U2's Bono and The Edge seemed to have initially bungled their Broadway debut with "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" only to have it become a box-office success.
The 'indie thing' of which Roth speaks was typified by Tarantino, who - first with Reservoir Dogs in 1992, and then with Pulp Fiction two years later - blazed a trail for distinctive new voices that managed to combine critical acclaim with box-office success.
Whether critics lash out or lavish praise on the movie, they will expect to see film fans propel it to box office success as the latest in a billion-dollar franchise.