Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is one of the most polarizing films in recent memory. After waiting years to see both heroes on the silver screen, and following months of hype and footage, the reception for the actual film was less than ideal. While certain aspects of the movie were praised, especially Ben Affleck’s performance as Batman, reviews were mixed to bad for Dawn of Justice as a whole. Although news of poor reviews succeeded in creating one of the most hilarious viral videos of recent memory (seriously you need to watch Ben Affleck’s face change when he learns the news), it appears to not have affected everyone the same way.
Jesse Eisenberg, who played a deliciously unstable Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman, isn’t one to read reviews. In fact, he isn’t one to even watch his own movies, as he recently told the folks at MTV news that he has yet to even see Dawn of Justice. Maybe he just doesn’t have almost 3 hours to spend watching himself slowly unravel into pure lunacy.
Mr. Luthor’s lack of viewership for Batman v Superman doesn't necessarily speak poorly to the superhero romp. In fact, Jesse Eisenberg clarifies that he doesn’t enjoy watching himself in movies, and therefore avoids the process altogether. In the same interview with MTV, Eisenberg reveals that the last movie of his that he saw was Zombieland. Furthermore, he goes onto say that he only saw Zombieland because costar Woody Harrelson physically forced him into the theater. What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall of that screening.
Regarding Batman v Superman’s less than stellar critical response, Jesse Eisenberg doesn’t seem to be concerned. In fact, he goes on to praise almost all of the major players of the film. The actors and performers are top notch (which I would agree with, excluding Henry Cavill’s strange performance as Superman), Zack Snyder is hailed a visual champion, and even the writers are complemented by Eisenberg. I guess ignorance is bliss, as there were a few big holes in the movie as a whole, some of which could possibly be blamed on the above mentioned professionals. You can check out Eisenberg’s interview statement below.
Regardless of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’s flaws, there were some truly outstanding moments in the film. Personally, I felt like Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor represented one of the high points of the movie. Eisenberg gave a performance unlike any previous incarnation of Lex, and was completely captivating anytime he was on screen. While comic purists may argue that Eisenberg lacked the body type that Lex typically has, he delivered a nuanced performance which peeled back Lex’s layers as the runtime went on.
What did you think of Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor? Was he better off not seeing the film, or should he be more eager to see the performance he gave in the film? Sound off in the comments below.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is currently in theaters.
