Users of the popular online forum platform Reddit have come to Malta’s defence after Ridley Scott gave an unflattering review of the country as a tourist destination.  

During an event earlier this month, the Gladiator 2 director told an audience that while Malta had an impressive architectural heritage, he would not recommend going there on holiday. 

This clip was then shared by Malta Film Commissioner Johann Grech on Facebook, but with the negative comment edited out. 

A Reddit user shared the Times of Malta article that highlighted Scott's comments and Grech’s editing job to the r/Entertainment subreddit – a niche community within the platform that focuses mainly on film, TV and music news. 

The post had over 5,400 upvotes as of Saturday afternoon and was one of the week's most popular posts within the subreddit. 

The consensus among the commenters was that Scott was being overly harsh on Malta, with one user calling the director ‘a grumpy old sod’, with another noting that “he has always been that way.”

"I’ve been to Malta twice and would happily go again. What the heck is Ridley Scott talking about?!" read the top-rated comment on the post.

“That’s so weird. Malta is a beautiful (albeit very dry) island. The natural wonders are incredible and the history is astounding. It’s small so I wouldn’t spend weeks there but we added it to our Sicily trip where we were spending weeks and I’m glad we did,” one user said. 

“My wife and I went to Malta for 2 weeks I wanted to move there afterwards. It’s awesome!” wrote another. 

“Maybe the wealthy film director in his 80s isn't who people should be looking to for holiday advice?” quipped another user. 

Several Redditors also countered Scott’s remarks by sharing negative reviews of Gladiator 2, with the film being described as ‘lazy’, ‘ridiculous’, 'utter garbage' and ‘as historically accurate as Game of Thrones’, which coincidentally was also partly shot in Malta. 

Back in the Maltese corner of the internet, reactions to Scott’s comment on social media were predictably prickly. 

In a rousing Facebook post, former Opposition leader Adrian Delia advised Scott not to come to Malta again, in a comment endorsed by Labour exponent Jason Micallef. 

Shadow Culture Minister Julie Zahra said the film commissioner should "step down immediately” after having been “humiliated” by the director.