Ben Affleck, Justin Timberlake’s ‘Runner Runner’, What Critics Are Saying

Ben Affleck has been in the news. A lot. For all the wrong reasons. Now his and Justin Timberlake’s new crime drama is…well, less than impressive according to critics.

The Brad Furman film opens in theaters on Friday and so far it has not made any waves. Let’s start with the dismal Tomatometer, from the movies rating website Rotten Tomatoes.

Runner Runner gets a 9 percent approval from reviewers which pales in comparison to some earlier, less than stellar, showings this year.

Johny Depp’s The Lone Ranger received a 31 percent, while R.I.P.D. did even worse with 14 percent favorable reviews. Only 36 percent of audience members want to see Runner.

Here is the summary the website slams the film with, “It has an impressive cast and an intriguing premise, but Runner Runner wastes them on a bland, haphazardly assembled thriller with very little payoff.”

Many of the critics are suggesting that viewers skip the Ben Affleck film altogether in favor of the much talked about Gravity, with mega stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, which has received the complete opposite reviews.

This has to be a disappointment for Ben Affleck and somewhat of a vindication for all those who were outraged when Warner Bros. announced that he had been cast as the successor of Christian Bale’s Batman.

Affleck also comes from winning an Oscar as director for Argo, about the manhunt for Osama Bin Laden, but it appears many think Affleck’s acting skills are retreating back to what they were back in the late ’90s, early 2000s.

Some examples of the less than positive reviews come from Kyle Smith of The New York Post who says, “He’s back! Behold, the second coming of.?.?. Badfleck.”

Mick LaSalle from the San Francisco Chronicle states, “Runner Runner” is less than mediocre, but it’s not repellent, which means that to watch it is to root for it – and to be disappointed.”

Brent Lang from The Wrap, ends his piece by saying, “At this point in the round-ups we usually try to find a few positive reviews, but, well, they don’t really exist. So in summation, wait for it on basic cable — or do yourself a favor and go see Gravity instead.”

The box office results will determine if all the critics are right in slamming Ben Affleck’s new film Runner Runner.Tell us if you are planning on seeing the movie.