One of the many reasons I value Ebert is that when I read his reviews, I can tell if a movie will be worth my time, regardless of his assessment of the film. I

One of the many reasons I value Ebert is that when I read his reviews, I can tell if a movie will be worth my time, regardless of his assessment of the film. I love some films he hated and I hate some films he loved, but I've never felt like a single review has led me to waste my time on a bad film, even though he personally enjoyed many bad films. The trick is to actually read his writing and ignore the stars. The stars are secondary, and he says as much - he only attaches them to reviews because the customers demand them. See, here's the thing: Ebert was great as a writer, not as a movie star-giving guy.