Is Air 2023 Good? | Honest Movie Review & 3 Powerful Takeaways

Air 2023 is such a crisp film.

The film establishes its retro 1984 roots from the jump (no pun intended) and instills some very classic, never-goes-out-of-style values into the core of the streamlined story.

Along with the clean script and rooted values, the seasoned cast expertly balances personalities that are bland and basic with eccentric and distinctive tendencies. All in all, Air is a slam dunk.

Air 2023 Review

Directed by Ben Affleck, Air is a biographical, drama movie based on the true story of how the shoe company Nike, while still in its adolescent stages, took a risk by partnering with the rookie basketball player Michael Jordan to create the now iconic, Air Jordan sneakers. 

**Heads Up There WILL NOT be spoilers in this review.**

3 Classic Messages in Air 2023

1. Taking Risks

Making it in business relies heavily on taking risks. You don’t know what the future holds but invest with the little you have and hope it multiplies.

Sonny Vaccaro, Nike’s basketball talent scout, is well aware of the mechanics of gambling, often frequenting casinos in his free time. So when he brings this mindset to the Nike company with his proposition to bet it all on Jordan, the rest of the team is understandably hesitant.

Through Vaccaro’s faith, he reminds them that nothing grand comes out of playing it safe.

2. Contagious Faith

Another classic message of this movie that really stood out was the viral power of faith. Vaccaro took a lot of risks in this story and everyone at one point was against him.

But his insistence on this ” feeling” that he had — his ability to trust that instinct, believe in it so deeply, and follow it — sparked something in the people around him.

Before he knew it, the shoemaker was on board with this vision, designing the best basketball shoe known to man.

The head of marketing was crafting his speech for the pitch meeting.

And the CEO was setting his timer for 7 minutes so he could “stylishly” enter the meeting late, feining a tight schedule.

Vacarro’s faith set off a domino effect on the faith of those around him.

3. Knowing Your Worth

Viola Davis as Michael Jordan’s mother is seamless as per usual with Davis.

Even in a time when black people were still fighting to integrate and be seen as equals in society, Jordan’s mother made certain that her son was not getting shortchanged of his worth.

Because that mother believed so deeply in her son’s potential and was well aware of his worth, she demanded that he get a percentage of every sale of Air Jordans.

This singular request set a precedent for every basketball shoe going forward allowing several black basketball players to build a life and legacy for themselves and their families even after they inevitably stepped off the court.

Notable Artistic Choices

The script. The script. The mother-loving script. It’s so flipping good I’m about to slip into some R-rated language.

Honestly, it’s been a long time since I’ve heard a monologue that really caught my attention, that really moved me. I couldn’t even note down some quotes because I would have just ended up rewriting the whole script on my notepad.

Halfway through Nike’s pitch meeting to the Jordan family, Vacarro decides to ditch the original script and improvise a heartfelt plea to the family about why Michael should partner with Nike, a move that was foreshadowed by what Martin Luther King Jr. ended up doing with his groundbreaking and half-improvised “I Have a Dream” speech.

Vacarro delivers this speech on the ephemeral nature of fame but the everlasting imprint of a shoe and it definitely helps that Matt Damon is the illustrious Matt Damon because he delivers those lines with natural, effortless conviction.

I had to pause for a moment and give that monologue a brief round of applause because it hit. It’s substantive and meaningful.

In Conclusion…

Air is a clean, timeless narrative that inspires you to believe again — To follow your instincts, trust them, know your worth, and have a little faith.

It takes a story that we all know the ending to and shows us that every big company started somewhere small until they had the faith enough to take a leap.

Air 2023 is so good and strikes the basic emotional themes of achieving success so cleanly and harmoniously, with a clear focus on the central narrative. Air is the little black dress of movies.

Or rather, the un-creased 1985 black, white, and red Jordans of movies…

Rating 9/10

What did you think of Air 2023? Let me know in the comments below!

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Peace, love, and lots of popcorn,

IMO