Roger Ebert was one of the most important film critics of all time, but he sometimes gave poor reviews to excellent movies. Ebert served as the film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times for nearly 50 years, but it was his stint hosting At the Movies that made him a household name. He revolutionized film criticism by making it accessible.
Like all critics, Ebert wasn’t always perfect, and his opinions on some films went against the grain. He often heaped praise on universally reviled movies, while pooh-poohing films that were generally well-reviewed. He especially had it out for certain genres, and rarely gave horror films anything above a two-star rating. This bias sometimes tainted his reviews.
While there are dozens of great films that Ebert gave middling ratings (such as two stars), there is also a shocking number of classics that he awarded zero or one stars. Whether he expressed disgust and outrage or just simply didn’t understand the filmmaker’s vision, Roger Ebert was never afraid to make his feelings known about films he didn’t like.
Kick-ᴀss (2010)
Roger Ebert often approached reviews from a position of moral outrage, and never was that more clear than his 2010 takedown of Kick-ᴀss. The raunchy comic book movie used dark humor to subvert common tropes, and was one of the first films to take aim at burgeoning franchises like the MCU. Ebert gave the movie a measly one star.
In his review, Ebert called the film “morally reprehensible“ and didn’t find the black humor funny. He understood the satire, but was unable to look past the use of graphic violence as a means of parody. Taste is one thing, but Ebert’s mocking review made it clear that he looked down on the film and everyone who endorsed it too.
Tommy Boy (1995)
Comedy is arguably the most subjective genre in film, and Roger Ebert’s tastes often diverged from what the mᴀsses loved. Tommy Boy is a 1995 Chris Farley vehicle that gives the late comic icon a hilarious platform for his usual juvenile humor. Most critics didn’t like the movie at the time, and Ebert gave it a one star review.
Tommy Boy is one of those movies that audiences love, but critics despise, and Ebert’s comments about the film could be cut and pasted into any review about a goofy comedy. He claims that “No one is funny in ‘Tommy Boy’” which is all a matter of opinion. Overall, Ebert didn’t understand the burgeoning popularity of slacker comedy.
The Hitcher (1986)
Horror gets unfair criticism as it is, but Roger Ebert’s lifelong hatred of all things spooky certainly taints his reviews. The 1980s cult classic, The Hitcher, is a tense thriller with horror elements, and sees veteran character actor Rutger Hauer play one of his best characters. Despite all that, Ebert awarded the movie no stars.
The Hitcher was remade in 2007, but Roger Ebert did not review it.
Ebert called the movie “diseased and corrupt”, something he would often do in his horror movie reviews. It’s one thing not to like a film, but the critic would often ascribe deeper faults to the filmmakers themselves. The Hitcher isn’t a perfect movie, but it is much better than Ebert’s zero star review suggests.
Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
Roger Ebert’s rating scale was always somewhat limiting, and his review of Tora! Tora! Tora! illustrated that fact. The meticulously-crafted war flick dramatizes the attack on Pearl Harbor, and is a film specifically designed to be as accurate as possible. Many critics found it dull, including Ebert who gave it one star.
Many of Ebert’s criticisms of the movie are actually pretty fair, but one star was far too harsh, all things considered. Tora! Tora! Tora! was a must-watch for history buffs, but Ebert wanted more Hollywood spectacle. However, those ideas are mutually exclusive, since the film’s realism would have been compromised by editorializing for entertainment.
Hellraiser (1987)
In one of his least shocking bad reviews, Roger Ebert had nothing but bad things to say about Clive Barker’s Hellraiser. Melding Barker’s signature themes of pleasure and pain, Hellraiser is a tense and thrilling horror film that also has some pretty effective practical effects. Feeling a bit generous, Ebert bestowed half a star upon the film.
Even if Ebert was off base about his criticism, his reviews usually explained why he hated a movie. That wasn’t the case for Hellraiser, and he posed questions like “Who goes to see movies like this?” He offered little by way of actual critique, and mostly complained about how gross it was while having nothing but snark for horror audiences.
Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas (1998)
Earning a Rotten Tomatoes score of 51%, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was one of those movies that truly divided critics. It adapts the eponymous book by author Hunter S. Thompson, which is itself a biographical story of his drug-fueled reporting in the тιтular town. Ebert wasn’t split on the movie, he hated it.
The Terry Gilliam film only got one star out of Roger Ebert, who spent most of his review talking about the backstory before going on and on about how repeтιтive the movie was. The film’s stream-of-consciousness approach didn’t appeal to him, and he spent a considerable amount of time moralizing about drugs and substance abuse.
Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)
Despite being a brilliant critic, Roger Ebert often struggled with burgeoning trends and films that reflected shifting atтιтudes that he didn’t understand. Fast Times at Ridgemont High is one of the first truly ’80s movies, and used the Sєx comedy format to explore Gen X issues. To Ebert, it was a one star piece of “dreck“.
In his odd review, Ebert simultaneously calls the film Sєxist, while spending a lot of time talking about Jennifer Jason Leigh’s looks. All his greatest hits are on full display, including a haughty moralistic tone about Sєx and drugs, and a patent misunderstanding of what the movie represents. History has proven Ebert ᴅᴇᴀᴅ wrong about the ’80s teen comedy gem.
Pink Flamingos (1972)
John Waters’ devilishly disgusting opus, Pink Flamingos, was specifically designed to make people like Roger Ebert lose their lunch. Starring the late Divine, the film concerns the filthiest woman in the world who must protect her тιтle from villainous newcomers. Ebert thought it was so bad that he refused to even rate the film.
Nothing Ebert says in his review is incorrect per se, and he mostly just recounts what happens in the movie with shock. Pink Flamingos‘ place in history is cemented regardless of what Roger Ebert thinks about it, and it isn’t surprising that the critic couldn’t acknowledge the movie’s groundbreaking status.
The Devils (1971)
The Devils was one of Roger Ebert’s most puzzling zero star reviews because he didn’t actually have that much to say about it. Loosely based on the real-life story of unorthodox 17th century priest, Father Grandier, and his eventual ousting on witchcraft charges. Naturally, the lurid content didn’t align with Ebert’s tastes.
While dragging the excessive use of Sєx and violence, Ebert understood how Ken Russell’s film was meant as an analogy for modern times. It’s one of the critic’s most level negative reviews, and it’s a rare time that it comes down to a matter of opinion. Ebert went against the grain, but not for a lack of understanding.
Blue Velvet (1986)
Roger Ebert’s review of Blue Velvet might have been the most controversial of his career. The film is a surreal dive into small town America, and is complete with David Lynch’s signature dreamy touches. Ebert diverged from his fellow critics by giving it one star, but he had a lot more to say about the film and its filmmaker.
Though Isabella Rossellini would say otherwise (via Variety), Ebert made insinuations that Lynch abused the actress in certain scenes. Roger Ebert would also lament what he saw as a lack of depth in the film, but his derision for Blue Velvet was far too personal. It was an unpopular review at the time, and remains so all these years later.
Roger Ebert
- Birthdate
-
June 18, 1942
- Birthplace
-
Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Notable Projects
-
Life Itself, At the Movies
- Professions
-
Film Critic, Screenwriter, Journalist, Author
- Height
-
5 feet 8 inches
