Ron Perlman slams ‘self-important’ film critics who hated ‘Don’t Look Up’

Over the years, I’ve heard stories about Ron Perlman. Good stories, stories about how he’s a lovable curmudgeon who doesn’t suffer fools, someone beloved by costars and critics and the crew. He’s a classically trained actor who is best known for being one of the most in-demand character actors in Hollywood. In recent months, he’s appeared in Nightmare Alley, The Tragedy of Macbeth AND Don’t Look Up. In Don’t Look Up, he played a grizzled, over-the-hill military man tasked with being “the face” of the “let’s blow up the comet” plan. Apparently, Ron heard about all of the bad reviews for Don’t Look Up, and he’s here to tell everyone to f–k off.

Ron Perlman has strong words for the critics of his latest film Don’t Look Up. The 71-year-old played military officer Benedict Drask, who is chosen by the US government to be sent into space on a mission to stop a comet from colliding with earth – before the mission is aborted when it’s discovered that the comet might be worth trillions of dollars.

Don’t Look Up received mixed reviews from critics and viewers, and currently has a 55 per cent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Speaking to The Independent, Perlman opened up about his feelings towards the film’s detractors.

“F*** you and your self-importance and this self-perpetuating need to say everything bad about something just so that you can get some attention for something that you had no idea about creating,” said the actor.

Perlman – best known for his role in the Hellboy franchise – continued: “It’s corrupt. And it’s sick. And it’s twisted.”

He said, however, that he “understands that it’s part of how the internet has almost killed journalism. And now journalism is trying to do everything they can to co-opt and maintain their importance.”

[From The Independent]

Okay, here’s the thing: Don’t Look Up wasn’t great. It had some good parts here and there, and I think there were some good lines and a few good performances. Mostly it didn’t know if it wanted to be a straight spoof, nor did Adam McKay know whether he was making fun of social media, politicians, journalists, billionaires, celebrities or all of the above. McKay needed a script doctor to cut out some of the B-plots, and the President Orlean character could have been a much smarter satirical character, but alas, McKay thinks Democrats and Republicans are the same. That’s my criticism of the film, and I’m saying that as someone who watched it and felt meh about it. Why did this dumb movie (with a bloated script) inspire such strong feelings for or against? Does Rob Perlman really believe that people don’t have the right to… like, have opinions about art?

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.