'Air' review: Director Ben Affleck shoots and scores with his biographical sports drama

Today, there are 37 different variations of Air Jordan models available. From the basketball court to the streets to the catwalks, Air Jordans have become a staple of our culture. Director Ben Affleck's "Air" invites the public to Nike headquarters to experience the history of the popular shoe that was designed just for the most legendary athlete of all time, Michael Jordan.

Set in 1984, Affleck stars as Nike founder Phil Knight. An ambitious, rebellious and passionate leader who likes to live by and reiterate Douglas McArthur's famous quote "you are remembered for the rules you break", Knight thrived on taking risks. During this time, Nike was not as successful as its competitors Adidas and Converse. Their NBA division was struggling to recruit an athlete to sponsor their gear. The Nike basketball guru tasked with changing this crisis was Sonny Vaccaro (played by Matt Damon). As Nike's board began to question the appropriateness of his position at Nike, Vaccaro sought to sign Chicago Bulls rookie Michael Jordan to literally change the game for Nike and market a brand as a whole. .

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To sign Jordan, Vaccaro must go through Michael's arrogant agent, David Falk (hilariously played by Chris Messina). The competitive banter between Vaccaro and Falk features some of the film's best comedic scenes and will have audiences rolling thanks to writer Alex Convery's clever script. While Falk is primarily concerned with financial gain, Vaccaro's approach to their corporate competition is to bypass Jordan's agent and approach his parents face-to-face, a bold approach seen as unprofessional by his colleagues. En route to North Carolina, Vaccaro meets with James R. Jordan Sr. (Julius Tennon) and Deloris Jordan (Viola Davis) in an effort to win them over.

As the Nike team prepares for the big launch of the Jordan family, the public is introduced to the other key players. Jason Bateman plays Rob Strasser, vice president of marketing, and Chris Tucker plays Howard White, the man who eventually became vice president of the Jordan brand for Nike. Bateman brings a cautious yet supportive approach to Strasser as Tucker's vibrant, electric energy pierces through and captivates the Jordans as White. Each actor's performance in "Air" is phenomenal on their own, and they work as a team to create one of the most engaging business successes in on-screen history.

Affleck's directing style is on point, with several aerial and close-up shots that allow the actors to really shine. It also includes old footage from famous commercials, music videos, and sports games to set the stage for the era that audiences are about to revisit or enter for the first time. Interludes of quotes from Nike's 10 Principles also help viewers understand the ethos of the company's dedicated employees, many of whom are fans and former athletes or runners themselves. For example, "our business is change", "we are on offense, all the time", and "if we do the right things we will make money almost automatically", are shown throughout the film. Several references to the company's history are mentioned throughout the film's one-hour, 52-minute runtime and could potentially have been taken from Phil Knight's inspirational memoir "Shoe Dog."