Make no mistake about it, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice isn’t just a big movie, it’s an important movie. Warner Bros., DC Comics, Zack Snyder, and everybody else involved have a lot riding on this film’s success. So when the majority of reviews were...not good, it certainly had an impact. While most have tried to brush off the bad notices, Ben Affleck hasn’t said a thing. He doesn’t have to. His face says it all.
Yesterday we talked about the different reactions that the cast had to the bad reviews, but we focused on those who said something. YouTube’s Sabconth, instead focuses on the look on Ben Affleck’s face when he’s told the reviews are "mixed." As the video points out, "mixed" is a generous response. The Rotten Tomato rating currently sits at 30%. Affleck lets Henry Cavill handle the response to the interviewer, and instead he just sits there. He’s no longer making eye contact with the interviewer or looking at Cavill while he speaks. He’s just staring off into space. The look on his face speaks volumes. I’m starting to feel bad on his behalf for all the bad reviews.
And the worst part is, if there’s one person that shouldn’t be feeling personally responsible for the response, it might be Ben Affleck. While nothing in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is being universally praised, Affleck’s portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman is generally being regarded as one of the film’s high points, even among reviewers that pan the film overall. Of all the different versions of the caped crusader that we’ve seen over the years, this one is truly unique. He has understandable motivations and goals that drive him. He’s certainly the darkest dark knight we’ve ever seen on screen. We’re not sure this self flagellation is deserved. Still, he’s obviously taking this all very seriously. It’s possible he’s remembering what he said about the pressure for the film to do well.
The sad part is, this is true. Daredevil’s Rotten Tomato rating sits at 44%.
If you’ve already seen Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice head over to our spoiler review section and let us know what you thought. Whether or not you liked the movie overall, should Ben Affleck be shouldering the responsibility? Does anybody else want to go in with me and send the poor guy a fruit basket or something?
