Air (2023)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16419074/

Follows The history of shoe salesman Sonny Vaccaro , and How He led Nika in its pursuit of The Greatest athlete in The history of basketball -> Air.

Director
Ben Affleck
Writer
Alex Convery
Stars
Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, Ben Affleck

I am surprised that no one has started a thread for this film yet, so I am curious to hear your thoughts.

I honestly didn't think anyone was telling me the truth when they said this movie about how Nike signed Jordan would be this good. Affleck and Damon are spectacular once again—it’s wild how they recreated every tiny detail, like we were actually thrown back into the 80s via a time machine. I really think this could be a sleeper hit along the lines of Argo, and I'm pretty certain we'll see a wave of Oscar nominations coming—the film itself, those two, and Viola Davis, obviously.

It’s honestly hilarious. I have to hand it to them, though—the way they managed to squeeze all that tension out of a story where you already know exactly how it ends is actually pretty impressive. 🙂

The Return takes you right back to the 80s, and if you actually lived through that era, you’re going to get a massive kick out of this one...

I suppose I agree; it was a surprisingly engaging film. I don't follow much basketball myself, but I didn't find it difficult to keep up here—it’s quite well-constructed, and I imagine you don't necessarily need to be a die-hard fan of the sport to grasp everything that's unfolding.

Man, most people seem to dig this one. I’m actually pretty surprised because two of our big-name critics absolutely trashed it, which honestly made me want to call them out. It’s pretty obvious their taste is questionable if they were genuinely annoyed that Michael Jordan isn't a main character!🤦
I loved the movie! 🍿

I found it somewhat peculiar that Jordan is barely even in the picture, though I suppose I didn't really view it as a flaw. This seems to be more of a story about Nike than it is a biography of Jordan itself.
It isn't even necessary to be a die-hard basketball fan to appreciate the film, I guess. Most people are already familiar with the legacy of Nike and Jordan, and that’s probably enough to carry it. Fans might pick up on a few subtle details here and there, but overall, it feels like one of those feel-good movies inspired by actual events.

Richard Barrett53 said:It actually felt weird to me that Jordan is barely in the movie, but I didn't view it as a flaw. This is a story about Nike, not a biography of Jordan.
You don't even have to be a huge basketball fan to enjoy it. Everyone knows Nike and Jordan, and that's plenty. Die-hard fans will probably pick up on some subtle details. It’s just a solid feel-good movie inspired by a true story.

I thought it was great because, at the start of the timeline the movie covers, he definitely wasn't that big of a deal yet. The real story is the hustle to get him to sign with Nike, and they nailed that. Even for someone like me who lives for basketball, it was surprising how ahead of her time his mother was, if what we saw is accurate. I'd love to know who was actually responsible for pushing for that royalty percentage on every pair sold. 🍿

It feels a bit like Fincher's The Social Network—you know, that vibe where something super mainstream is being made that I couldn't care less about—but honestly, the director and the lead actor just absolutely nail it here. Though, if we're being real, in TSN, it was really Trent Reznor's score that carried the whole movie alongside Fincher.

Pure drama. No violence, no gratuitous nudity—honestly, I almost forgot what movies like this were supposed to feel like.
I’m also digging how they handled Jordan.
The script, the acting, the direction... everything hits exactly where it should.

Edward Cooper11 said:Pure drama. No mindless violence, no cheap stunts. Honestly, I almost forgot movies like this even existed.
I'm really digging how they handled Jordan, too.
The script, the acting, the directing... everything just hits the spot.

I’m definitely planning to watch it, but it feels more like a cozy night in at home than something you'd head to the theater for.

Richard Wilson4 said:I definitely plan on watching it, but I don't get "big screen" vibes from this one—feels more like a home viewing situation.

It’s not exactly a spectacle, so you could probably just stay home—though personally, if a new movie actually looks worth the ticket, I'm hitting the theater.

Caught it in theaters. It's solid, definitely worth a watch.

Caught it in the theater. It was great. Honestly, just excellent.

This is one of those rare movies you can actually watch over and over again.
The cast absolutely crushed it—and looking at the names on that list, you know they would.
The script hits the sweet spot, balancing just enough humor with actual tension, even if most of us already know how the story ends.
My only gripe is that they cut the sales precedent too short. I wanted more of the grit—more of seeing how Affleck had to go toe-to-toe with management just to get them to bite on the offer.
☕☕

SPOILER!

At the end of the day, the whole Jordan and Nike partnership boils down to one thing: Nike was the only ones willing to give him a cut of the sales. All that massive circus surrounding signing Jordan, designing custom kicks, the colorway drama, the fines—it was all just smoke and mirrors for revolutionary marketing, when really, they just cared about the bottom line. 🤣 It honestly shows how desperate Nike was, and how greedy Michael's parents were being...
And man, look at how much Converse tanked. 🙏
Honestly, only Americans could turn a movie about sneakers into this huge dramatic spectacle and somehow make it actually watchable. ☕ It’s definitely not Oscar material, though. Give me a break. At certain points, I felt like I was sitting through some undergrad lecture on Marketing Management (we used to deal with these fake, watered-down case studies back in school).

Ethan Davis34 said:SPOILER!

The whole Jordan and Nike partnership basically boils down to the fact that Nike was the only one willing to give him a cut of the sales. All that chaos over signing Jordan, designing custom kicks, the colors, the fines, and that revolutionary Marketing Management—it turns out they just cared about the money. 🤣 It really shows how desperate Nike was and how greedy Michael's parents were...

Man, if that was the most interesting part for me, it's because I had no clue that's what everything was actually riding on. I'm curious though, how did Jordan's reps (his mom, in this case) even think to ask Nike for that? From what I gathered back then, that wasn't even a thing in pro sports yet. 🍿

Grace Sanders24 said:Honestly, that part was the most fascinating to me because I had no clue that everything hinged on that single decision. But I'm genuinely curious—how did they even think to ask Nike? From what I gathered back then, having the Jordan family representatives (in this case, his mother) handle that wasn't exactly standard practice in pro sports at all.🍿

It's highly unlikely his parents just suddenly thought of it; they don't have much connection to the real world, let alone an understanding of high-level economics. It’s more likely one of his agents came up with the idea (it's a known fact that Jordan has been incredibly smart about investing his money over the years).
On the flip side, look at Tony Kukoč and the agent who totally screwed him over regarding that hotel in Switzerland. Tony lost a massive amount of cash there, and he probably missed out on several future investment opportunities because of it.

It’s pretty obvious if you look closely.

#1: Jordan’s Mother Was a Key Negotiator
Exactly.

That whole Nike deal would've been dead in the water without Deloris Jordan giving the green light—which "Air" makes incredibly obvious. Even though the movie leaves it out, Michael Jordan actually thought about blowing off that Nike meeting in Oregon entirely, but his mom talked him into getting on the plane. In the flick, Michael stays pretty quiet when he shows up, basically letting his parents handle the heavy lifting. And that's accurate, per Vaccaro, who noted, "[Deloris ] was The One negotiating for Her son , for The kind of Life Michael was going to Live." Even though the Air Jordan offer was already unprecedented, Deloris Jordan pushed the envelope even further by demanding her son get a cut of the actual shoe sales. Nika agreed and Michael thankfully followed his parents’ advice.

Ethan Davis34 said:SPOILER!

In the end, the whole Jordan and Nike partnership really just boils down to one thing: Nike was the only brand willing to give him a percentage of shoe sales. All that massive circus surrounding landing Jordan—the custom designs, the specific colorways, the penalty fees, the revolutionary marketing tactics—it turns out they only cared about the bottom line. 🤣 It’s a cynical look at how desperate Nike actually was, and how much Michael's family was looking to capitalize on the moment...

Well, they shouldn't have gone overboard with the greed, the way some people in this country tend to do.

It was actually a perfectly reasonable demand given the trajectory of Jordan's career leading up to his pro debut after college. ☕

darkjackal70 said:He shouldn't have gone out and burned those bridges like Americans always do.

It was a completely reasonable decision—honestly, a fair request—given what Jordan had already accomplished before he even finished college, let alone the legendary career he went on to cement after his time in the NCAA. ☕

Both Converse and Adidas completely blew him off. Those were two of the biggest players on the market back then, so that says everything you need to know. The guy basically walked in as a rookie and held his own against legends like Bird and Johnson.
It’s easy to sit back now and act like Nike made the right call. Asking for $250,000 fixed every single year on top of a percentage of sales? That’s straight-up insulting, especially considering Jordan was a nobody at that point. Honestly, the sheer audacity of those vultures—demanding a Mercedes on top of everything else tells you everything you need to know about them. You think that’s normal? It isn't. In any real business environment, that kind of greed is unheard of.
Are you seriously comparing college hoops to the NBA? Give me a break... just kill me now.