Ben Affleck shines in ‘The Accountant,’ the latest ‘Taken’ rip-off

Even Liam Neeson is ripping off Liam Neeson (A Walk Among the Tombstones), so it’s no surprise that Ben Affleck takes his turn in The Accountant as the bad guy who is a really a guy, taking down bad guys with some sort of formula twist.

Christian Wolff (Affleck) is a small-town CPA with a form of high-functioning autism, helping the little guy find loopholes in their taxes, but also launders funds for dangerous drug cartels, gangsters, and other criminal organizations.

While he is a mystery to the Treasury Department, and Director Raymond King (J.K. Simmons) brings in analyst Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) to hunt him down before King retires. Wolff is embroiled in a case of missing money from a high-profile robotics firm run by John Lithgow’s Lamar Black. Joined by the company’s peculiar accountant Dana Cummings (Anna Kendrick), Wolff is quickly sucked into a mystery putting his and Dana’s life in danger.

The formula is quite widespread in Hollywood and The Accountant only shines when it centers on Affleck, his disturbing back story and his life as a high-functioning sociopath.

There is of course a band of mercenaries led by Braxton (Jon Bernthal) and modest acting scenes for Kendrick. A scene with Wolff exuding joy of unraveling the problem is the best part of the film and makes accounting sound intriguing for at least a minute or two.

Affleck pulls off detached yet interesting. He’s killing machine, but not for profit, rather out of necessity. The film isn’t as light as a Jack Reacher film, but it’s never bloated or too heavy-handed. It’s a worthy addition to the genre and a fun film for a couple of hours.

The Accountant receives 3 1/2 out of 5 stars