Of course, people that make movies are going to use superlatives when talking about their production – this is not unexpected. Whether a film’s low budget independent fare, or a giant tentpole upon which a major studio is hanging its entire year, these celluloid products are a labour of love for those that have spent time putting them together. So, as we buckle up for a tidal wave of Justice League promotion, ahead of its November 17th release date, we’re fully prepared to hear all about how we should definitely buy tickets to this already highly anticipated flick. But, having said that, when Ben Affleck says this thing “feels massive,” it’s time to sit up and take notice.
His widely reported comments come from an interview with Empire Magazine.
“The movie’s bigger in scale than any movie I’ve been involved with in my career. It feels massive in terms of the visual elements. That’s something that Zack is really good at. That will be admired.”
There are two important elements to take away from Affleck’s thoughts here. Firstly, he asserts that the scale of every other film he’s ever been involved with – in a 36 year career – pales in comparison to Justice League. Let that sink in, while we consider the scale of some previous Ben Affleck projects. Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, To The Wonder, Argo, Suicide Squad, and of course, Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice – however you feel about any of those movies in terms of preference, they’re undeniably vast in scale.
Then, there’s the Zack Snyder element. Affleck says it “feels massive in terms of the visual elements,” and that this is where Snyder excels. Anyone that’s ever seen Superman learning to fly in Man Of Steel would surely agree with the actor here, but let’s consider, specifically, the way in which Snyder presented Batman in Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice in visual terms.
There was the creepy first sighting, with the Bat hiding in the dark corner of a ceiling. There was the framing of Batman’s warehouse brawl, as he took down a host of bad guys single-handedly by throwing them around a room. There was the sight of him waiting silently, high above a dock, ready to fire a tracking device into a truck. There was an almost perfect celluloid rendering of an iconic comic book image of Batman clinging to the side of a building.
Now, a string of striking images and visuals does not necessarily make a good movie, but when we take a step back and consider the big picture, it certainly does feel massive. We’ve seen the love and passion with which Zack Snyder has handled Superman and Batman – and, briefly, Wonder Woman – in his films before. Now he has those heroes, plus three more to play with. Teasers and trailers released so far give a clear indication that the director’s approached The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg with the same level of devotion as the he has the DC Trinity – so, yes, we can absolutely believe Ben Affleck when he says that Justice League will “be admired.”
