Nov 22, 2024 · Far less effective is the way Chu, working from a script by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, wedges in the movie’s heavier themes of authoritarianism. Yes, they are baked into the story: We know from watching 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz” countless times that the wizard is a con artist who rules by fear. ... Sep 23, 2024 · Read Movie and TV reviews from Roger Ebert on Rotten Tomatoes, where critics reviews are aggregated to tally a Certified Fresh, Fresh or Rotten Tomatometer score. ... Apr 4, 2013 · Roger Ebert called Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, "a great visionary leap, unsurpassed in its vision of man and the universe. It was a statement that came at a time which now looks ... ... Aug 31, 2024 · Iconic, top-rated, foundational...all descriptors that apply to 2001: A Space Odyssey.A transformative film, Ebert's four-star rating praised and understood the ingenious multi-level craftsmanship ... ... Great movies list by one of the best critics we ever had the pleasure to have. Rest in peace Sir Ebert. "Every great film should seem new every time you see it." * Roger Ebert The list is in alphabetical order. ... May 29, 2020 · 12 of Roger Ebert's best movie reviews. Nobody has ever been as good at loving (or hating) a movie. By Joshua Sargent, Senior News Editor May 29, 2020. Nobody appreciated movies like Rober Ebert. ... Before he passed away in 2013, he tactfully amassed a list of over 350 4-star/thumbs-up films that he called Great Movies. You can see all of Ebert’s Great Movies here. To celebrate his life and the films he championed (seriously, they’re all amazing), we’re listing them all in alphabetical order for everyone to discover. ... Jul 4, 2014 · Ebert disliked North so much, one of the collections of his most negative reviews, I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie, gets its name from his 1994 take: “I hated this movie. Hated hated hated ... ... ">

Wicked (Universal Pictures) Film Review Musical

The razzle-dazzle that’s Jon M. Chu ’s bread and butter is on glorious display in “Wicked,” the big-screen version of the beloved Broadway musical.  

When it’s all about the spectacle of big, splashy production numbers, this prequel to “The Wizard of Oz” is thrilling, whether we’re in Munchkinland, the Emerald City or the campus of Shiz University, where a young Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch of the North first cross paths. As we’ve seen from the director’s previous films including “Crazy Rich Asians” and “In the Heights,” Chu is uniquely adept at presenting an enormous song-and-dance extravaganza without getting lost in it. His sense of pacing and perspective draw us in and center us within the swirling fantasy. 

It helps greatly that he has deeply talented stars in Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande : magnetic multi-hyphenates who can meet every physical and emotional challenge of these iconic characters. Following in the footsteps of Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth would seem like a daunting task, but Erivo and Grande bring their own vocal power and dramatic interpretation to the roles of Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. You truly feel the friendship between these opposites, particularly in one beautiful, wordless dance sequence where they forge their unlikely bond, which is moving in its understatement. That’s the foundation of this story, so it’s crucial that we know their connection is true for its destruction to be meaningful. 

Far less effective is the way Chu, working from a script by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, wedges in the movie’s heavier themes of authoritarianism. Yes, they are baked into the story: We know from watching 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz” countless times that the wizard is a con artist who rules by fear. His deception is literally one of smoke and mirrors. That’s all in the source material of the “Wicked” stage production, as well, for which Holzman wrote the book and Stephen Schwartz wrote the music and lyrics. Here, in film form, the tone swings awkwardly between upbeat wonder and dark oppression. This is a world in which minorities are hunted, placed in cages and prevented from speaking, where a charismatic leader (a playfully evil Jeff Goldblum ) persecutes a woman of color. It is not subtle, and it feels all-too relevant to our times, despite originating decades ago. It also drags down the energy of this epic tale. 

And yet, overstuffed as the film is at 2 hours and 40 minutes, this is only part one: “Wicked” ends where the intermission occurs in the stage show, with part two coming in November 2025. It’s a lot to ask of an audience. Still, people who love this story and these characters will be delighted, and there’s much here for people who aren’t familiar with the musical but are looking for a cinematic escape around the holidays. 

“Wicked” begins with Grande’s Glinda descending majestically into Munchkinland to inform her enthusiastic fans that the rumors are true: The witch really is dead. Then it flashes back to how she and the green-hued Elphaba (the Wicked Witch’s first name) became unlikely allies in college. Elphaba has always been bullied and ostracized because of the color of her skin; Glinda—or Galinda, as she’s known at this point—is a pretty, pampered mean girl who’s always gotten her way. (Bowen Yang is a hoot as one of her loyal sycophants.) 

But once they’re forced to room together, they eventually realize, to their surprise, that they genuinely see each other in a way no one ever has before. Galinda’s makeover anthem “Popular”—one of the most popular songs from the show—is among the film’s highlights, and a great example of the technical prowess “Wicked” offers. The costume design from Paul Tazewell (“West Side Story”) and production design from longtime Christopher Nolan collaborator Nathan Crowley are exquisite throughout but especially here. Alice Brooks’ cinematography is consistently wondrous, but her use of hot pink lighting as Galinda’s at the height of her power is really evocative.  

Chu’s usual choreographer, Christopher Scott, delivers again with vibrant, inspired moves, particularly in the elaborate “Dancing Through Life,” which takes place in the school’s rotating, multilevel library. “Bridgerton” star Jonathan Bailey gets a chance to show off his musical theater background here, and he’s terrifically charming as the glib Prince Fiyero, the object of both Elphaba and Galinda’s romantic interests. Michelle Yeoh brings elegance and just a hint of danger to her role as Madame Morrible, the university’s sorcery professor. And Peter Dinklage lends gravitas as the resonant voice of Dr. Dillamond, a goat instructor who, like other talking animals in Oz, finds himself increasingly in peril. 

But it’s that connection between Erivo and Grande that gives the film its emotional heft. Erivo does do much with her eyes to convey Elphaba’s sadness and loneliness and, eventually, her hope and determination. There’s a directness about her screen presence that’s immediate and engaging, and of course she can sing the hell out of these demanding songs. Grande meets her note for note and once again displays her comic chops, but it’s the little choices that make her portrayal of the perfect Galinda feel human: a jerky perkiness that’s slightly dorky. The blonde tresses and array of pink dresses scream confidence, but deep down she’s a try-hard whose desire to be liked is her driving motivation. 

As undeniably crowd-pleasing as “Wicked” is in its big moments, these smaller and more intimate details are just as magical. 

robert ebert movie reviews

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series “Ebert Presents At the Movies” opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

Wicked Film Review

  • Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp
  • Ariana Grande-Butera as Galinda / Glinda Upland
  • Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero Tigelaar
  • Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible
  • Jeff Goldblum as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
  • Winnie Holzman

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Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert

Chicago, IL

http://rogerebert.com/

Movies reviews only

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“2001: A Space Odyssey”

robert ebert movie reviews

Roger Ebert called Stanley Kubrick 's 2001: A Space Odyssey , "a great visionary leap, unsurpassed in its vision of man and the universe. It was a statement that came at a time which now looks something like the peak of humanity's technological optimism."

“An Alan Smithee Film”

robert ebert movie reviews

"In taking his name off the film, Arthur Hiller has wisely distanced himself from the disaster, but on the basis of what's on the screen I cannot, frankly, imagine any version of this film that I would want to see. The only way to save this film would be to trim 86 minutes," wrote Ebert.

“Apocalypse Now”

robert ebert movie reviews

Of Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 war epic, Ebert said: " Apocalypse Now is a film which still causes real, not figurative, chills to run along my spine, and it is certainly the bravest and most ambitious fruit of Coppola's genius"

“Aguirre, Wrath of God”

robert ebert movie reviews

Werner Herzog was among Ebert's most celebrated filmmakers. In his review of Herzog's Aguirre, Wrath of God , he described the film as "one of the great haunting visions of the cinema"

“Baby Geniuses”

robert ebert movie reviews

"This is an old idea, beautifully expressed by Wordsworth, who said, 'Heaven lies about us in our infancy,'" wrote Ebert. "If I could quote the whole poem instead of completing this review, believe me, we'd all we happier. But I press on."

“Citizen Kane”

robert ebert movie reviews

While recounting his favorite films of all time, Ebert had but a simplistic comment for the Orson Welles drama: " Citizen Kane speaks for itself."

“Dukes of Hazzard”

robert ebert movie reviews

"It's a retread of a sitcom that ran from about 1979 to 1985, years during which I was able to find better ways to pass my time. Yes, it is still another TV program I have never ever seen. As this list grows, it provides more and more clues about why I am so smart and cheerful…. Bo and Luke are involved in a mishap that causes their faces to be blackened with soot, and then, wouldn't you know, they drive into an African-American neighborhood, where their car is surrounded by ominous young men who are not amused by blackface, or by the Confederate flag painted on the car. I was hoping maybe the boyz n the hood would carjack the General, which would provide a fresh twist to the story, but no, the scene sinks into the mire of its own despond."

“La Dolce Vita”

robert ebert movie reviews

" La Dolce Vita has become a touchstone in my life: A film about a kind of life I dreamed of living, then a film about the life I was living, the about my escape from that life. Now, half a century after its release, it is about the arc of my life, and its closing scene is an eerie reflection of my wordlessness and difficulty in communicating. I still yearn and dream, but it is so hard for me to communicate that–not literally, but figuratively. So the Fellini stays," he wrote.

“North”

robert ebert movie reviews

In one of his most infamous reviews, Ebert said of North : "I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie. Hated it. Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it. Hated the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Hated the implied insult to the audience by its belief that anyone would be entertained by it."

“One Woman or Two”

robert ebert movie reviews

In another blistering review, he commented: "Add it all up, and what you've got here is a waste of good electricity. I'm not talking about the electricity between the actors. I'm talking about the current to the projector."

“Raging Bull”

robert ebert movie reviews

"Many would choose Taxi Driver as [Martin] Scorsese 's greatest film, but I believe Raging Bull is his best and most personal, a film he says in some ways saved his life," Ebert wrote. "It is the greatest cinematic expression of the torture of jealousy–his Othello ."

“Sour Grapes”

robert ebert movie reviews

Larry David 's 1998 comedy did not sit well with Ebert. "How to account for the fact that Larry David is one of the creators of Seinfeld ? Maybe he works well with others. I can't easily remember a film I've enjoyed less. North , a comedy I hated, was at least able to inflame me with dislike. Sour Grapes is a movie that deserves its title: It's puckered, deflated and vinegary. It's a dead zone."

“The General”

robert ebert movie reviews

Selecting his favorite silent film, Ebert chose Buster Keaton 's The General , calling it "his best."

“The Hot Chick”

robert ebert movie reviews

Of Rob Schneider 's teen comedy — which introduced many to a young Rachel McAdams — Ebert said: "The movie resolutely avoids all the comic possibilities of its situation, and becomes one more dumb high school comedy about sex gags and prom dates…. Through superhuman effort of the will, I did not walk out of The Hot Chick , but reader, I confess I could not sit through the credits. The MPAA rates this PG-13. It is too vulgar for anyone under 13, and too dumb for anyone over 13."

“The Village”

robert ebert movie reviews

"To call it an anticlimax would be an insult not only to climaxes but to prefixes," he lamented of M. Night Shamalan 's 2004 psychological horror film. "It's a crummy secret, about one step up the ladder of narrative originality from It Was All a Dream. It's so witless, in fact, that when we do discover the secret, we want to rewind the film so we don't know the secret anymore."

“Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie”

robert ebert movie reviews

"As faithful readers will know, I have a few cult followers who enjoy my reviews of bad movies," he began. "These have been collected in the books I Hated, Hated, Hated, HATED This Movie ; Your Movie Sucks , and A Horrible Experience of Unendurable Length . This movie is so bad, it couldn't even inspire a review worthy of one of those books. I have my standards."

“Tokyo Story”

robert ebert movie reviews

"The older I grow and the more I observe how age affects our relationships, the more I think Tokyo Story has to teach us," he claimed. "Kurosawa's Ikiru has as much to say, but in the rigid economy of the Sight & Sound limitations, impossible choices are forced."

“Tommy Boy”

robert ebert movie reviews

" Tommy Boy is one of those movies that plays like an explosion down at the screenplay factory," he said. "You can almost picture a bewildered office boy, his face smudged with soot, wandering through the ruins and rescuing pages at random. Too bad they didn't mail them to the insurance company instead of filming them."

“Tree of Life”

robert ebert movie reviews

Ebert called Terrence Malick 's Brad Pitt starrer, "affirmative and hopeful." "In The Tree of Life ," he said, "Malick boldly begins with the Big Bang and ends in an unspecified state of attenuated consciousness after death. The central section is the story of birth and raising a family."

“Vertigo”

robert ebert movie reviews

Ebert also named Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo among his 10 favorite films of all time. " Vertigo (1958), which is one of the two or three best films Hitchcock ever made, is the most confessional, dealing directly with the themes that controlled his art. It is *about* how Hitchcock used, feared and tried to control women."

The 10 Greatest Movies of All Time, According to Roger Ebert

4

Perhaps the most respected and well-known movie critic of all time, Roger Ebert is a key figure in cinema history. His widely read reviews were poignant and incisive yet sometimes divisive and ever so entertaining; often, his opinion was the one that could decide the fate of a movie.

In the days before the internet, audiences looked to the newspapers for his take on the latest films. That was the magic of Ebert: bringing film criticism to the mainstream. From 1967 until his death in 2013, Ebert wrote for The Chicago Sun-Times and became the first critic to receive a Pulitzer Prize for his film criticism. Now, Ebert's opinion matters just as much, or perhaps even more than it did during his heyday. These movies are the best, in Ebert's not-so-humble opinion , and any dedicated cinephile would add his top ten to their watchlist .

"If I must make a list of the Ten Greatest Films of All Time, my first vow is to make the list for myself, not for anybody else." - Roger Ebert.

10 'Gates of Heaven' (1978)

Directed by errol morris.

For movie fans, this four-star film selection by Ebert may have raised some eyebrows. A renowned documentarian, Errol Morris ' oeuvre explores knowledge itself, concerned as much with the people possessing it as it is with the highly specific nature of expertise. With the help of cinematographer Ned Burgess , Morris' ticket to mainstream recognition was Gates of Heaven , a documentary about a pet mortician and the animals he's buried in a California pet cemetery.

No matter if it's a documentary or a feature film, sharp, story-driven movies always caught Ebert's eye . Gates of Heaven is a curious piece of filmmaking, walking a fine line between satire and heartfelt honesty. The result is a film about human nature itself and the power of some unexplained, unbreakable bonds. While it took a different direction than other narratives reviewed by the legendary critic, Gates of Heaven speaks to pet owners and their experiences .

Gates of Heaven

Watch on Criterion

9 '28 Up' (1984)

Directed by michael apted.

This documentary is a prime example of how filmmaking can bridge time, and for Ebert, that bridge extends into his own life. 28 Up is a biographical piece in which director Michael Apted interviews the same group of British adults over several seven-year wait periods. While it's one that audiences might not be familiar with, the documentary is a passionate project that services the fascination with personal evolution and perspective.

Ebert's four-star review ruminates with the mystery of time and legacy through the lens of real people. Fictional films like Boyhood create a fictional time capsule, while Apted's documentary is authentically raw. 28 Up quietly craved audience participation in forming predictions and emotional investment into the lives of the subjects during the four documented periods of lives. Ebert willingly indulged and encouraged viewers to do so with his placement of this film on his greatest of all-time list.

Rent on BritBox

8 'Floating Weeds' (1959)

Directed by yasujirō ozu.

An emotional review from the heart , Ebert speaks of Floating Weeds and its director, Yasujirō Ozu , as if they are life-long friends. The excellent international feature film flies mostly under the radar when it comes to mainstream attention, but earned a four-star rating and place on Ebert's greatest of all time list. The 1959 drama tells the story of a man who returns to the small town where he left his son and attempts to make up for the missed years while the child remains under the assumption the man is his uncle.

"This material could be told in many ways. It could be a soap opera, a musical, a tragedy. Ozu tells it in a series of everyday events. He loves his characters too much to crank up the drama into artificial highs and lows. Above all we get a sense of the physical existence of these people..."

Mirroring the softness of the film, Ebert's review is lulling and easy to get lost in mirroring the serenity of the film and its understated beckoning call. Ebert recognized that many viewers had probably never seen or heard of the film or director Yasujirô Ozu . Floating Weeds is visually stunning, with highly contrasting colors painting a beautiful picture of what is, essentially, a tender tale of reconciliation and moving on .

Floating Weeds

Watch on Max

7 '2001: A Space Odyssey' (1968)

Directed by stanley kubrick.

Iconic, top-rated, foundational...all descriptors that apply to 2001: A Space Odyssey . A transformative film, Ebert's four-star rating praised and understood the ingenious multi-level craftsmanship that produced a tedious, thought-provoking film. Directed by Stanley Kubrick , this sci-fi film takes audiences through space and time as a spaceship, operated by two men and an AI computer named H.A.L 9000, is sent to Jupiter to understand a mysterious artifact.

The Oscar winner for Best Visual Effects, 2001: A Space Odyssey set the bar for where technology was headed in cinematic storytelling. Ebert referred to the film as "a landmark of non-narrative, poetic filmmaking , in which the connections were made by images, not dialog or plot." It's truly difficult to put 2001 's profound impact into words. Instead, the film should speak for itself, and it truly does; it's evocative, profoundly eerie, and thought-provoking, the very definition of a cinematic masterpiece.

2001: A Space Odyssey

Not available

6 'Notorious' (1946)

Directed by alfred hitchcock.

Adding another iconic director to the greatest of all time, Notorious was Alfred Hitchcock 's ticket to Ebert's heart. A drama starring Hollywood royalty Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman , the movie follows T.R. Devlin, who recruits the daughter of a convicted German criminal, Alicia, to act as a spy. When she becomes involved with a Nazi hiding in Brazil, their dangerous scheme threatens to slip out of their hands. Ebert's four-star review revels in Hitchcock's ability "to pluck the strings of human emotion—to play the audience."

Ebert notes that the film, alongside Casablanca , secured Bergman's legacy in cinematic history with her commanding performance. Notorious is among Hitchcock's greatest movies , a sleek and stylish spy noir elevated by the electrifying chemistry between Grant and Bergman. Among Hitchcock's large and famous filmography , Notorious stands out as one of his most alluring and purely rewatchable efforts, a masterclass in filmmaking that excels at nearly every conceivable level.

Watch on Tubi

5 'Raging Bull' (1980)

Directed by martin scorsese.

The film that perhaps knocked Taxi Driver off Ebert's top ten list, Raging Bull is one of the best sports movies of all time and arguably the all-time best boxing picture. Starring as real-life boxer Jake La Motta , Robert De Niro portrays the middleweight champ's dominating, violent force inside the ring, which translated into a volatile and painful life outside of it. Ebert's four-star rating commends the technical command demonstrated by Martin Scorsese, from the visual effects, sound design, and striking camera work, and its marriage to a sports narrative that isn't exclusive to that genre audience.

An adaptation of La Motta's autobiography, Raging Bull is now widely regarded as possibly Scorsese's finest, a grueling and emotionally violent portrayal of a complicated yet fascinating figure. Raging Bull is often a challenging watch, but De Niro's fierce, committed performance and Scorsese's assured direction make it worthy of the greatest of all-time distinction for Ebert.

Raging Bull

4 'the third man' (1949), directed by carol reed.

A film with a "reckless, unforgettable visual style," The Third Man maintains a narrative just as powerful about the optimism of Americans slates against the weary European post-war perspective. A gripping mystery and visually distinctive triumph, this film-noir tells the story of Holly Martins ( Joseph Cotten ) in postwar Vienna as he investigates the death of his friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles). From its on-location filming to the atmospheric and striking cinematography, The Third Man is a four-star-rated film and among the greatest of all time for Ebert.

This cinematic masterpiece captured not only the heart of Ebert but new audiences for decades. In his review , Ebert details the physical cinematic experience he encountered when he saw the movie, capturing the importance of how the movie-going experience is unparalleled, no matter where you are in the world. The Third Man is the ultimate film noir and an engaging mystery that keeps enthralling nearly a century after its release.

The Third Man

3 'la dolce vita' (1960), directed by federico fellini.

An Oscar-winning Italian masterpiece, La Dolce Vita is a romanticized tale of a week's worth of stories for a tabloid journalist living in Rome. It secured one golden statute for Best Costume Design, yielded three other nominations, and now stands as one of its country's greatest cinematic achievements. The film stars Marcello Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg and is directed by Federico Fellini .

Rewatching the movie once a decade, Ebert poignantly reminds readers that "Movies do not change, but their viewers do." Like any good film study, Ebert's four-star review and praise encourage viewers to look beyond the surface popularity or scandal of the film's release and understand what it's trying to say. Filled with iconic imagery and thought-provoking themes, La Dolce Vita is a timeless and riveting film about life itself , which will surely mean something different for every person, depending on where and, most importantly, when they watch it.

La Dolce Vita

Buy on Criterion

2 'Casablanca' (1942)

Directed by michael curtiz.

Doting upon the cinematic masterpiece, Ebert's four-star review paints an adoring picture of a movie about love and the sacrifices made in the name of it. Casablanca features Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman as Rick Blaine and Ilsa Lund, a pair of former lovers reuniting in the Vichy-controlled city of Casablanca. Fighting their lingering feelings, Rick must help Ilsa's husband, a Czechoslovak resistance leader, escape so he can continue his fight against the Nazis during World War II.

The movie is a beautiful blend of excellent writing brought to life by masterful onscreen performances , with characters who are redeemable despite their shortcomings. For Ebert and cinephiles around the world, Casablanca is a rewatchable movie whose familiarity never fails to be inviting and refreshing, invoking an emotional response that isn't easily replicated.

1 'Citizen Kane' (1941)

Directed by orson welles.

Citizen Kane is a movie that continues to age like fine wine, retaining its status as one of the best movies of all time to Ebert and audiences alike. Directed by Orson Welles , this movie tells the story of a group of reporters desperate to decode the final words of publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane (Welles), infamously based on real-life magnate William Randolph Hearst. His four-star review highlights iconic symbolism and invitation to seek out deeper meaning in every frame.

Highly influential from nearly every technical and narrative perspective, Citizen Kane stands out as one of the greatest movies ever made , a timeless tale of all-consuming greed and the tragedy of the American Dream. The legacy this film leaves for Welles is unmatched, Ebert describing the looming presence of the film as "a towering achievement that cannot be explained yet cannot be ignored.

Citizen Kane

NEXT: Movies Roger Ebert Hated, But Audiences Loved

  • Roger Ebert
  • Entertainment

7 of Roger Ebert’s Most Brutal Movie Reviews

Roger Ebert in 2011.

T he long Fourth of July weekend is another kind of holiday for film lovers: The documentary about beloved film critic Roger Ebert, Life Itself , hits theaters and on-demand services Friday. Directed by Steve James ( Hoop Dreams ), the film began as a loose adaptation of Ebert’s 2011 memoir of the same name, but as Ebert’s health declined — he was diagnosed with cancer in 2002 — the documentary became a frank, revealing and sometimes hard-to-watch look at his final days before his death in 2013. “I think it’s so poetic that a man like Roger, who spent his whole life reviewing movies, ends up ending his life on the big screen,” Ebert’s wife, Chaz Ebert, told Flavorwire in a recent interview.

Some of those movies he reviewed over the years were great — others, not so much. Reading Ebert’s passionate praise of exemplary filmmaking was a treat for readers, but his take-downs of the very worst of box offices provided another kind of joy. Here are seven of his most entertaining negative reviews.

Valentine’s Day Giving it two stars, Ebert didn’t totally trash this star-studded rom-com from 2010, but he also concluded his review with some sage dating advice: “ Valentine’s Day is being marketed as a Date Movie. I think it’s more of a First-Date Movie. If your date likes it, do not date that person again. And if you like it, there may not be a second date.”

North Ebert disliked North so much, one of the collections of his most negative reviews, I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie , gets its name from his 1994 take: “I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie. Hated it. Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it. Hated the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Hated the implied insult to the audience by its belief that anyone would be entertained by it.”

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Nobody really watches Michael Bay films expecting critically acclaimed works of art, but Ebert’s review of the 2009 blockbuster is just as fun, if not more: “[The movie] is a horrible experience of unbearable length, briefly punctuated by three or four amusing moments. One of these involves a dog-like robot humping the leg of the heroine. Such are the meager joys.”

Caligula Ebert admitted he couldn’t even make it all the way through the film in his 1980 review: “ Caligula is sickening, utterly worthless, shameful trash. If it is not the worst film I have ever seen, that makes it all the more shameful: People with talent allowed themselves to participate in this travesty. Disgusted and unspeakably depressed, I walked out of the film after two hours of its 170-minute length … Caligula is not good art, it is not good cinema, and it is not good porn.”

Police Academy This 1984 attempt at poking fun at cop movies failed miserably: “It’s so bad, maybe you should pool your money and draw straws and send one of the guys off to rent it so that in the future, whenever you think you’re sitting through a bad comedy, he could shake his head, and chuckle tolerantly, and explain that you don’t know what bad is.”

Deuce Bigalo: European Gigalo This 2005 piece also inspired the title of Ebert’s second collection of reviews about the worst movies: “[ Deuce star Rob] Schneider retaliated by attacking [ex-Los Angeles Times columnist Patrick] Goldstein in full-page ads … ‘Maybe you didn’t win a Pulitzer Prize because they haven’t invented a category for Best Third-Rate, Unfunny Pompous Reporter Who’s Never Been Acknowledged by His Peers.’ … As chance would have it, I have won the Pulitzer Prize, and so I am qualified. Speaking in my official capacity as a Pulitzer Prize winner, Mr. Schneider, your movie sucks.”

Mad Dog Time The first line of this 1996 review doesn’t hold back: “ Mad Dog Time is the first movie I have seen that does not improve on the sight of a blank screen viewed for the same length of time. Oh, I’ve seen bad movies before. But they usually made me care about how bad they were. Watching Mad Dog Time is like waiting for the bus in a city where you’re not sure they have a bus line.”

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  3. 12 of Roger Ebert's best movie reviews

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  4. Why Was Roger Ebert the Greatest Film Critic Ever?

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  5. How Mad helped Roger Ebert win a Pulitzer Prize

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COMMENTS

  1. Movie reviews and ratings by Film Critic Roger Ebert | Roger ...

    It’s Time to Give a FECK: Elevating Humanity through Forgiveness, Empathy, Compassion and Kindness (book by Chaz Ebert, with Foreword by Tamron Hall)

  2. Reviews | Roger Ebert

    The best movie reviews, in your inbox. ... “Roger Ebert Loved Movies ... Robert Daniels (121) Peyton Robinson (73)

  3. Wicked movie review & film summary (2024) | Roger Ebert

    Nov 22, 2024 · Far less effective is the way Chu, working from a script by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, wedges in the movie’s heavier themes of authoritarianism. Yes, they are baked into the story: We know from watching 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz” countless times that the wizard is a con artist who rules by fear.

  4. Roger Ebert Movie Reviews & Previews - Rotten Tomatoes

    Sep 23, 2024 · Read Movie and TV reviews from Roger Ebert on Rotten Tomatoes, where critics reviews are aggregated to tally a Certified Fresh, Fresh or Rotten Tomatometer score.

  5. Roger Ebert’s Top 20 Best- and Worst-Reviewed Films

    Apr 4, 2013 · Roger Ebert called Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, "a great visionary leap, unsurpassed in its vision of man and the universe. It was a statement that came at a time which now looks ...

  6. 10 Best Movies of All Time, According to Roger Ebert - Collider

    Aug 31, 2024 · Iconic, top-rated, foundational...all descriptors that apply to 2001: A Space Odyssey.A transformative film, Ebert's four-star rating praised and understood the ingenious multi-level craftsmanship ...

  7. Roger Ebert's great movies list - IMDb

    Great movies list by one of the best critics we ever had the pleasure to have. Rest in peace Sir Ebert. "Every great film should seem new every time you see it." * Roger Ebert The list is in alphabetical order.

  8. 12 of Roger Ebert's best movie reviews - SFGATE

    May 29, 2020 · 12 of Roger Ebert's best movie reviews. Nobody has ever been as good at loving (or hating) a movie. By Joshua Sargent, Senior News Editor May 29, 2020. Nobody appreciated movies like Rober Ebert.

  9. Celebrating Roger Ebert’s Great Movies - Rotten Tomatoes

    Before he passed away in 2013, he tactfully amassed a list of over 350 4-star/thumbs-up films that he called Great Movies. You can see all of Ebert’s Great Movies here. To celebrate his life and the films he championed (seriously, they’re all amazing), we’re listing them all in alphabetical order for everyone to discover.

  10. 7 of Roger Ebert's Most Brutal Movie Reviews - TIME

    Jul 4, 2014 · Ebert disliked North so much, one of the collections of his most negative reviews, I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie, gets its name from his 1994 take: “I hated this movie. Hated hated hated ...