History YMMV / SiskelAndEbert

* AudienceAlienatingEra: The "Two Bens" era of ''At the Movies'' is widely considered the low-point of the show's history, being set up to revise the show for a younger audience following the departure of Roeper as host and Ebert as producer, but falling tremendously flat. [[ReplacementScrappy Not only was the chemistry between Ben Mankiewicz and Ben Lyons nowhere near as interesting as that of their predecessors]], as well as there being more extraneous gimmicks like interviews and opening nights, much criticism was levied specifically against Ben Lyons, [[WTHCastingAgency who was not a film critic and demonstrated a lack of knowledge in the field]], making the show feel disingenuous and out of touch (Lyons was primarily a celebrity news reporter, with many seeing him getting chummy with popular actors and doling out positive quotes that were transparently meant for use in movie promotions being moves to increase his own profile despite being a massive conflict of interests). Ratings plummeted during their tenure, and while the two were booted after one season and replaced with the better-received A.O. Scott and Michael Phillips, the ratings stayed where they were, leading to the show getting the axe.

** In his review of ''Film/LordOfTheFlies (1990)'' Siskel was offended that they would make a movie remake 27 years after the original, viewing it as despicable cynicism. Unfortunately the remake trend only became more frequent.
*** Similarly, during their review of ''Film/ThePinkPanther2006'', Roger said we're going through a season of remakes, followed by a disgusted "ugh!" from Richard. They had no idea how much ''more'' prevalent this would become in the [=2010s=] and beyond.

** When the duo reviewed ''Film/{{Bean}}'', Ebert gave it a marginal thumbs down. Siskel gave it a thumbs up and pressed Roger: "You really wouldn't recommend this picture?" Ebert replied, "I'd tell people to wait until it comes out on video, something like that." Siskel said that he never makes that distinction and furthermore doesn't understand the distinction; Ebert replied that going to movies requires leaving the house. Siskel thought that argument made no sense, since you'd have to leave the house to rent a movie as well. Of course, nowadays it's very easy to stay home and rent a movie on iTunes or Netflix, and is much cheaper than going to the movies. [[note]]Back then, you could also wait until the movie showed up on TV (broadcast or pay-per-view), but there was no guarantee that any given movie would play there at all (especially if it was an obscure flop), let alone at a time where you could watch it or have an opportunity to set the VCR or DVR to record it.[[/note]]

* SeasonalRot: The "Two Bens" era of ''At the Movies'' is widely considered the low-point of the show's history, being set up to revise the show for a younger audience following the departure of Roeper as host and Ebert as producer, but falling tremendously flat. [[ReplacementScrappy Not only was the chemistry between Ben Mankiewicz and Ben Lyons nowhere near as interesting as that of their predecessors]], as well as there being more extraneous gimmicks like interviews and opening nights, much criticism was levied specifically against Ben Lyons, [[WTHCastingAgency who was not a film critic and demonstrated a lack of knowledge in the field]], making the show feel disingenuous and out of touch (Lyons was primarily a celebrity news reporter, with many seeing him getting chummy with popular actors and doling out positive quotes that were transparently meant for use in movie promotions being moves to increase his own profile despite being a massive conflict of interests). Ratings plummeted during their tenure, and while the two were booted after one season and replaced with the better-received A.O. Scott and Michael Phillips, the ratings stayed where they were, leading to the show getting the axe.

* SeasonalRot: The "Two Bens" era of ''At the Movies'' is widely considered the low-point of the show's history, being set up to revise the show for a younger audience following the departure of Roeper as host and Ebert as producer, but falling tremendously flat. Not only was the chemistry between Ben Mankiewicz and Ben Lyons nowhere near as interesting as that of their predecessors, as well as there being more extraneous gimmicks like interview and opening nights, much criticism was levied specifically against Ben Lyons, [[WTHCastingAgency who was not a film critic and demonstrated a lack of knowledge in the field]], making the show feel disingenuous and out of touch. Ratings plummeted during their tenure, and while the two were booted after one season and replaced with the better-received A.O. Scott and Michael Phillips, the ratings stayed where they were, leading to the show getting the axe.

* SeasonalRot: The "Two Bens" era of ''At the Movies'' is widely considered the low-point of the show's history, being set up to revise the show for a younger audience following the departure of Roeper as host and Ebert as producer, but falling tremendously flat. Not only was the chemistry between Ben Mankiewicz and Ben Lyons nowhere near as interesting as their predecessors, as well as there being more extraneous gimmicks like interview and opening nights, much criticism was levied specifically against Ben Lyons, [[WTHCastingAgency who was not a film critic and demonstrated a lack of knowledge in the field]], making the show feel disingenuous and out of touch. Ratings plummeted during their tenure, and while the two were booted after one season and replaced with the better-received A.O. Scott and Michael Phillips, the ratings stayed where they were, leading to the show getting the axe.

* GrowingTheBeard: An inversion! The first episodes of ''Sneak Previews'' (then called ''Opening Soon at a Theater Near You'') were very dry and the duo were clearly not used to being on camera, as it showed in their deadpan and stilted deliveries. Once Gene shaved the mustache, things improved and by the time the early '80s arrived, the duo had found a groove and their disagreements got more entertaining.

** Ebert gave a thumbs down to ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'', claiming the series had run out of gas. He suggested that the series start fresh, with a new cast and a new look. Not only was ''Nemesis'' the final ''Star Trek'' movie with the ''Next Generation'' cast, but in 2009 the series [[Film/StarTrek2009 DID get rebooted.]] Unfortunately, Ebert didn't quite recommend that one either[[note]]in his written review, he gave it 2.5 stars, which generally meant "not recommended, but just barely - if you're a fan of the genre/subject matter, it would be a "barely recommended"[[/note]]

*** Similarly, during their review of ''ThePinkPanther2006'', Roger said we're going through a season of remakes, followed by a disgusted "ugh!" from Richard. They had no idea how much ''more'' prevalent this would become in the [=2010s=] and beyond.

** The duo gave two thumbs up to ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King|1994}}'', but didn't consider it as good as the [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid previous]] [[WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast three]] [[WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}} films.]] It ended up being one of Disney's biggest hits of all time.

** The duo gave two thumbs up to ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing'', but didn't consider it as good as the [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid previous]] [[WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast three]] [[WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}} films.]] It ended up being one of Disney's biggest hits of all time.

** The duo were usually pretty good about predicting the Oscar winners, but they were way off in 1995 when they both thought either ''Film/Apollo13'' or ''Film/IlPostino'' would win Best Picture - it ended up going to ''Film/Braveheart'' instead.

** The duo were usually pretty good about predicting the Oscar winners, but they were way off in 1995 when they both thought either ''Film/Apollo13'' or ''Film/IlPostino'' would win Best Picture - it ended up going to ''Film/{[Braveheart}}'' instead.

* EightPointEight: The duo gave thumbs up to ''WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas'' but thought the story and characters could've been better (although Ebert is far more enthusiastic in his written review, raving about the art direction, dark humor, and music). Among Henry Selick/Tim Burton fans, their praise wasn't enough, especially since they were far more enthusiastic about ''Literature/JamesAndTheGiantPeach'', which doesn't have as big a fanbase as ''Nightmare''.
** While he gave it a marginal thumbs up, Siskel wasn't all that impressed by ''Film/BoogieNights'', which has a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. He felt that the film didn't give much new insight about the porn industry and felt the film had no point.
** The duo gave two thumbs up to ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing'', but didn't consider it as good as the [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid previous]] [[WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast three]] [[WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}} films.]] It ended up being one of Disney's biggest hits of all time.

** Mixed with HeartwarmingInHindsight, while reviewing ''Film/AChristmasStory'' they're both very worried that such a fantastic movie might be completely ignored at the box office and forgotten. It would go on to become ''the'' classic beloved Christmas staple complete with 24 hour marathons in December.

** Ebert gave a thumbs down to ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'', claiming the series had run out of gas. He suggested that the series start fresh, with a new cast and a new look. Not only was ''Nemesis'' the final ''Star Trek'' movie with the ''Next Generation'' cast, but in 2009 the series [[Film/StarTrek2009 DID get rebooted.]]

** In their "Worst Movies of the Summer" episode from 1985, while reviewing ''Film/TheManWithOneRedShoe'', Gene called Creator/TomHanks a "second rate Creator/BillMurray". Highly amusing considering how beloved Hanks has become, even only a few years after this episode.'

* ParodyDisplacement: Roger Ebert’s [[https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/north-1994 thrashing]] of ''Film/{{North}}'' ("I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie. Hated it.") is probably more well-known than the movie itself.

* ReplacementScrappy: Averted for Richard Roeper and Ben Mankiewicz; PlayedStraight regarding Ben Lyons.
* TheScrappy: One could say this of the entirety of the Mankiewicz/Lyons year.
** A multitude of reasons explaining the hate of the Mankiewicz/Lyons era have included:
*** The two having to live up to the [[OvershadowedByAwesome precedents of Ebert and Roeper]] (the latter having actually found a pretty perfect onscreen partner post-Ebert in Michael Phillips, after over a year of subbing in guest hosts).
*** The overall lack of chemistry between the two critics.
*** Its adjustment leading to the destruction of the old Siskel and Ebert set, something Roger only found out afterwards, enraging him to no end (the fact that the original ''Siskel & Ebert'' review archives were taken down certainly didn't help).
*** The use of a brighter, in-your-face, color palette and opening theme, likely used to bring in younger audiences.
*** The use of gimmicks uncommon during Ebert's run, such as an occasional feature where three guest critics would join the two to offer their input on various films in release.
*** Lyons' qualifications in particular were questioned, as he was in his 20s (as well as a regular correspondent on E!News) and viewers found that he lacked the same understanding of film that his predecessors shared. His negative review of ''Film/SynecdocheNewYork'' earned scorn from Adam Kempenaar (of the Chicago radio program ''Filmspotting''), who reflected that Lyons hadn't taken the time to register what the film was actually attempting to say, but rather that the film was difficult overall. Mankiewicz himself averted this, as he's a regular contributor to Turner Classic Movies (and still reviews films for Radio/TheYoungTurks ''[[https://www.youtube.com/whattheflickshow What the Flick?!]]''), a descendant of Herman and Joseph Mankiewicz (each of whom were Oscar-winners for writing ''Film/CitizenKane'' and directing ''Film/AllAboutEve'', respectively), and actually showed himself to be rather knowledgeable about the films they were reviewing.
** [[http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2009/11/post.html Ebert himself]] seemed to offer a slight TakeThat to this section of the show, even remarking that, while he offered condolences to Mankiewicz over the show's mixed reactions (calling him "a perfect gentleman" and saying that he had suffered roughly the equivalent of "a drive-by shooting"), putting Lyons in the chair was very much a mistake. Ebert was quick to point out that [[WhatTheHellCastingAgency Lyons had never even actually written a review for a film before his selection as co-host]].
*** Roughly a year before this, just as [[FanNickname the Bens]] were getting started, Roger actually published a column relaying the general rules and ethics for film criticism (seen [[http://www.rogerebert.com/rogers-journal/rogers-little-rule-book here]]). Commentators were quick to point out that the timing of this seemed to be a subtle TakeThat to Lyons, something that Ebert's eventual examination (seen above) seemed to all but confirm.

** In their "Worst Movies of the Summer" episode from 1985, while reviewing ''Film/TheManWithOneRedShoe'', Gene called Creator/TomHanks a "second rate Creator/BillMurray". Highly amusing considering how beloved Hanks has become, even only a few years after this episode.

** In their review of ''Film/{{Bulworth}}'', Ebert wondered if there would ever be a political candidate like the one featured in the movie, and doubted it. [[UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump He was proven wrong]].

** While praising ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', Ebert said that "''Franchise/StarWars'' is the kind of film that Disney used to make and the kind that they should be making". In 2015, Disney bought ''Star Wars''.

* CriticalDissonance: Certain films received thumbs down from one or both, despite getting rave reviews from many others. Examples:
** Ebert gave ''Film/DieHard'' a thumbs down. It holds a 92% on Website/RottenTomatoes. He thought there were too many plot holes and hated the belligerent authority figures. (However, it should be noted that at some point, he seemed to come around on the film, as he liked ''Film/DieHardWithAVengeance'' and claimed he liked the third movie about as much as the first one.)
*** In reverse, the duo liked ''Film/DieHard2'' the best out of the three original movies, with Siskel going so far as to personally thank everyone involved in the making of the movie. It's often overshadowed by [[FirstInstallmentWins the first movie.]]
** Siskel gave ''Film/GoldenEye'' a thumbs down. It holds a 78% on Rotten Tomatoes and is regarded by some to be the best of the Creator/PierceBrosnan Bond films and a return to form for the series. Siskel thought it was a routine story, thought the only good action scene was in the first five minutes, and thought Brosnan was a mediocre Bond ("Frankly, Creator/RogerMoore has a more commanding physical presence than this guy."). [[note]](he did give thumbs up to ''Film/TomorrowNeverDies'', though)[[/note]]
** While he didn't exactly hate it, Ebert gave a marginal thumbs down to ''Film/FullMetalJacket'', claiming it wasn't on par with Creator/StanleyKubrick's earlier work and finding the second half of the film a letdown. The film has a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
** Ebert also didn't care for ''Film/BlueVelvet'', which holds a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. He admired the filmmaking, but hated being jerked around by [[MoodWhiplash having deadly serious scenes immediately followed by humor]]. He particularly objected to a scene where Creator/IsabellaRossellini's character was naked on a character's lawn, feeling bad for the actress.
** While it doesn't have a high Rotten Tomatoes score, they gave the original ''Film/HomeAlone'', which was a box office smash, two thumbs down. They didn't care for the comic violence and didn't think it was an accurate portrayal of a kid being left alone. Interestingly, while the two never changed their vote on the show, months later they took a second look at the film to examine why they thought audiences loved it. And in their review of ''Home Alone 3'', Siskel was stunned that Ebert liked it more than the original film, and readily admitted that Creator/MacaulayCulkin was a better actor than Creator/AlexDLinz.
*** Similarly, the duo gave thumbs down to ''Film/NationalLampoonsChristmasVacation'', [[VindicatedByHistory which is regarded by many as a Christmas classic nowadays]].
** Siskel didn't care for ''Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs'', which has a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and which Ebert put on his [[RogerEbertGreatMoviesList list of "Great Movies"]]. He thought the film's execution was trashy, felt Creator/AnthonyHopkins overacted, and didn't feel the movie was an accurate portrayal of serial killers.
** Ebert gave ''Film/AFewGoodMen'' thumbs down, claiming it had no surprises and had a sloppy ending. It has an 81% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
** ''Film/IndependenceDay'' was given two thumbs down; while it wasn't a resounding critical success, it was a big hit at the box office. They even re-reviewed the film after it became a success, and still disliked it, citing unmemorable characters, clichéd dialogue, and generic-looking aliens.
** Siskel disliked ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}'', which has an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. He thought the artwork was dull, there didn't seem to be a sense of jeopardy regarding the main character, and couldn't remember any of the songs.
** Ebert disliked the 1989 ''Film/{{Batman|1989}}'', which was and is held in high regard (though it registers only 72% on the Tomatometer). He liked the set design but didn't care about any of the characters and thought the film had a meanness to it, although he has mentioned multiple times since that Creator/JackNicholson's Joker is among the best comic-book film villains ever.
** Siskel didn't like ''Film/FerrisBuellersDayOff'', which has an 81% on Rotten Tomatoes and is one of Richard Roeper's personal favorite films.. He thought all the scenes were done better in other movies.
** Siskel gave a marginal thumbs down to ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade'', which has an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and is generally regarded as an improvement over ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom''. Siskel didn't feel Creator/HarrisonFord and Creator/SeanConnery had any chemistry, and had a sense of déjà vu from the action sequences.
** Both Siskel and Ebert revealed on a special episode ("The Movie That Made Us Critics") that they felt ''Film/ButchCassidyAndTheSundanceKid'' was overrated. Ebert went so far as to claim that the film was a turkey.
** Roeper gave a marginal thumbs down to ''Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheFellowshipOfTheRing'', which has a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes; he felt it had too many characters to care about, thought the film was too long and repetitive, and was turned off by the non-ending. It should be noted, however, that he gave the other two movies thumbs up and seemed to come around on the first film when viewed in the context of a full journey, not a standalone movie.
** The reverse of this trope occurs at times as well; Siskel enjoyed ''Film/{{Carnosaur}}'' for its villain and goofy plot. It holds an 11% on Rotten Tomatoes. ''Film/HomeAlone3'' was also the only one of the ''Home Alone'' films that Ebert enjoyed; it has a 27% on Rotten Tomatoes.
** Probably the most standout reverse example would be their '''two thumbs up''' to ''Film/Speed2CruiseControl'', a movie considered by virtually everyone else to be one of the worst sequels of all time.[[note]]''Speed 2'' currently holds a 4% rating on [[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/speed_2_cruise_control Rotten Tomatoes]]. Of the 69 critics currently on record, Siskel and Ebert account for two of only three critics who have ever given ''Speed 2'' a recommendation.[[/note]]
** ''Film/MortalKombat'', which was almost universally panned critically, came oh-so-close to getting a "two thumbs up": Siskel gave it a "thumbs up" while Ebert went a "thumbs in the middle" thumbs-down, although he cited that his major issue (the film's lighting was too dark) may have been the theater's fault.
** ''Film/{{Casino}}'', which has an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, got a marginal thumbs down from Siskel, who felt it tread no new ground and that it's not Scorsese's best. Ebert was stunned at his vote.
** ''Film/{{Twister}}'' wasn't a critical success but did gangbusters at the box office. The duo gave it a thumbs down, claiming the special effects were the only good aspects of the movie and that they needed a better story to complement them.
** Perhaps the most legendary of them all, both Siskel and Ebert gave ''Film/BladeRunner'' two thumbs down when it was first released[[note]]Unfortunately for Ebert, he never saw the theatrical version - he watched a ''pan-and-scan'' tape sent to him from the studio[[/note]], a movie widely regarded as a ScienceFiction classic today and one of the most important films in the genre.[[note]]As a side note, Ebert eventually gave the 1992 Director's Cut a thumbs-up and The Final Cut an entry into his Great Movies collection, specially noting that seeing the film in letterbox made almost all the difference. The opening shot of LA, for example, was no longer a "postcard" but more breathtaking in scope.[[/note]]
** While the duo gave ''Film/SuperMarioBros'' two thumbs down, Siskel liked the Goombas. This is in stark contrast to many of the fans, who hated how the live action adaptation re-imagined the Goombas as tall dinosaurs.
** Siskel gave a thumbs down to ''Film/TheBigLebowski'', which is considered sacrilege among the movie's fans. He claimed ''Film/{{Kingpin}}'' was much funnier. Amusingly, the duo's ''Lebowski'' viewpoints mirror the main two responses to the film; Ebert (who put it in his Great Movies collection) clicked with the film's experience-oriented noir-skewering aim, while Siskel was baffled trying to make sense of it all, which runs counter to what the film is doing.
** The duo were not fans of all three ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' movies (nor were many critics of the time), claiming the characters had interchangeable personalities, was shot too much like a music video, and had lame pop culture-based humor. Ebert went so far as to claim the movies were highlighting something "alarming" about our society. By contrast, the first film, at least, was a big financial hit and still adored by the ''TMNT'' fanbase, and Ebert gave it a marginal thumbs down while admiring it from a technical standpoint and noting it was probably the best Ninja Turtles movie he could have expected. They were very much less charitable about the sequels.
** ''Film/{{Jumanji}}'' (1995) fell into the same category as ''Twister'': They admired the special effects but thought the story was awful (Gene, while showing a big action scene: "Okay, so what?"). Ebert also thought it was too intense for younger viewers. It did well at the box office, though, and spun off an [[WesternAnimation/{{Jumanji}} animated series]], not to mention a [[Film/JumanjiWelcomeToTheJungle franchise revival]] 22 years later.
** ''Film/TheFlintstones'' was a box office hit but the duo panned it, claiming all the effort went into the set design and none into the story, which they felt was cliched and outdated.
** ''Film/GhostbustersII'' was given a big thumbs down, as they felt it tread no new ground and that the actors were just phoning it in. By contrast with the duo, it ended up the eighth highest grossing film of the year. That said, this example is zig-zagged because many ''Ghostbusters'' fans will readily admit that it isn't as good as the [[FirstInstallmentWins first movie.]]
** Gene gave a thumbs down to ''Film/{{Aliens}}'', claiming the action was too repetitive. It has a whopping 99% on Rotten Tomatoes.
** They gave two thumbs down to ''Film/CrocodileDundee''. They didn't exactly hate it, but thought it was too predictable. By contrast, it was the second-highest grossing film of 1986, and it has an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. This is another one that they eventually came around on; when discussing ''Film/Jungle2Jungle'' in their worst of 1997 show, Gene said that ''Crocodile Dundee'' was the right way to do a "fish out of water" story, and ''Jungle'' wasn't.
** Roger gave a marginal thumbs down to ''WesternAnimation/SouthParkBiggerLongerAndUncut'', claiming it was too mean-spirited in its humor. It has an 81% on Rotten Tomatoes. Subverted in that he originally gave it 2 1/2 stars in his column but later bumped it up to 3 stars on reflection.
** While the duo gave two thumbs up to ''Film/JurassicPark'' (91% on Rotten Tomatoes), it was only mildly, as they thought most of the human characters (save for Ian Malcolm) were forgettable and that the movie resorted too quickly to being a thriller. They both agreed that ''Film/{{Jaws}}'' and ''Film/CloseEncountersOfTheThirdKind'' were better Steven Spielberg movies.
** Roger gave a mild thumbs down to ''Film/MrsDoubtfire'', claiming it was contrived. He particularly disliked the "impressions" scene, claiming it was shoehorned into the film to allow Robin to do his familiar shtick. Audiences, however, didn't seem to mind either thing, and regard it as one of Robin's better comedic films. And it has a 71% on Rotten Tomatoes.
** They gave two thumbs up to ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar'', despite the film generally being panned.
** Same goes for ''Film/SpaceJam'', which they gave two thumbs up despite having a 43% on Rotten Tomatoes and being very much a BrokenBase for the ''Looney Tunes'' fanbase.
** Roeper gave a thumbs up to ''Film/StarTrekNemesis''; it has a 39% on Rotten Tomatoes, ended up being the lowest-grossing film of the franchise, and has a very BrokenBase on its quality.
** Gene gave a thumbs down to ''Film/{{Scarface}}'', which has an 82% on Rotten Tomatoes. He couldn't bring himself to care about the main character.

* EightPointEight: The duo gave thumbs up to ''WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas'' but thought the story and characters could've been better (although Ebert is far more enthusiastic in his written review, raving about the art direction, dark humor, and music). Among Henry Selick/Tim Burton fans, their praise wasn't enough, especially since they were far more enthusiastic about ''Literature/JamesAndTheGiantPeach'', which doesn't have as big a fanbase as ''Nightmare''.
** While he gave it a marginal thumbs up, Siskel wasn't all that impressed by ''Film/BoogieNights'', which has a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. He felt that the film didn't give much new insight about the porn industry and felt the film had no point.
** The duo gave two thumbs up to ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing'', but didn't consider it as good as the [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid previous]] [[WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast three]] [[WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}} films.]] It ended up being one of Disney's biggest hits of all time.