The history of the game-changing partnership between a then undiscovered Michael Jordan and Nike's fledgling basketball division which revolutionized the world of sports and culture with the... Read allThe history of the game-changing partnership between a then undiscovered Michael Jordan and Nike's fledgling basketball division which revolutionized the world of sports and culture with the Air Jordan brand.The history of the game-changing partnership between a then undiscovered Michael Jordan and Nike's fledgling basketball division which revolutionized the world of sports and culture with the Air Jordan brand.
- Awards
- 5 wins & 48 nominations total
- Michael Jordan
- (as Damian Young)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Summary
Featured reviews
So, I am absolutely NOT a sports fan and I don't wear Air Jordan shoes. HOWEVER, it was fun to see that Peter Moore, the original creator of the shoe, did, indeed, make them a work of art from the very beginning - once he was given free reign. That made me the happiest!! I DO love looking at Air Jordan's and they are absolutely BEAUTIFUL!
This movie about sports and sport clothes was brilliantly done due to the fact that everyone in it felt free to be very natural.
Some reviewers don't like that we never see Michael Jordan's face. I did like it. He is FAR too well-known to be played by an actor. AND this movie really wan't about him, per se. It was very much about his mother and what she did not only for him, but for everyone in sports.
This is a movie for everyone. ENJOY!!
It's most comparable to Argo in that it takes an interesting story from history, and gives it a classic Hollywood level of polish that makes things a bit snappier, more entertaining, and a little funnier, too. Here, it's all about Nike trying to partner with a young Michael Jordan in the mid-80s. I know nothing about basketball, but have always known Jordan and Nike go together. So the film's only likely to be suspenseful for those who've been living under particularly large rocks for a particularly long time, but it's not so much the what that's interesting, but the how.
The cast all give very strong performances, and between this and The Last Duel, I have to say that I think Affleck's even better in supporting roles than lead ones. It moves well and kept me interested for nearly two hours, even though the story on paper wasn't one I thought I'd find interesting. That's the sign of a good movie, sometimes.
However, Air's not quite a slam dunk. The writing takes some jarring shortcuts here and there, and keeping this under two hours also made for some occasionally weird edits. And the soundtrack may have laid it on a little thick at times (but hearing two Violent Femmes tracks was cool, and not only is Bruce Springsteen discussed in dialogue, but he's also in the soundtrack, which is always a win in my book).
Affleck and Damon haven't had a big win in a while, but they made a good movie together here and I hope it does well. It's worth seeking out for the clean, efficient, and all-around solid entertainment it provides.
Of course most people know Michael Jordan and how he arguably is the best basketball player of all time and potentially best athlete of all time. But I bet a fair few people don't know the behind the doors story of how the most popular sneaker came into creation. This is where Air comes in.
Right from the very start, the movie brings you along for the journey, engaging at every possible moment instead of just telling it to your face. The script was really well written to achieve this.
The acting was too notch, particularly from Damon and Davis. At times you forget they are portraying real people.
It was surprisingly funny at times and whilst you know the end of the story, the movie still gets you routing for everything to work out.
For me, this is the first Oscar worthy film of the year (primarily for acting and screenplay) but credit should also be given to Afflecks direction. Just like Argo, he's got another directorial hit and his hands.
This film started off as a made for streaming movie, small(ish) in scale and with a decent but not spectacular budget. However the casting of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck (both in front of and behind the camera) really brought it up to another level. Whilst the final result still feels like a glorified TV movie, Damon is excellent as usual and for once Affleck doesn't seem to be punching above his weight as an actor. This is actually a very well made and acted film, although the slight story may not be to everyone's taste.
Viola Davis and Julius Tannon also turn in a good performances as Michael Jordan's devoted parents. There are also solid turns from Chris Tucker (looking a few pounds heavier than the last time I saw him in anything worthwhile) and Jason Bateman amongst others.
It's an interesting subject matter and I enjoyed the soundtrack too (many 80s songs of my youth) although it does have a lot of swearing so may not be appropriate for all. Ben Affleck is a very capable director and this is another good movie from him. If you enjoyed more recent biopic films like 'The Founder' and 'Steve Jobs' then you should enjoy this.
Big Cars, Big Dreams With the 'Air' Cast
Big Cars, Big Dreams With the 'Air' Cast
Did you know
- TriviaThough Michael Jordan was not directly involved in the film, Ben Affleck consulted him numerous times to get details on how to accurately portray the story. Jordan's only three requests were that Viola Davis play his mother, and that Howard White and George Raveling be included in the film.
- GoofsThe "Just Do It" slogan didn't come out until 1987. It was created in 1987 by Wieden + Kennedy to accompany Nike's first major television campaign, which included commercials for running, walking, cross-training, basketball and women's fitness.
- Quotes
Sonny Vaccaro: [to Michael Jordan] Forget about the shoes, forget about the money. You're going to make enough money, it's not going to matter. Money can buy you almost anything, it can't buy you immortality. That, you have to earn. I'm going to look you in the eyes and I'm gonna tell you the future. You were cut from your high school basketball team. You willed your way to the NBA. You're gonna win championships. It's an American story, and that's why Americans are gonna love it. People are going to build you up, and God are they going to, because when you're great and new, we love you. Man, we'll build you up into something that doesn't even exist. You're going to change the fucking world. But you know what? Once they've built you as high as they possibly can, they're gonna tear you back down - it's the most predictable pattern. We build you into something that doesn't exist, and that means you have to try to be that thing all day, every day. That's how it works. And we do it again, and again, and again. And I'm going to tell you the truth. You're going to be attacked, betrayed, exposed and humiliated. And you'd survive that. A lot of people can climb that mountain. It's the way down that breaks them, 'cause that's the moment when you are truly alone. And what would you do then? Can you summon the will to fight on, through all the pain, and rise again? Who are you Michael? That will be the defining question of your life. And I think you already know the answer, and that's why we're all here. A shoe is just a shoe until somebody steps into it. Then it has meaning. The rest of us just want a chance to touch that greatness. We need you in these shoes not so you have meaning in your life, but so that we have meaning in ours. Everyone at this table will be forgotten as soon as our time here is up - except for you. You're gonna be remembered forever, because some things are eternal. You're Michael Jordan, and your story is gonna make us want to fly.
- Crazy creditsThe end credits are immediately preceded by captions explaining the outcome of much of the actions in the film. They are also accompanied by scenes of Michael Jordan in various activities, including his 2009 Basketball Hall of Fame induction and Medal of Freedom award from President Obama.
- ConnectionsFeatured in CBS News Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley: Episode #45.26 (2023)
- SoundtracksMoney for Nothing
Written by Mark Knopfler and Sting (as Gordon Matthew Sumner)
Performed by Dire Straits
Courtesy of Warner Records
By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing
- How long is Air?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Air. La historia detrás del logo
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $90,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $52,460,106
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $14,456,279
- Apr 9, 2023
- Gross worldwide
- $90,060,106
- Runtime1 hour 51 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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