The Essentials: The Best of Ben Affleck
I don’t waste my time writing about non-action movies. Sure, I watch non-action movies from time to time. I’ve seen about every Daniel Day-Lewis movie ever made and can tell you far too much about the show Gilmore Girls, but you’ll almost NEVER read an article from me about a movie not featuring at least one killer action scene.
It’s with these rules in place that I decided to give you a short list of my favorite Ben Affleck movies. Initially, I thought the list would only be two or three movies long but then I realized that there were more decent movies in his filmography than I had originally thought. Let’s check out a few!
Phantoms (1998)
A Dean Koontz novel that is way better than the movie. Big Surprise! Phantoms is no different than about a dozen other film versions of his books but this one is better than you probably remember. Affleck is still likeable in this movie and it has good performances by Rose McGowan and Live Schreiber that bring out the creepiness of the story. If you haven’t seen it in some time then I encourage you to revisit this small town in Colorado with a massive death problem.
Armageddon (1998)
It’s hard not to enjoy Armageddon. It’s a movie that is so stupid that it’s clear the actors had to have been in on it from some point during the shoot. The film can’t be taken seriously at all but it’s a fantastic watch if you get a chance to watch it with the Ben Affleck commentary track on. Not only does he understand how stupid it is, he audibly laughs at some of the scenes. It’s great!
Reindeer Games (2000)
One of the best Christmas action movies ever made! Well, it’s at least in the top ten. Ben gets dragged along into robbery scheme because Charlize Theron gets him all pussy whipped and then greasy Gary Sinise forces him to comply. Bonus points for having Danny Trejo pop up.
Daredevil (2003)
Is this a good Daredevil movie? Nope. But the director’s cut is so much better than the theatrical cut that it hurts. Ben does his best not to look too stupid or stiff in the leather suit but there wasn’t much that could save this movie from the dismal reviews that it got. The recent Netflix series makes this movie look even worse in hindsight but you have to love the casting of Michael Clarke Duncan as Kingpin!
Smokin’ Aces (2006)
I actually forgot that Ben Affleck was in this. It’s one of those movies that is really fun to watch because of all the characters that run around like savages in it. It reminds me a little of The Boondock Saints which is a movie that I re-visit every couple of years with pure joy.
The Town (2010)
This is probably the best movie on this list. Affleck is really good as both an actor and as the director in it. It proved that Ben could get super jacked and Jeremy Renner has a breakout role in it. It’s one of the better heist movies of the past ten years.
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
This movie could have been so much better. The DCU is still trying to figure out what to do with those characters who have been around for like 85 years. I liked Ben as the older Bats and Henry Cavill is good as Superman as long as they stop writing him as an uncharismatic douche. The action scenes, though, are freaking great. Batman kicking the shit out of those henchmen in the “Martha” scene is amazing!
Justice League (2017)
Okay…this is basically a continuation of the last one. Ben gets a little more to work with as he gets to show off his Bruce Wayne a bit more. The movie is helped by having Flash, Aquaman, and especially Wonder Woman involved. They totally botched the Death and Return of Superman gimmick but the movie was still pretty sweet for a lifelong DC fan like myself.
