, domestically, the three hundred seventy seven worldwide. This movie is huge, three hundred seventy seven million dollars in the post COVID world. Dave. I think it's safe

14:43 to say people are going back to the box office. Absolutely, and we'll be doing that again real soon. We'll see you guys, next time, See you next time.