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One of the most influential movie critics of all time, Roger Ebert was never one to prioritize niceties when it came to writing poor performance reviews. His opinion held the weight of an audience member in every punctuation mark, swaying them to see or not to see a film, including curating a list of the movies he considered to be the greatest of all time. When it came to assessing the worst movies he had the displeasure of watching, Ebert held no punches when awarding 0-star reviews to some of the worst comedies of all time. Comedy is subjective, but his opinions on those features at the bottom of the barrel (and the ones he deemed below that) are scathing and unforgiving.
Often leading the critical opinion charge, there were moments in which Ebert went against the grain in his reviews; however, that is not the case for these films. His words were biting and honest, leaving no scene untouched in features that ranged from starring Hollywood legends to sketch comedy-inspired pieces that never should've left their original medium. Ebert had no problem labeling a class of low-rated comedies, the worst ever made.
20 'The Master of Disguise' (2002)
Directed by Perry Andelin Blake
Image via Sony Pictures Releasing Earning at least one star from the renowned cinephile, The Master of Disguise was an absolute misfire. In this family-friendly comedy, Dana Carvey stars as Pistachio Disguisey, an Italian waiter who learns his family's secret trade of disguise mastery in order to rescue his kidnapped father, Fabbrizio Disguisey (James Brolin). The film caters to the short attention span of its targeted audience, clocking in at just over one hour minus its lengthy set of end credits.
Ebert points out that Carvey's obvious comedic talent is wasted besides his ability to showcase his wealth of impressions. The Master of Disguise attempts to pull off an adventurous spy comedy, Ebert calling it a "desperate miscalculation." While the short feature fails with the premise and utilization of its leading star, the critic acknowledges the production design as the only winning element.
Release Date August 2, 2002
Director Perry Andelin Blake
Runtime 80 Minutes
19 'A Night at the Roxbury' (1998)
Directed by John Fortenberry
Image via Paramount Based on the Saturday Night Live skit, which Ebert found entertaining for a mere 60 seconds, A Night at the Roxbury was a one-star movie that he found "so witless that [he] abandon[ed] any attempt to think up clever lines for [his] review." The comedy stars Chris Kattan and Will Ferrell as Doug and Steve Butabi, two adult brothers living at home whose idea of success is owning their own dance club, but they'll settle for a night at the exclusive titular club. Ebert's review led the critics' consensus that not all SNL skits make for full-length movies, with A Night at the Roxbury barely surpassing the hour mark at 82 minutes.
While audiences adore the dimwitted humor of Kattan and Ferrell, still adoring their comedic stylistic choices today, movie critics refused to give a pass to a one-joke movie based on a barely passable SNL skit. A Night at the Roxbury is one of the many comedy films with a divisive reception, Ebert reviewing it as one of the worst comedies.
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A Night At The Roxbury
Release Date October 1, 1998
Director John Fortenberry , Amy Heckerling
Runtime 81 minutes
Main Genre Comedy
18 'Tommy Boy' (1995)
Directed by Peter Segal
Image Via Paramount Pictures "An assembly of clichés and obligatory scenes from dozens of other movies, all are better,"Tommy Boy may have been a comedy relic for audiences in love with Chris Farley, but for Ebert, it was only worth one star. The Saturday Night Live alum, alongside fellow cast member David Spade, stars as the titular character as he makes a cross-country adventure to find new business to save his deceased father's auto parts empire before his stepmother sells it off. A cliche-filled movie, Ebert ticked off at least seven in his review.
There is no denying the love and nostalgia moviegoers and SNL fans have rewatching this movie; However, Ebert's take aligned closer with the critic consensus, Tommy Boy was a divisive split. Ebert was convinced that "director Peter Segal doesn’t have a clue about comic payoffs," relying on genre source material that doesn't land here and is better left in the movies they originated in.
Release Date March 31, 1995
Runtime 97 Minutes
17 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' (1998)
Directed by Terry Gilliam
Image via Universal Pictures This wild ride of a film was a hit with audiences who could make it through the psychedelic and transcendental trip, but for Ebert, it was "a horrible mess" that went on and on. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is based on the Hunter S. Thompson novel starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro as a journalist and lawyer driving a red convertible across the desert to Las Vegas, consuming an absorbent amount of drugs. Ebert's one-star review questioned who was driving the production of the movie, calling director Terry Gilliam's efforts "not his proudest moment."
Fear and Loathing captured the essence of a disorienting drug trip. Ebert reflects on the appeal and nature of the comedy that comes in the novel and how it is missed in the movie. The entertainment value comes not from the trip and its cyclical set-up and payoff but from the reflection after the fact when the antics are funnier to recount than to engage in. "You have to stand outside the chaos to see its humor," and for this comedy, he was unable to see it.
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Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Release Date May 22, 1998
Director Terry Gilliam
Runtime 118 minutes
16 'Weekend at Bernie's' (1989)
Directed by Ted Kotcheff
Image via Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios While its premise became a pop culture phenomenon and inspiration for future comedies, Weekend at Bernie's was a wasted weekend for Ebert, earning just one star. The movie follows two young insurance executives, Larry (Andrew McCarthy) and Richard (Jonathan Silverman), who join their employer, Bernie (Terry Kiser) for a weekend at his island summer home. However, when they find Bernie murdered, the pair keep a ruse for dozens of people that he's alive until they can figure out who killed their employer. The believability is a key factor in Ebert's negative rating.
Finding comedy with the use of a dead character is rarely successful and almost always in bad taste. With a premise that relies on the stupidity of its supporting and background characters, Weekend at Bernie's is too far of a plausibility stretch to be funny. Ebert rightfully points out that someone would have noticed the signs he wasn't alive and counters that it could have worked as a baseline plot foundation, but not a central scene element.
Release Date July 5, 1989
Director Ted Kotcheff
Cast Andrew McCarthy , Jonathan Silverman , Catherine Mary Stewart , Terry Kiser , Don Calfa , Catherine Parks , Eloise DeJoria , Greg Salata
Runtime 97 Minutes
15 'Jury Duty' (1995)
Directed by John Fortenberry
Image via TriStar Pictures Ebert called this Pauly Shore comedy "another entry in the national Dumbing It Down sweepstakes," comparing Jury Duty to the likes of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Dumb and Dumber, and Tommy Boy. Shore stars as Tommy Collins, an unemployed and homeless male stripper. Tommy hatches a plan to get sequestered for jury duty to get some food, shelter, and money; however, when the plan works, and he ends up in a murder trial, Tommy does everything he can to delay the jury's verdict.
In his unforgiving one-star review, Ebert called Shore's comedic abilities like "transcendent fingernails-on-the-blackboard." The film received backlash for its satirical narrative during the publicized trial of O.J. Simpson, that spanned eight months, during which Jury Duty premiered. Audiences, critics, and Ebert joined in the consensus that Jury Duty is one of the worst comedies.
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Jury Duty
Release Date April 12, 1995
Director John Fortenberry
Runtime 88 minutes
14 'Mr. Magoo' (1997)
Directed by Stanley Tong
Image via Buena Vista Pictures Distribution Not even slapstick comedy legend Leslie Nielsen could save this film enough to gain more than half a star from Ebert. Based on the fictional cartoon, the titular character (Nielsen) is a millionaire who is mistaken for stealing a precious jewel. By his side, as he tracks down the real thieves, are his nephew Waldo (Matt Keeslar) and his beloved bulldog. Disney failed to adapt the famous cartoon source material into something other than one of the worst comedies of all time, according to Ebert.
While Nielsen is known for his buffoon-like comedy, the premise and source material lacked enough script foundation to sustain a full-length film versus the standard cartoon short. Lacking any real sort of substantial comedy, Ebert called it "a one-joke movie without the joke."
Release Date December 25, 1997
Director Stanley Tong
Runtime 88 Minutes
Main Genre Comedy
13 'City Heat' (1984)
Directed by Richard Benjamin
Image via Warner Bros. Despite two mega-talents headlining the feature, this 80s comedy couldn't manage more than half a star from its equally talented reviewer. Burt Reynolds stars opposite Clint Eastwood as a private investigator to his police lieutenant, the pair acting as partners turned enemies, turned partners again to investigate a murder. City Heat's convoluted plot that involves everything but the kitchen sink left Ebert and audiences tracking down leads to find the premise.
The film draws too much inspiration from Eastwood's iconic hero and antihero pictures to find any parodied originality or curated homage, instead attempting to be ironic and failing at landing the joke. A frenemy comedy with serious leading and supporting star power, City Heat remains one of Ebert's worst-rated comedies.
Release Date December 7, 1984
Director Richard Benjamin
Runtime 93 Minutes
12 'Pootie Tang' (2001)
Directed by Louis C.K.
Image via Paramount Pictures Falling into the genre of "what did I just watch," Pootie Tang gained partial credit for trying, losing the other half for feeling obviously incomplete. The titular character, played by Lance Crouther, is a smooth-talking neighborhood hero who speaks only in gibberish. Pootie goes off on a wild adventure to take on various villains, meeting a whole cast of characters along the way. In a difficult-to-explain premise, Ebert does his best to translate what he witnessed onscreen to readers, arguably providing more entertainment than the film itself.
The character was translated from a recurring role on The Chris Rock Sketch Show to a feature-length lead, earning divisive reviews with audiences rating it noticeably higher than Ebert and his fellow critics. The movie is "disorganized, senseless, and chaotic," according to Ebert.Pootie Tang falls victim to comedic greed, taking a good thing in short form and trying to translate it to long-form without enough premise and substance to sustain movie audiences.
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Pootie Tang
Release Date June 29, 2001
Director Louis C.K.
Runtime 81
11 'Death to Smoochy' (2002)
Directed by Danny DeVito
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures A loud, brash, and divisively rated Robin Williams comedy, Death to Smoochy earned only half a star, Ebert calling it "odd, inexplicable, and unpleasant." Williams stars opposite Edward Norton, the pair both children's television hosts competing for the same job. Williams is Rainbow Randolph, disgraced after being fired for a bribery scandal, as he is replaced by Smoochy (Norton). It's a revenge comedy that has recently taken social media by storm, with audiences lip-dubbing the now-iconic "how does it feel" interview scene.
Before clips of the movie were taking the internet by storm, Ebert was forewarning audiences about the film's misfire entry into the genre, including free-for-all language use. Ebert then compares Death to Smoochy to the family-friendly showbiz comedy Big Fat Liar starring Paul Giamatti, the latter movie getting it right in its depiction of and consensus surrounding clowns. Where this Ebert worst-rated comedy fails is in its ability to go all-in on one clown trope, instead going half-and-half with Smoochy and Rainbow only to fail to properly utilize its star power behind them.
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Death to Smoochy
Release Date March 29, 2002
Director Danny DeVito
Runtime 109 Minutes
10 'Company Man' (2000)
Directed by Peter Askin & Douglas McGrath
Image via Paramount Pictures Describing the audience reaction to this comedy as "like a waiting room" with no laughter, Ebert watched Company Man twice to see how the audience reacted, and they weren't amused. The movie is written, co-directed, and stars Douglas McGrath as Allen Quimp, a Connecticut school teacher whose wife (Sigourney Weaver) pressures him to find a better job. While on the job hunt, Allen unexpectedly stumbles into an international espionage plot to overthrow Fidel Castro. With co-stars like Weaver, John Turturro, Denis Leary, and Alan Cumming, Ebert was astonished the comedy could be that bad.
Company Man feels like a mixed bag of poorly executed gimmicks, skits, and recycled material that failed to help the movie solve its identity crisis. Ebert's half-star review admitted that he didn't hold "a frenzy of dislike" for the film, rather a "sullen indifference" while considering his cohort, Gene Siskel's defining criticism question: "Is this movie better than a documentary of the same actors having lunch?" For the entirety of viewers (including Ebert), the answer was no.
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Company Man
Release Date March 9, 2000
Director Douglas McGrath
Runtime 86 minutes
9 'Corky Romano' (2001)
Directed by Rob Pritts
Image via Touchstone Pictures This "desperately unfunny gangster spoof" was another one of Saturday Night Live's cast member's failed medium conversions that earned no love from Ebert, critics, or audiences. Chris Kattan stars as the titular character who gets embroiled in an undercover scheme for his long-lost, now indicted mafia father, Pop (Peter Falk). Corky must infiltrate the FBI and find the evidence against his father. Ebert's half-star review reiterated what he wrote about A Night at the Roxbury, calling Kattan a victim for the third time in movies that Ebert believed would never make it from DVD to VHS.
"'Corky Romano' is like a dead zone of comedy. The concept is exhausted, the ideas are tired, the physical gags are routine, the story is labored, the actors look like they can barely contain their doubts about the project."
Corky Romano's choreographed clumsiness fails, reading as deliberate, and Corky's trusting naivety is inauthentic. SNL fans, moviegoers, critics, and Ebert all came to the agreement that this comedy is another frustrating attempt from small screen entertainers to make a big screen feature.
8 'The Beverly Hillbillies' (1993)
Directed by Penelope Spheeris
Image via 20th Century Fox For Ebert, this big-screen take on the iconic TV family was one of the worst movies of 1993, possibly ever. The Beverly Hillbillies finds Jed Clampett (Jim Varney) moving his family to the posh California neighborhood after striking it rich with oil. The renowned critic had high hopes for the movie after enjoying director Penelope Spheeris's previous work with Wayne's World; however, he felt betrayed when The Beverly Hillbillies failed to meet the comedic expectations and gave the movie only a half-star rating.
The big-screen version of the series failed to improve and take creative comedic risks with the material. Instead, the writers and director abandoned all ambition but somehow managed to remain self-confident, according to Ebert. The performances were nothing spectacular either, with the only appearance that provided any entertainment being Dolly Parton's limited cameo.
Release Date October 15, 1993
Director Penelope Spheeris
Runtime 93 Minutes
Main Genre Comedy
7 'The Hot Chick' (2002)
Directed by Tom Brady
Image via Touchstone Pictures Ebert called this Rob Schneider comedy "too vulgar for anyone under 13, and too dumb for anyone over 13." The critic's distaste for the movie earned The Hot Chick a half-star review and a spot on Ebert's most hated list. Schneider stars in the body-swap comedy where his character, Clive, changes bodies with the popular, mean-spirited Jessica (Rachel McAdams), after a freak encounter with a pair of cursed earrings. The audience, however, sees Schneider physically portray Jessica instead of McAdams with a voice-over.
While most audiences were willing to play along and acknowledge the humor for raunchy, silly, and absurd, critics and Ebert were not. He credited his ability to sit through The Hot Chick in its entirety as a "superhuman effort of will." For the acclaimed critic and many others, there are plenty of body swap films worth much more time than Schneider and director Tom Brady's 2002 entry.
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The Hot Chick
Release Date December 13, 2002
Director Tom Brady
Runtime 97
6 'Police Academy' (1984)
Directed by Hugh Wilson
Image via Warner Bros. In an attempt to capitalize on the satirical genre boom led by Airplane, Police Academy is a comedy movie so bad that Ebert awarded it the detrimental thumbs down, zero stars. When the mayor declares an open call for police academy enrollment, every set of standards goes out the window as recruits of all shapes and sizes enter the academy, forming a class of recruits like no other. Thoughtless and misguided, Police Academy missed the entire definition of satire when it failed to depict with foundational accuracy the very institution it was poking fun at...a police academy.
There are dozens of films that prove the stupid comedy genre works; however, according to Ebert and many other critics, this is not one of them. Police Academy works hard to set up its cast (Steve Guttenberg, G.W. Bailey, Kim Cattrall, Bubba Smith, and Michael Winslow to name a few) but delivers punchline-less jokes where nothing happens, leaving audiences and critics empty-handed.
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Police Academy
Release Date March 22, 1984
Director Hugh Wilson
Runtime 96
5 'Rude Awakening' (1989)
Directed by David Greenwalt and Aaron Russo
Image via Orion Pictures A movie that attempted to dredge up the social-political conflicts of 1969, Ebert declared Rude Awakening a "ham-handed and politically obtuse" failure. The comedy stars Cheech Marin and Eric Roberts as two hippies avoiding the mandatory Vietnam War draft, fleeing to Central America's jungles. Two decades later, they return to New York to publicize top-secret papers containing plans to invade their former home in Central America. Ebert's thumbs-down review asked whether it was best to let the memories of discontent from 1969 to 1989 slip into the past.
Marin's performance did indeed feel nostalgic and familiar, while Roberts donned a serious and rather intense demeanor that doesn't lend to the genre. Rude Awakening contained more than enough "excruciatingly bad comedy" as it approached its heavy theme from the wrong angle, settling for a shallow and complete miss.
Release Date August 16, 1989
Runtime 98 Minutes
Main Genre Comedy
4 'Freddy Got Fingered' (2001)
Directed by Tom Green
Image via 20th Century Studios Predicting a movie like Freddy Got Fingered was not far off with movies like Joe Dirt preceding it, Ebert wasn't surprised at its release and named it one of the worst comedy movies with his 0-star rating. After moving back in with his parents, Gord (Tom Green) wears out his welcome, butting heads with his father, Jim (Rip Torn), about his career choices as a failing cartoonist. To get back at his father, Gord spreads a false accusation that Jim is sexually abusing his younger brother, Freddy (Eddie Kaye Thomas). Ebert called the film a "vomitorium," saying, "The day may never come when it is seen as funny."
Freddy Got Fingered is an unhinged entry in the genre, catering to a niche sense of humor that boldly did not align with Ebert or a majority of critics and audiences. Writer, director, and star Tom Green is unapologetic in his alienation of an entire genre audience with antics and bits that Ebert wrote, "a geek in a carnival sideshow would turn down."
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Freddy Got Fingered
Release Date April 20, 2001
Director Tom Green
Runtime 87 minutes
Main Genre Comedy
3 'Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo' (2005)
Directed by Mike Bigelow
Image via Happy Madison Reaching a "new giga-low," this sequel was a thumbs-down type of movie, winding up on Ebert's Most Hated List. Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo sees Rob Schneider return as the titular character, this time visiting his friend, T.J. (Eddie Griffin), in Amsterdam. Deuce once again partakes in prostitution; however, there is a killer loose targeting male prostitutes. Ebert's zero-star review called the sequel "aggressively bad," with the only saving grace being the movie's runtime of 75 minutes.
Letting the premise of the movie do the talking to justify his scathing rating, Ebert spent his time detailing Schneider's beef with Los Angeles Times writer Patrick Goldstein, who criticized the studio that made the film in his piece about snubbed Oscar movies. Schneider fired back by attacking Goldstein's credentials and lack of awards, including a Pulitzer. Coming to Goldstein's defense, Ebert set the record straight for Schneider that Goldstein had in fact won multiple journalism awards and bit back in his review, creating his own feud with the comedy star.
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Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo
Release Date August 12, 2005
Director Mike Bigelow
Runtime 77 minutes
Main Genre Comedy
2 'Little Indian, Big City' (1994)
Directed by Hervé Palud
Image via Pathé Opening his review stating this movie "is one of the worst movies ever made," Ebert afforded this English-dubbed film no stars. The French film is the story of a man (Thierry Lhermitte) seeking a divorce who travels to an Amazon village to find his soon-to-be ex-wife (Miou-Miou) and get her signature. Once there, he discovers he has a son (Ludwig Briand) who was raised as a native. When a turn of events forces him to bring his son back to Paris, both their worlds are turned upside down. Ebert despised Little Indian, Big City so much he felt that it would "demean the fine word 'comedy'" to use it in reference to the movie.
Besides its hollow premise, the dubbing is a feat the film never overcomes as the language translation is glaringly off rhythm and rewritten to match the length of dialogue spoken by the original actors. Three years later, Disney would produce its version of the premise, character for character, scene for scene, with the Tim Allen-led feature Jungle 2 Jungle. That film earned a single star from Ebert, a step up from its source material.
Release Date December 20, 1994
Director Hervé Palud
Cast Thierry Lhermitte , Patrick Timsit , Ludwig Briand , Miou-Miou , Arielle Dombasle , Sonia Vollereaux , Tolsty , Jackie Berroyer , Marc de Jonge , Louba Guertchikoff , Philippe Bruneau , Dominique Besnehard , Cheik Doukouré , Marie-Charlotte Leclaire , Olga Jirouskova , Chick Ortega , Paco Portero , Sonia Lezinska , Marc Brunet , Olivier Hémon
Runtime 90 Minutes
1 'North' (1994)
Directed by Rob Reiner
Image via New Line Cinema In one of his most scathing 0-star reviews, Ebert expressed his extreme disdain and outrage at this Rob Reiner-helmed feature. North stars a young Elijah Wood as the titular character who is on the search for new parents after going to court to release himself from his inattentive biological parents (Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jason Alexander). A media sensation, North travels around the world hoping to find the perfect new mom and dad while simultaneously inspiring other children to emancipate themselves. Ebert's infamous review declared his hatred for everything about this movie.
Describing it "manipulative" and "deeply flawed," Ebert additionally called out North for also victimizing its wide range of supporting stars (Dan Aykroyd, Kathy Bates, Alan Arkin, Bruce Willis, and more, in its quest to depict a fantasy that lacks any sort of entertainment value or emotional intelligence. The film tries to capitalize on the outlandish imaginative illusions of children while completely misfiring on a sensitive topic for its target audience.
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