Samuel L. Jackson is sick of all these mother-effing critics trashing his mother-effing movie.
Jackson, who plays S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury in the upcoming superhero epic "The Avengers," virtually eviscerated New York Times critic A. O. Scott on Twitter on Thursday, after Scott wrote a less-than-glowing review of "The Avengers."
Also read: "The Avengers" Review: A Satisfying Super-Hero Sandwich
In his Twit-fit, Jackson suggested that Scott should find a new profession, writing, "#Avengers fans, NY Times critic AO Scott needs a new job! Let's help him find one! One he can ACTUALLY do!"
While Scott didn't outright pan the film in his review, which was published Thursday, he did throw a few jabs at the men-in-tights extravaganza, calling it "a snappy little dialogue comedy dressed up as something else, that something else being a giant A.T.M. for Marvel and its new studio overlords, the Walt Disney Company."
Oh, and he added that the film suffers from a "grinding, hectic emptiness" and "bloated cynicism."
Also read: "The Avengers" Rules the World – and Soon the U.S. Box Office
Jackson's reaction, as seems to happen so often in the Twitterverse, prompted a reaction of its own. Movie website The Film Nest tweeted, "Disappointed to hear @SamuelLJackson respond irrationally to negative review of #Avengers. People aren't entitled to their own opinion?"
Naturally, the actor couldn't let that stand, and fired back, "That is My Opinion! @TheFilmNest & what's irrational about it? They aren't going to fire his jaundiced ass & You & I Know It!"
Jackson's attack on Scott sparked a flood of support for the scribe from his journalistic colleagues, who circled the wagons in his defense.
"@AOScott His call for you to lose your job only supports your point about 'glowering authoritarianism' in pop culture," New Yorker music critic Alex Ross wrote, referencing a line from the review. "Well said!"
New York magazine TV columnist Matthew Seitz chimed in, "The latent fascism of fanboy culture manifests itself through Samuel L. Jackson. "A few negative reviews in hundreds? Get 'em, boys!"
Meanwhile, Mike Ryan, senior writer for HuffPo Entertainment, cracked, "I'm just going to guess that Jackson has never read your positive 'Revenge of the Sith' review."
In a bit of interesting timing, Jackson was the subject of a lengthy, glowing profile in NYT Magazine over the weekend. During the profile, Jackson sought to distance himself from other celebrities who've become too pampered to endure everyday experiences.
“I walk the streets, take the train, it’s real simple," Jackson professed. "Some actors create their own mythology — 'Oh, I’m so famous I can’t go places, because I created this mythology that I’m so famous I can’t go places.' ”
Enduring the opinions of film critics, apparently, is another matter.
Maybe Jackson should just sic The Hulk on Scott?
"The Avengers" opens on Friday. Be careful what you say about it, if you think Samuel L. Jackson might be in the vicinity.