Uh oh, rant incoming...
I believe the vitriol stems from confirmation bias and the fact that people can't separate the art from the artist. I can understand that to a degree. For example I can honestly say if U2 were to release an album that was meant to be fantastic I wouldn't engage with it simply because I strongly dislike U2 and "don't get the hype". Is it childish, yes, but I can't envision myself ever enjoying U2's work simply because of who created it so it is very easy to just default to being dismissive. Sadly we live in a world were people actively "hate watch" things only to tear them down. I'd simply skip something that I knew wasn't for me but some people can't help themselves.
Synder has created some fantastic films. Unfortunately he has a very distinctive style and is very much a visual oriented film maker. He has created some iconic movies in cinema and I'd go as far as saying his style is just as valid as Wes Anderson who is all about the visual panache and whimsy. I like both film makers. I like both of their styles. I love knowing what sort of film I'm walking into. Sadly, not everyone gets Synder's style. It is seen as shallow or edgy due to the genres he chooses to works within and the way he chooses to tell his stories. I personally love that he makes movie for himself and damn those who don't like them. That self indulgent cinema really makes me happy. I enjoy art when I know the artist enjoyed creating it.
So now consider Rebel Moon?
Not only is it a Synder film (divisive already by virtue of its director) it was also repeatedly called "his Star Wars" which was just a lazy (and largely inaccurate) portrayal of a pretty fantastic space opera. That immediately set it against a very polarised fan base. It also had a female lead (shock horror, how can this be, it's the great emasculation of our generation) and so the misogynistic masses had reason to be angry at it as did the anti woke reviewer's who see diversity as the death of cinema. AND THEN it's announced the release will be followed by a superior directors cut so it was lambasted for not being the finished product. It truly was a perfect storm.
I loved it. It was fun and inventive and I'm excited for more.