Quentin Tarantino’s Brutal Take on a Movie He Called an Awful Atrocity

Quentin Tarantino has been open about his strong opinions on films, and one of his most well-known criticisms is aimed at the 1980 musical Popeye. According to interviews and public comments attributed to the director, he has long been a critic of Robert Altman’s version of the classic comic character created by E.C. Segar.

Tarantino is often described by film media and critics as a filmmaker who speaks his mind without holding back. In this case, his issue is not just with Robert Altman’s directing style in general, but specifically with how Popeye was handled as an adaptation.

He has said that the movie went against what he believes was the core of the original character. In his view, the story built expectations around a big final showdown and a faithful version of Popeye’s well-known traits, but the film did not deliver that in the way audiences expected.

Tarantino referred to the film as an “awful atrocity,” saying it missed the point of the character. One of his main complaints is that the film removes or weakens Popeye’s dependence on spinach, which is a defining feature in the original comics and cartoons.

In the movie, Robin Williams plays Popeye as someone who does not even like spinach, which Tarantino has strongly criticized. He has argued that audiences were waiting for the classic moment where Popeye eats spinach and becomes strong enough to defeat Bluto, but that payoff was not handled in the traditional way.

As he put it, “He wants to cynically piss on them,” referring to Altman’s approach to the material. He also suggested that ignoring the character’s key trait felt like a deliberate choice rather than an accident, saying it was done “just to be a fu**r.”*

The film was produced by Disney and Paramount and released in 1980. Over time, it developed a mixed reputation. While many viewers were confused or disappointed at first, it later gained a small cult following. Some of its large set pieces were even preserved in Malta as a tourist attraction.

Despite that, Tarantino’s criticism has continued to stand out in discussions about the film. He believes it is an example of how adapting well-known material can go wrong when filmmakers choose to move too far away from what made the original popular.

Robert Altman, the director of Popeye, has often been discussed as an influential but unconventional filmmaker in Hollywood. However, Tarantino has repeatedly placed Popeye among his least favorite works associated with him.

At the same time, Tarantino himself has remained active in the industry in a different way. According to recent entertainment reports, he has stepped back from directing for his next project and instead has written a new film titled The Adventures of Cliff Booth.

The script continues the story of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and is being directed by David Fincher, with Brad Pitt returning to his role. The project has already completed filming and is expected to be released in August in theaters and on Netflix, marking a new phase in Tarantino’s career as he shifts from directing to writing and producing.

Even with his future work moving forward, his strong opinion on Popeye continues to be one of his most quoted film criticisms, showing how certain adaptations can still spark debate decades later.

Have something to add? Share your thoughts in the comments.