Manic Expression

Poor Roger Ebert. Earlier this year, the legendary 67-year-old film critic gave a negative review to the movie Kick Ass, and boy did it blow up in his face.

Comic book "artist" Rob Liefeld wrote this on Twitter: “Roger Ebert is a MASSIVE TOOL! his review of Kick-A$$ sums up old school reviewers and how worthlessly out of touch they are! Moron.” ...Ah, how refreshing—a well thought out, very mature posting on Twitter. Bravo!

Then came an article over on entertainment.gather.com, which zeroed in on Ebert’s review and basically called him an out of touch hypocrite, saying that the man who raved over Pulp Fiction has no right to call Kick Ass too violent.

I saw Kick Ass when it came out on DVD, and I enjoyed it. The violence didn’t bother me, nor did the portrayal of a young girl as a cussing, murdering vigilante. Violence rarely upsets me unless its in a realistic setting, like Schindler’s List. Kick Ass was just a silly, fun little comic book movie, I didn’t take it seriously.

I don’t have a problem with Kick Ass portraying an 11-year-old girl as a stone cold killer, but Roger Ebert does. As he put it in his review, the fact that violence and death are constant threats at our schools these days should inform this movie. Maybe Hit Girl should have some reservations about what she’s doing. Maybe Big Daddy should sit her down and have a talk with her about death. Does Roger have a point there? ...Maybe he does, I don’t know.

What I do know is that Roger Ebert is entitled to his opinion. As a matter of fact, I believe he gets paid to give his opinion. If he had a problem with Kick Ass, it was his job to report it. Unlike Rob Liefeld, whose just some prick with a Twitter account, Roger Ebert is a professional reporter, and very well respected (again, unlike Rob Liefeld). 

I don’t always agree with Roger’s reviews, but I respect his opinion. I grew up watching At The Movies, and I still visit the website to get Ebert’s take on films. I did my best to give the new critics on the show a chance, but it just wasn’t the same without at least half of the classic Siskel and Ebert. No one will ever take their places.

Roger started his review of Kick Ass by saying, “Shall I have feelings, or shall I pretend to be cool?” He knew what was coming. He knew he would be accused of being an out-of-touch geezer who just didn’t get it. He didn’t care. He gave his fans his honest opinion, and to hell with what everyone thought of him.

Its a goddamn shame in this day and age when men like Roger Ebert have to spend their twilight years having loud mouth, shit-for-brains losers call them names on-line for everyone to see. The man is not in good health, having barely survived cancer, and yet jack-asses like Liefeld and the hacks over on entertainment.gather.com show him no respect or consideration. Is Roger Ebert not allowed to have an opinion? Is he too old, or not cool enough, to have a voice any more?

There was a time in this country when we respected our elders, even if we didn’t agree with them. Now? Now we make fun of them, laugh and point and say, “You just don’t get it, old man!” Roger Ebert deserves better for his lifetime of devotion to the art of film. He deserves a little fucking respect, and the right to not like a movie for whatever goddamn reason he wants.