Kurt Johnstad’s perspective on critics makes sense when looking at his filmography. He wrote another Zack Snyder movie, “300,” which fared better on Rotten Tomatoes with a score of 61% from professional reviewers. That movie was a big hit, taking in over $450 million at the global box office. Even his lesser-known works have overcome frosty receptions, like “Act of Valor,” which has a 28% on the Tomatometer but took in $82 million worldwide against a budget of only $12 million. As such, he’s correct in that audiences may seek out a movie even if critics don’t necessarily like it.
Elsewhere in the interview, he talks about how “Rebel Moon” being an original property gives it value, “Zack is trying to do something very different here that really hasn’t been done in a long time. This isn’t an IP. This is an original story. It’s being created by hundreds, if not thousands of technicians. That’s a really bold thing.” Snyder is probably one of the few filmmakers who can get an original story of this scale off the ground. If audiences want more original science fiction, it may be worth checking out “Rebel Moon” regardless of preconceived notions.
Johnstad concluded by making his case for why “Rebel Moon” is worth watching: “It’s a magnificent looking film. But I think that at the core of it, it’s got emotion. There’s an emotional engine and a currency that runs through the film that I think works.” While the movie didn’t work for most professional critics, their tunes could change for the director’s cut or the sequel that fleshes out the characters more.
