There’s a very high chance that if you like reading about movies, you’ve heard of the lateRoger Ebert. The Illinois-born reporter worked for the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his passing in 2013, and from early on in his career as a writer, he became famous worldwide for always having something to say about movies. No matter how big or small they were, Ebert always made sure to argue the heck out of his controversial takes with a simple opinion and admirable prose that made him a friendly connoisseur of movies. In 1975, he became the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize.
But like all critics, Ebert was sometimes too harsh when it came to audience favorites. Sure, he liked genre films, but there were times when Ebert’s remarks about highly celebrated films weren’t as friendly as everyone expected. It’s not like his views hurt the film in any way, but it was strange how he could influence a viewer’s opinion.
As the following list proves, sometimes Ebert didn’t agree with audiences and other critics, but also with the passage of time, which can sometimes redeem films. Ebertmade others change their minds; he also did it himself when he shifted his opinion on films likeThe Godfather Part II,Full Metal Jacket,andBlade Runner, but in the case of the following, he never revised his opinion. These are the highly-celebrated films that beloved film critic Roger Ebert didn’t exactly love.
The following list may contain minor spoilers.
20Gladiator (2000)
Roger’s Rating - 2/4
Ridley Scott’s historical drama,Gladiator, tells the story of Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius as he goes through a horrific ordeal when his leader and mentor Marcus Aurelius dies, and his son seizes the throne. Commodus, Aurelis' murderous and betraying son, kills his own father and takes the power. When Maximus even flinches at rebelling, Commodus kills his family and banishes him. Maximus swears revenge and eventually arrives as a gladiator who will stop at nothing until killing the violent and unjust new emperor.
While the film garnered critical acclaim and actually won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2001, Ebert wasn’t exactly a fan of the film. Inhis review of the film, Ebert claimed the film suffered from its art direction and was heavily overshadowed by its gloomy cinematography and murky special effects. To quote him, “Gladiatorlacks joy. It employs depression as a substitute for personality, and believes that if the characters are bitter and morose enough, we won’t notice how dull they are.” It’s only curious to imagine what Ebert would have thought at the mere idea ofthis one getting a sequel.You can streamGladiatoron Paramount+.
Watch the trailer forGladiatorhere.
19The Usual Suspects (1995)
The Usual Suspects
Roger’s Rating: 1.5/4
The Usual Suspectstells the story of U.S. Customs Agent Dave Kujan, as he interrogates one of two survivors of a horrible massacre. The other one lies terribly burned in a hospital bed. Roger “Verbal” Kint is questioned by Kujan in regard to the events that led up to the fire that ended up with a handful of victims, and the escape of a crime lord called Keyser Söze. Through a flashback narrative, Kint sheds light on the mystery behind a botched heist that started with a random encounter in a police lineup. The film’s mostly known for having one of thegreatest twist endingsof all time.
The film won two Oscars. One for Best Original Screenplay (Christopher McQuarrie) and one for Best Supporting Actor (Kevin Spacey). But Roger wasn’t a fan. In fact, this is one of the cases in which he openly discussed his lack of interest in the film early on, and wasn’t exactly willing to revisit it. He indicated the plot was confusing, and that it wasn’t even compelling to begin with.
His review includes the following words: “The first time I sawThe Usual Suspectswas at the Sundance Film Festival, and when I began to lose track of the plot, I thought it was maybe because I’d seen too many movies that day. Some of the other members of the audience liked it, and so when I went to see it again, I came armed with a notepad and a determination not to let crucial plot points slip by me. Once again, my comprehension began to slip, and finally I wrote down: ‘To the degree that I do understand, I don’t care.'“You can streamThe Usual Suspectson Tubi.
Watch the trailer forThe Usual Suspectshere.
18A Clockwork Orange (1971)
A Clockwork Orange
Roger’s Rating: 2/4
Stanley Kubrick’s epic crime film,A Clockwork Orange, takes audiences to a futuristic version of Britain. Laws seem to be only a suggestion in this dystopia of crime and violence. Alex and his friends have formed a gang of “droogs,” who indulge in a bizarre use of dialect and wreak havoc everywhere. However, Alex gets caught and is sentenced to prison. That’s when his journey truly begins, as he’s subjected to strange experiments that aim to change his behavior and neutralize his violent outbursts.
This time, Roger seems to have been in line with most critics from back in the day, asthe very controversialA Clockwork Orangewas panned by critics and divided audiences due to its extreme violence. However, the Academy nominated it for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Director. Ebert’s take on the film was almost too loud, as he expanded on the nasty character that is Alex and Kubrick’s apparent celebration of everything he represented.
Per his review, “What in the hell is Kubrick up to here? Does he really want us to identify with the antisocial tilt of Alex’s psychopathic little life? In a world where society is criminal, of course, a good man must live outside the law. But that isn’t what Kubrick is saying. He actually seems to be implying something simpler and more frightening: that in a world where society is criminal, the citizen might as well be a criminal, too.” He also accused the film of being too boring and talky, but at the same time, he celebrated the film’s cinematography.you may streamA Clockwork Orangeon Max.
Watch the trailer forA Clockwork Orangehere.
17Labyrinth (1986)
In Jim Henson’sLabyrinth, teenager Sarah can’t stand her new stepbrother. Toby’s just a baby, and she’s tired of babysitting him and his constant crying. She wishes goblins would take him, following the story from the book she’s reading. The problem is that her wish comes true. Toby is kidnapped by Goblin King Jareth, and Sarah decides to step up and rescue the baby in a fantasy world filled with strange creatures and David Bowie’s capacity for rocking and rolling in a very bizarre setting.
Over the years, Labyrinth became an audience favorite cult film. TV broadcasts and home video turned it into the fantasy icon that it is today. Only critics weren’t so kind with the film. Though it boasts a 77% score on Rotten Tomatoes, it has its detractors, Roger Ebert among them. He said it was too long, it lacked personality, and it only worked as a showcase for the artistry of Henson’s Creature Shop.
In his review, he stated the following: “Without a strong plot line to pull us through, all movies like this run the danger of becoming just a series of incidents. There’s no structure to the order of the adventures. Sarah does this, she does that, she’s almost killed here, almost trapped there, until at last nothing much matters. Great energy and creativity went into the construction, production and direction of this movie, but it doesn’t have a story that does justice to the production.“You can rentLabyrinthon Prime Video.
Watch the trailer forLabyrinthhere.
Related:10 Star-Studded Movies That Critics Hated
16Jumanji (1995)
Based on Chris Van Allsburg’s children’s book of the same name,Jumanjiis a fantasy-adventure film that tells the story of Judy and Peter Shepherd, a pair of siblings who move into a new mansion with their aunt after losing their parents. The kids discover a board game named Jumanji in the attic and immediately start playing with it. When creatures literally start emerging from the board, so does a man called Alan. As it turns out, Alan was just a child when he was trapped inside the game, but now that he’s free, he’s forced to help the kids restore peace when a kingdom of animals is let loose in the suburbs of Brantford.
An outstanding box-office success,Jumanjiwas a special effects spectacle that featured a storyline that was friendly enough to appeal to the whole family. Robin Williams was also a great addition as the lead protagonist. But unfortunately, critics didn’t exactly love it. Roger Ebert gave it a very poor rating because he actually thought it wasunnecessarily violent and frighteningand had inconsistent character development.
Roger said, “There is little attempt to construct a coherent story. Instead, the characters face one threat after another, as new and grotesque dangers jump at them. It’s like those video games where you achieve one level after another by killing and not getting killed. The ultimate level for young viewers will be being able to sit all the way through the movie.“You can streamJumanjion Hulu.
Watch the trailer forJumanjihere.
15Beetlejuice (1988)
Beetlejuice
Tim Burton’sBeetlejuicetells the bizarre story of Adam and Barbara, a couple living on the outskirts of a small town in America, when they suddenly perish in a car accident. Now their ghosts are trapped in their beautiful home, which has been sold to obnoxious city people. Adam and Barbara are desperate to drive them out, and in order to do this, they seek the help of Betelgeuse, a “bio-exorcist” with a bad record, a bad rap, and impressive powers who has an agenda of his own.
The fantasy/horror/comedy was an extremely successful film upon release, both with critics and audiences, and it actually won an Academy Award for Best Makeup. It’s one of the strange cases of an ’80s film whosesequel is arriving almost 40 years later. However, Roger wasn’t as enamored with Burton’s fantasy and Michael Keaton’s Beetlejuice: “One of the problems is Keaton, as the exorcist. Nearly unrecognizable behind pounds of makeup, he prances around playing Beetlejuice as a mischievous and vindictive prankster. But his scenes don’t seem to fit with the other action, and his appearances are mostly a nuisance. It’s also a shame that Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis, as the ghosts, have to spend most of their time playing tricks on Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O’Hara and winning the sympathy of their daughter.“You can rentBeetlejuiceon Vudu.
Watch the trailer forBeetlejuicehere.
14The Mist (2007)
Frank Darabont’s adaptation of Stephen King’s novella,The Mist, takes audiences to Bridgton, Maine, where a horrible thunderstorm is threatening the peaceful town to the point of a few residents having to lock themselves down. However, it’s not in their homes. While buying groceries, they must secure the grocery store against a looming mist that has formed outside, which brings Lovecraftian monsters with it. The problem is that the flesh-eating creatures aren’t their only problem.
Hailed as one of thebest Stephen King adaptationsever put on screen,The Mistappeals mostly to King fans and horror genre fiends. But in retrospect, its dramatic layer is very engaging and does a good job at connecting with audiences who are able to see beyond the creature feature aspect of the film.
But Ebert was not as friendly with the film. Inhis review of the film, he mentions “cardboard characters and “bug-eyed monsters doing a conga line,” which will give you a sense of his general dislike of the film: “a competently made Horrible Things Pouncing on People Movie. If you think Frank Darabont has equaled the ‘Shawshank’ and ‘Green Mile’ track record, you will be sadly mistaken.” Curiously, he doesn’t mention the film’s ending.you’re able to rentThe Miston Prime Video.
Watch the trailer forThe Misthere.
13Blue Velvet (1986)
Blue Velvet
Written and directed by David Lynch, Blue Velvet is a 1986 Thriller and Mystery film. Starring Kyle MacLachlan and Isabella Rossellini, the film follows a young man that becomes embroiled in a crime.
Roger’s Rating: 1/4
InBlue Velvet, Jeffrey Beaumont falls in love with the wrong girl. The young and naive college student is forced to come home because of his father’s heart attack, and after finding a severed ear and reporting it to the police, he enters a dark and gritty underbelly of deprivation. The only light at the end of the tunnel seems to be a lounge singer named Dorothy Vallens, whom he falls for quickly, but who’s actually connected to a strange criminal by the name of Frank Booth.
A crime film by David Lynch? People weren’t quite in tune with the film when it was released. But strangely,it earned Lynch an Oscar nomination for Best Director. Yet Roger Ebert passed on the film’s uniqueness and a further revision. He was always vocal about this one: “I was absorbed and convinced by the relationship between Rossellini and MacLachlan, and annoyed because the director kept placing himself between me and the material. After five or 10 minutes in which the screen reality was overwhelming, I didn’t need the director prancing on with a top hat and cane, whistling that it was all in fun.“you may streamBlue Velveton The Roku Channel.
Watch the trailer forBlue Velvethere.
12Batman (1989)
1989’sBatmanis the first big-scale Hollywood adaptation of a superhero. The film tells the origin story of Bruce Wayne wearing the batsuit in order to fight crime in an already rotten version of Gotham City, where the sociopath known as the Joker is taking over the town with his playful use of dangerous substances and increasing violence. Batman must take care of business, but he falls for a journalist called Vicky Vale at the same time and shows that he also has a vulnerable side.
The film blew up the box office the year of its release, and everyone praised Burton’s capacity for bringing the comic book to the screen without shedding away his authenticity as a filmmaker. Michael Keaton’s performances as Batman andJack Nicholson’s groundbreaking Joker performancewere also key to the film’s success.
But if you believe Roger had a certain kind of consideration for Burton’s early films, you aren’t exactly wrong.Batmandidn’t have an impact on the critic: “But did I care about the relationship between these two caricatures? Did either one have the depth of even a comic book character? Not really. And there was something off-putting about the anger beneath the movie’s violence. This is a hostile, mean-spirited movie about ugly, evil people, and it doesn’t generate the liberating euphoria of the Superman or Indiana Jones pictures. It’s classified PG-13, but it’s not for kids.” Well, he was right about that.you’re able to streamBatmanon Max.
Watch the trailer forBatmanhere.
Related:These 10 Horror Movies Divided Critics and Audiences
11Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Edward Scissorhands
The fantasy film from 1990,Edward Scissorhands, is a beautiful fairy tale set in modern times. Well, sort of. It tells the story of the Boggs family as they incorporate Edward into the family. Edward is a young fella who lives in the Gothic and eerie mansion overlooking the town and who has scissors for hands. Peg is certain he could do better with a family, and when he meets Kim, the teenage Boggs, he falls in love. But prejudice and Edward’s bizarre looks will prove more important in this Gothic romance story.
Nominated for a Best Makeup Academy Award,Edward Scissorhandswas the movie that consolidated Tim Burton’s role in the industry as a storyteller with a knack for making the weird seem beautiful, romantic, and attractive. It starred Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder and shot them into the spotlight, and many claim it’sBurton’s best film to date.
So, why wasn’t Roger among those who loved the movie? Apparently, it has to do with Burton’s characterization skills: “All of the central characters in a Burton film—Pee-wee, the demon Betelgeuse, Batman, the Joker, or Edward Scissorhands—exist in personality vacuums; they’re self-contained oddities with no connection to the real world. It’s saying something about a director’s work when the most well-rounded and socialized hero in any of his films is Pee-wee Herman.” The film features Vincent Price in his final role in a feature film.You can streamEdward Scissorhandson Max.
