Justice League Reviews: 12 Early Reactions You Need To See
10. Ben Affleck Isn't Great
After being one of the biggest redeeming factors of Batman v Superman, Ben Affleck doesn't come off particularly well in the reviews of Justice League so far. The Guardian calls him "unrelaxed and ill-at-ease in the role of Batman/Bruce, unconvincing in both the bat armour and the three-piece suit of the wealthy plutocrat."
“It feels a bit late for this film to have cottoned on to a daringly heretical Batman joke that people have been making for years. Really, Affleck spreads a pall of dullness over the film. He doesn’t have the implacable, steely ferocity and conviction that Christian Bale had; he seems to have a faint sheen of sweat, as if the Batcave thermostat is up too high, and his attempts at droll humour and older-generation wisdom make his Batman look stately and marginal. Maybe we should get George Clooney back for the role."
Variety says he "treads a careful middle ground" but that it's "just understated enough to get by," which is pretty faint praise, and there's a lot harsher out there. The Telegraph's assessment is pretty restrained for once:
"Batman and his alter ego Bruce Wayne are once again played by Ben Affleck, but his earnest, striving, Just For Men-box version of the character here is all but unrecognisable from the machine-gun-toting hungover gargoyle in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice."
EW says he's "turned into a bit of a drag" and that "There’s a smugness in his performance that only appeared around the edges in Dawn of Justice. Now it’s the whole show."
And Polygon's review goes even further:
"Batman is boring. That’s never been more clear than in Justice League, when Batman is surrounded by far more interesting characters... Affleck’s performance is barely passible. This wouldn’t be a problem if Justice League acted as an ensemble piece, much like The Avengers did, but it can’t escape Batman’s guilt and desperation long enough to explore what’s happening with other group members."
Only Forbes' Mark Hughes really praises him (in a wildly contrasting review to everyone else's:
"Ben Affleck's Batman is still a dark and moody guy, but he's trying to overcome his past cynicism toward other heroes and has reached a deep introspective conclusion about the life he's led."