(Credits: Far Out / Rebert (Roger Ebert)
We all have our opinions on movies, but there is usually a general consensus as to whether something is good or bad. In many cases, some movies are so terrible that they receive unanimously bad reviews, win accolades from the Golden Raspberry Awards for their awfulness, and ruin the filmmaker’s career.
Yet Roger Ebert, who wrote countless film reviews from the 1960s until his death in 2013, was never afraid to be honest, even if his opinion differed from the majority. He had many great opinions, rating many classics full marks and cementing himself as a trustworthy critical voice.
At the same time, some of his movie reviews were bonkers, with the writer delivering some rather unhinged opinions. In many respects, his bravery to share such polarising opinions was commendable. Ebert slammed many fantastic films, like A Clockwork Orange, Pink Flamingos, and even The Elephant Man, and he also praised some absolutely terrible ones.
So, from Home Alone 3 to Anaconda, here are five bad movies that Ebert praised, giving three or more stars out of four.
Five terrible movies loved by Roger Ebert:
5. Home Alone 3 (Raja Gosnell, 1997)
Ebert’s rating: 3/4 stars
Everyone loves Home Alone, a classic Christmas movie that sees Macaulay Culkin play Kevin McCallister, who defends himself from two bumbling thieves with plenty of innovative booby traps. By the time the third instalment rolled around without any of the same cast members, most people agreed that the film was poorly written, directed, and performed.
Ebert didn’t seem to agree, though. He wrote, “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, although not to grownups unless they are having a very silly day.” While Ebert was aware the film was no masterpiece, he concluded, “The stunts at the end are more slapstick and less special effects. And the result is either more entertaining than in the first two films, or I was having a very silly day.”
4. Paul Blart: Mall Cop (Steve Carr, 2009)
Ebert’s rating: 3/4 stars
If a film has production credits from both Kevin James and Adam Sandler, chances are it’s not going to be great. In 2009, they produced the Steve Carr-directed Paul Blart: Mall Cop, which starred James as the titular character, a security guard who finds himself involved in rescuing hostages. It’s a stupid comedy that appealed to many children and childish adults during the late 2000s, and Ebert was actually one of them. He found the film entertaining, calling his review ‘Lone Rider of the Purple Segway’.
He wrote: “Paul Blart: Mall Cop is a slapstick comedy with a hero who is a nice guy. I thought that wasn’t allowed anymore.” Ebert continued, “What’s even more amazing, Paul Blart: Mall Cop isn’t ‘wholesome’ as a code word for ‘boring.’ It’s as slam-bang preposterous as any R-rated comedy you can name.”
3. Anaconda (Luis Llosa, 1997)
Ebert’s rating: 3.5/4 stars
Met with predominantly negative views, Anaconda had a strange cast featuring the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, Owen Wilson, and Jon Voight. The movie follows a fictional documentary crew as they attempt to make a film about an indigenous tribe. During their journey, they meet a snake hunter who takes control and leads them to find a giant anaconda.
Ebert was one of the few critics who loved the movie, which most people thought was plain terrible, from its effects to its acting. “Anaconda did not disappoint me. It’s a slick, scary, funny Creature Feature, beautifully photographed and splendidly acted in high adventure style. Its snakes are thoroughly satisfying,” Ebert wrote.
2. Speed 2: Cruise Control (Jan de Bont, 1997)
Ebert’s rating: 3/4 stars
Three years after Speed—in which passengers are stuck on a bus that is rigged to explode if it slows to a certain speed—a sequel was made, Speed 2: Cruise Control. Jan de Bont’s second instalment wasn’t half as popular as the first, with practically all elements of the film receiving criticism. In this movie, Sandra Bullock returns as the same character, only this time, she must help out when she discovers the cruise she is on has been hijacked.
Ebert was in the minority when he declared his love for the film, writing, “The special effects sequences in the movie are first-rate,” and even stating that he “chortled a few times.”
He added, “Movies like this embrace goofiness with an almost sensual pleasure. And so, on a warm summer evening, do I.”
1. Land of the Lost (Brad Silberling, 2009)
Ebert’s rating: 3/4 stars
Based on the television show of the same name, Land of the Lost was released to negative opinion in 2009. It earned its fair share of Razzie nominations, with most audiences pointing out how little was to be desired from the writing and performances. It failed to be particularly funny or interesting, and most critics left it scathing reviews, resulting in the film fading into the land of the lost.
Ebert, on the other hand, had a slightly different attitude. “Land of the Lost inspires fervent hatred, which with the right kind of movie can be a good thing. Amid widespread disdain, I raise my voice in a bleat of lonely, if moderate, admiration.”
He continued, “I guess you have to be in the mood for a goofball picture like this. I guess I was.”
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