Roger Ebert is the most famous movie critic of all time. Back in the day, a movie would live or die based on what Mr. Ebert said.
What made him such a good critic wasn’t his beautiful writing, hilarious way with words, or brutal honesty - it was that he always followed his own opinion. He was never afraid to go against the consensus on a movie. No, Ebert hated some beloved movies, and he loved some loathed ones. His total unpredictability is what made him so fascinating.
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
This Russ Meyer-directed film released in 1970 was supposed to be a direct sequel to the 1967’s Valley of the Dolls. Instead, it turned into a psychedelic satire of the concept filled with sex, drugs, nudity, and pop music. It was so raw it was given an X rating.
Yet, Roger Ebert loved the movie. Well, we hope so, because he co-wrote it with Meyer. He took five weeks off from his role at The Chicago Sun-Times to develop the screenplay. While he was pleased with it, his cohort Gene Siskel lambasted the film.
The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle
The 2000 release of this live-action/animated movie that featured moose and squirrel had an all-star cast. It included Jason Alexander, Renee Russo, Robert De Niro, and Keenan & Kel. It even featured the original voice of Rocky the Squirrel, June Foray. Yet, the movie couldn’t pull a rabbit out of the hat when it came to reviews.
Except for Roger Ebert. Perhaps he gave the movie three stars due to fond memories of the original TV show. As he wrote in 2000, “As much fun as the wit is the film’s overall sense of well-being; this is a happy movie and not the desperate sort of scratching for laughs we got in a cartoon retread like The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas.”
Cars 2
Pixar tends to hit home runs with its sequels. It did so with the second and third installments of Toy Story and Incredibles 2. However, the 2011 release of Cars 2 didn’t get ’er done. The movie, which was a, pardon the pun, vehicle for Mater instead of Lightning McQueen, has the worst reviews of any Pixar film on Rotten Tomatoes.
However, Ebert saw something different in the film. At three-and-a-half stars, the critic said, “Anyway, Cars 2 is fun. Whether that’s because John Lasseter is in touch with his inner child or mine, I cannot say.”
Land of the Lost
Fans of the original show by Sid and Marty Krofft had set high standards for this 2009 movie. They hoped star Will Ferrell would do justice to the program’s original concept. Alas, it didn’t. Not only does it have a 26% rating on Rotten Tomatoes but it was criticized by the studio that released it. Even the Kroffts slammed it during a San Diego Comic-Con appearance.
Ebert saved the day with his three-star review. He even admitted he was a lone wolf among movie critics. “Amid widespread disdain, I raise my voice in a bleat of lonely, if moderate, admiration,” he wrote. Part of his fondness is due to the movie itself. Another, revealed in his review of Bewitched, is he didn’t know much about TV shows. So, he saw everything with fresh eyes.
Daredevil
Ben Affleck hasn’t had much luck playing superheroes. He was derided for his portrayal of Batman in two DCEU movies. However, he should have realized this ahead of time, since he was panned for his role as Matt Murdoch in the 2003 theatrical version of Daredevil.
Ebert did not pan Affleck or the movie. In fact, he said, “The movie is actually pretty good. Affleck and Garner probe for the believable corners of their characters, do not overact, are given semi-particular dialogue, and are in a very good-looking movie.”
Anaconda
Anaconda is often seen as a “so bad it’s good” movie. It was hated by critics upon release, and it sits at 40% on Rotten Tomatoes and 37 on Metacritic. However, Ebert awarded it a resounding three and a half stars out of four. Ebert stated that “a movie like ‘Anaconda’ can easily be dumb and goofy,” which is exactly how his fellow critics described it. However, Ebert seemed to genuinely enjoy most aspects of the movie, including the “convincing” visual effects, the acting, and the production design. He called it “a slick, scary, funny Creature Feature, beautifully photographed and splendidly acted in high adventure style.”
Congo
What’s that? You’ve never heard of Congo? Exactly. The movie was eviscerated by critics (22% on Rotten Tomatoes, 22 on Metacritic) and was nominated for seven Razzie awards, including Worst Screenplay, Worst Director, and Worst Picture. But our man Ebert gave it three stars. We’re starting to think he has a soft spot for corny adventure movies. He called it a “splendid example” of the “jungle adventure story,” although he is quick to acknowledge its corniness. It’s not “very good, exactly, but it’s entertaining and funny.” Fair enough.
Garfield: The Movie
No one likes Garfield. This was proven in Zombieland when Bill Murray called it his only regret. But Ebert’s over here giving it an awe-inspiring three stars. He praised the writing and character work, saying the movie “captures the elusive charm of the most egotistical character on the funny pages, and drops him into a story that allows him to bask in his character flaws.”
He also praises the “inspired” voice casting of Bill Murray…who mistakenly took the role thinking it was written by Fargo and The Big Lebowski’s Joel Coen. It was written by Joel Cohen.
Ghosts Of Mars
Ghosts of Mars is widely regarded as John Carpenter’s worst efforts. It was widely lambasted for its campy tone and poor acting, and it currently sits at 21% on Rotten Tomatoes (4.9 on IMDb). Yet Ebert gave it three stars, which is rather surprising, considering his Resident Evil review is one of his harshest and most famous. He praised the “well-staged action sequences” and “atmospheric” production design while also acknowledging its status as a campy B-movie - “‘Ghosts of Mars’ delivers on its chosen level and I enjoyed it.” Ebert loved to criticize movies for what they were, and he loved Ghosts of Mars for what it was. Campy, goofy, and fun.
The Happening
The Happening is one of the most infamous horror movies of our time, often widely degraded for its incoherent storyline and silly writing (like Mark Wahlberg pleading to a plant). Still, Ebert awarded the movie three stars. Surprisingly, he seemed to genuinely enjoy it, praising Shyamalan’s use of landscape, the realistic pacing and tone, and the performances of Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel. He correctly assumes the reaction of the movie (“I suspect I’ll be in the minority in praising this film. It will be described as empty, uneventful, meandering”), but he doesn’t care. He enjoyed it, and that’s all that matters.
Speed 2: Cruise Control
Speed 2 is often regarded as one of the worst sequels of all time, sitting at an unbelievable 4% on Rotten Tomatoes and 3.9/10 on IMDb. But over on rogerebert.com, it’s sitting at three stars. As he often does in these types of reviews, Ebert acknowledges the movie’s poor quality from the outset via a hilarious list of its unbelievable and goofy traits. Regardless, he enjoys it for what it is. He praises the realistic special effects and seems to love its campy qualities. He ends the review with a perfect summation, “Movies like this embrace goofiness with an almost sensual pleasure. And so, on a warm summer evening, do I.”
Law Abiding Citizen
Despite a killer cast consisting of Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx, the revenge thriller Law Abiding Citizen was certifiably roasted by critics. It sits at just 26% on Rotten Tomatoes and 34 on Metacritic, with many critics calling it too absurd to be taken seriously. And Ebert acknowledges that, saying that Butler’s methods are “preposterous” and “fly in the face of common sense.” However, he still recognizes that the movie “generate[s] considerable suspense and a sense of dread,” and he’s not alone - the user rating on IMDb sits at a rather high 7.4/10.
Hitman
It’s no secret that video game adaptations are often quite terrible, and Hitman is no different. Criticized for its nonsensical plot and horrid writing, Hitman currently sits at 15% on Rotten Tomatoes and 35 on Metacritic. Ebert admits that Hitman is a “better movie than [he] thought it might be,” praising the relationship between 47 and Nika and the intriguing Russian politics on display.
He even calls it “on the threshold between video games and art!” For your information, Ebert was very adamant about video games not being a legitimate art form, so this is high praise, indeed!
Home Alone 3
It’s a widely known fact that Home Alone 3 is bad. Like, really bad. So bad, in fact, that many people ignore its very existence. However, Ebert seemed to be a big fan, scoring it a resounding three stars. Not only did he like it, he thought it was better than the first two! In his own words, “To my astonishment, I liked the third ‘Home Alone’ movie better than the first two; I’m even going so far as to recommend it.” For those interested, he gave the first Home Alone 2.5 out of 4 stars and Home Alone 2 2/4. We love Ebert, but some of his opinions could be truly baffling.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
When it was released, no one really liked The Phantom Menace. It was widely regarded as a massive disappointment, and it received some resoundingly negative reviews as a result. However, Ebert stood proud and firm in his convictions. He loved The Phantom Menace and he didn’t care what anyone else had to say. Scoring it 3.5/4, he called it “an astonishing achievement in imaginative filmmaking” and scored it just half a point lower than the original trilogy (all three received 4/4). He admitted that the characters were a little weak, but aside from that, he loved everything about it.
