Take into account “The Accountant 2.”

Forget “Thunderbolts,” “Captain America: Brave New World” and other not so marvelous films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) in “The Accountant 2” is the new superhero.

The movie’s unassuming title, “The Accountant 2,” belies the explosive power, the entertainment value and the sheer cinematic force that is “The Accountant 2,” the sleeper action movie hit of the 2025 spring season.

Ben Affleck reprises his role as the mnemonic fiduciary undercover force who can crunch foes as quickly as he crunches numbers. He’s the John Wick of CPAs (Certified Public Accountants).

“The Accountant 2” has a ripped-from-the-headlines story set amidst drug cartels, human trafficking, government intelligence operations and a Cain and Abel story.

If Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) is Abel, and this is by no means certain, then Braxton Wolff (Jon Bernthal), Christian’s brother, is Cain. Each has raised, and can raise Cain.

Into the maelstrom of tracking down an El Salvador immigrant family that has disappeared, is thrown Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), Deputy Director of the United States Department of the Treasury FinCEN.

FinCEN is deep-state jargon for The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury that collects and analyzes information about financial transactions in an attempt to thwart domestic and international money laundering, terrorist financing and financial crimes.

See what you can learn at the movies?

Adding to the drama and action is Anais (Daniella Pineda), a hit man, or, shall we say, hit woman. Assisting Christian Wolff is Justine (Allison Robertson), who heads up a kind of 21st Century Hudson Street Orphanage (ala “Annie,” 1982) of youths with exceptional cyber-sleuthing abilities.

There’s also Raymond King (J.K. Simmons), Director of the Treasury Department’s FinCEN; Burke (Robert Morgan), who runs a crime group; Cobb (Grant Harvey), a hired assassin, and Batu (Andrew Howard), a crime organization kingpin.

“The Accountant 2” brings back most of the original cast as well as the director and screenwriter of “The Accountant” (2016).

“The Accountant 2” is a heady mix: the grittier side of Los Angeles ala the Dennis Hopper (May 17, 1936 - May 29, 2010) - directed police procedural crime drama, “Colors” (1988); the U.S.-Mexico no-man’s land of borderlands of the Denis Villeneuve-directed “Sicario” (2015) and its sequel “Sicario: Day of the Soldado” (2018), and with touches of Raymond Babbitt (Dustin Hoffman) and Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise) in the Barry Levinson-directed “Rain Man” (1988).

That Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) is on the autism spectrum, the movie leaves no doubt. His brother Braxton (Jon Bernthal) is also on the spectrum, albeit more of a spectrum of violence.

The scenes between Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal are out-loud hilarious, no more so than when they sit atop Affleck’s Airstream recreational vehicle trailer (that’s where he lives), as they ruefully recount their upbringing, or more accurately, down-bringing, and their fractious brotherly love, which is more like brotherly hate.

The movie has several such set pieces: one of the opening scenes is a senior-citizen bingo game center, there’s a country music line-dance gin mill, a pizza pie factory, a sleek Berlin, Germany, hotel, a brutal gang-run Juarez, Mexico, prison camp, and a speed-dating seminar at a hotel (which, intended or not references Affleck’s own female relationship and marriage algorithms).

Affleck (Oscar recipient, motion picture, “Argo,” 2013; Oscar recipient, screenplay, “Good Will Hunting,” 1998; with 84 acting and 30 producer credits on IMDb) is terrific as Christian Wolff, with passive, almost emotionless, face with jut-jaw chin (oh, that dimple), thin lips and speech as if he’s on speed-dial. Affleck is dialed-in in one of his best movie actor performances ever.

Bernthal (Primetime Emmy, guest actor, “The Bear,” 2024) projects a compelling screen presence that is at once likeable and fearsome.

Casting Affleck and Bernthal as brothers is nothing short of brilliant.

Director Gavin O’Connor (Primetime Emmy nomination, “Mare of Easttown,” 2021; director, “The Way Back,” 2020), who directed “The Accountant” (2016), has a great sense of pacing, scene setting, dialogue emphasis and character development.

The screenplay is by Bill Dubuque (Three-time Primetime Emmy nominee, “Ozark,” 2022, 2020, 2019), who wrote the screenplay for “The Accountant.” He has a great sense for nuance, authentic-sounding dialogue and story detail that may make you want to, or require you, to see the film more than once.

The cinematography by Seamus McGarvey (Oscar nominee, cinematography, “Anna Karenina”; “Atonement,” 2008) is bristling with energy, angles and tone.

The soundtrack is by composer Bryce Dessner (composer, “The Revenant,” 2015) of the band, The National.

Don’t write off “The Accountant 2.” if you are a fan of Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, the original “The Accountant” and action-thrillers, don’t miss it.

“The Accountant 2,” MPAA Rated R (Restricted: Under 17 require an accompanying parent or adult guardian) for strong violence, and language throughout; Genre: Action, Crime, Drama; Run Time: 2 hours, 5 minutes. Distributed by Amazon MGM Studios.

Credit Reader Anonymous: “The Accountant 2” was filmed March to June 2024 in Los Angeles, Santa Clarita, San Gabriel and San Pedro, Calif.

At the Movies: “The Accountant 2” was seen in the standard format at Movie Tavern, Trexlertown.

Domestic Weekend Box Office, May 23-26: “Lilo & Stitch” opened at No. 1 for the four-day Memorial Day weekend with $182.6 million in 4,410 theaters. “Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning” opened at No. 2 with $79 million in 3,857 theaters.

3. “Final Destination: Bloodlines,” $24.1 million in 3,523 theaters, $94.2 million, two weeks. 4. “Thunderbolts,” $12.2 million in 3,180 theaters, $174.4 million, four weeks. 5. “Sinners,” $10.9 million in 2,632 theaters, $258.7 million, six weeks. 6. “The Last Rodeo,” $6.9 million in 2,205 theaters, opening. 7. “Friendship,” $5.6 million in 1,055 theaters, $8.2 million, three weeks. 8. “A Minecraft Movie,” $2.9 million in 2,087 theaters, $421.5 million, eight weeks. 9. “The Accountant 2,” $2.6 million in 2,0o2 theaters, $63.6 million, five weeks. 10. “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” $845.251 in 1,508 theaters, $4.9 million, two weeks.

Movie box office information from Box Office Mojo as of May 18 is subject to change.

Unreel, May 23:

“Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning,” PG-13: Christopher McQuarrie directs Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Henry Czerny, Nick Offerman, Janet McTeer and Angela Bassett in the Action, Thriller. Ethan Hunt is back and doing more amazing stunts and derring-do than ever.

“Lilo & Stitch,” PG: Dean Fleischer Camp directs Billy Magnussen, Hannah Waddingham, Tia Carrere, Zach Galifianakis, Courney B. Vance, Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha (Lilo) and Chris Sanders (voice, Stitch) in the Science Fiction Adventure Comedy. It’s the Disney live-action remake of the animation hit.

“Friendship,” R: Andrew DeYoung directs Tim Robinson, Paul Rudd and Kate Mara in the Comedy. A suburban man becomes infatuated with his neighbor.

“The Last Rodeo,” PG: Jon Avnet directs Neal McDonough, Mykelti Williamson and Sarah Jones in the Drama. A rodeo star comes out of retirement to enter a bull-riding competition.

Movie opening information from Internet Movie Database as of May 18 is subject to change.

Three Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes