Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. They’ve been an unbeatable duo since they won Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting at the Oscars back in 1998, and now, they’re back to dazzle us once again. Enter: Air, the origin story behind Nike’s iconic Air Jordan partnership with Michael Jordan. After a successful theatrical run earlier this year, Aussie fans will soon be able to watch Air in the comfort of their own homes.
Directed by Affleck, who also stars in the film as Nike co-founder Phil Knight, Air stars Matt Damon as maverick Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro. For all their previous collaborative endeavours, Air marks the first time that Affleck has actually directed Damon in a film.
It is also the first project to be co-produced by Artists Equity, which is Affleck and Damon’s own production company. They produced the film alongside Skydance Sports and Mandalay Pictures, and it was picked up for distribution by Amazon Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures.
Co-starring in the film are Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser, Chris Messina as David Falk, Matthew Maher as Peter Moore, Marlon Wayans as George Raveling, Chris Tucker as Howard White, Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan, and Gustaf Skarsgård as Horst Dassler, among others.
What Is Air About?
Based on a true story, Air depicts the game-changing partnership between a then-rookie basketball player named Michael Jordan and Nike’s fledgling basketball division.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last several decades, you’ll be well aware of the iconic Air Jordan brand, and how it revolutionised the sports and marketing worlds, as well as its impact on culture to this day.
Air follows the career-defining gamble of an unconventional team with everything on the line, the uncompromising vision of a mother who knew the worth of her son’s immense talent, and the basketball phenom who would become the greatest of all time.
Who Plays Michael Jordan In Air?
Newcomer Damian Delano Young plays Michael Jordan in Air, but for a film about the Air Jordan brand, he doesn’t get much screen time.
Rather, Ben Affleck chose to film Young mostly from behind, or in quick, partial shots. He also has very little dialogue in the film.
Watch the Trailer for Air
Is Air a Good Movie?
With a 92% Certified Fresh Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes, and an even higher 98% verified audience score, the people have spoken: Ben Affleck’s Air is a good film.
“Air is great. Pitch-perfect, deeply entertaining,” Vox critic Alissa Wilkinson proclaimed.
“Air mainly takes place in drab offices, yet the cast’s expert performances transform those spaces much in the same way that Michael Jordan transformed courts and sneaker racks — by turning them into sites of magic,” wrote David Sims for The Atlantic.
Meanwhile, fans of the film praised Air for its stellar performances, iconic 80s soundtrack, and script, with one user calling it a “fun look at some history of a well-known brand”.
How to Watch Air In Australia
Air will be streaming on Prime Video in Australia from May 12, 2023.
Want more entertainment news? Click here to read all our content, and check out the stories below:
- Real or Fake? The Question at the Centre of Jury Duty
- Read ‘Em Now Before These 17 Books Hit Screens in 2023
- From Deaths to Betrayal: 6 Convincing Theories We Have About ‘Succession’ S4
- Aussie Series ‘The Clearing’ Is About to Drop, and It’s Inspired By a Real Life Cult
- Pulling Off a Season Two of ‘Jury Duty’ Would Be Harder Than It Seems
- Real or Fake? The Question at the Centre of ‘Jury Duty’
- The Harrowing True Story Behind HBO’s ‘Love and Death’
- Illicit Affairs Turn Bloody In True Crime Series ‘Love and Death’
- Try Before You Buy: A Guide to Free Trials for Streaming Services In Australia
- 5 Thrillers to Watch on Netflix That’ll Keep You Guessing Until the Very End
- The Top Five Sci-Fi Movies Currently Streaming on Netflix
Read more stories from The Latch and subscribe to our email newsletter.
