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It’s almost impossible to overstate ’s influence on the art of film criticism. In a profession widely regarded as elitist for years, Ebert reviewed movies from a purely emotional perspective. Yet, he also possessed an uncanny understanding of craft, and he could discuss film in a way that was accessible to everyone. While famous for his scathing takedowns of movies he disliked, he was also the most vocal champion of movies like My Dinner with Andre and Hoop Dreams, and played a key role in helping them gain recognition.

But just as legendary as his career was his camaraderie with his colleague and rival, Gene Siskel. For over a decade, they hosted the show At the Movies, later renamed Siskel and Ebert, which saw them collectively review each week’s new releases. While they usually agreed, they disagreed just as often, and many people simply tuned in to watch them bicker; many even speculated for years that they genuinely hated each other. But while their arguments over classics like Blue Velvet and Full Metal Jacket remain legendary to this day, one film divided them more than any other: .

In 1993, Burt Reynolds starred in the family comedy Cop and a Half, directed by Henry Winkler (yes, that one). In the movie, he plays veteran detective Nick McKenna, who crosses paths with eight-year-old Devon Butler (Norman D. Golden II), who dreams of being a cop. Amusingly, Butler has witnessed a murder, but he refuses to divulge the information unless McKenna makes him a cop.

. But while the final film proved surprisingly profitable, grossing over $40 million worldwide on a budget of only $14 million, it was widely panned by critics. Most saw the premise as too absurd to work even as a joke, and Reynolds’ performance was especially singled out as tired and disinterested (he was in the midst of a career slump, until Boogie Nights four years later proved a minor comeback).

Despite the almost unanimously poor buzz, Roger Ebert gave a fairly positive review to Cop and a Half. Awarding it three stars out of a possible four, he stated, “There isn't much that's original in Cop and a Half, but there's a lot that's entertaining, and there's a winning performance by a young man with a big name, Norman D. Golden II.” He even complimented Reynolds’ performance and praised his good-hearted nature.

Of course, . Over the years, he gave negative reviews to widely loved movies, such as Die Hard, Blue Velvet, and The Usual Suspects, which often led to his aforementioned arguments with Gene Siskel.

. Gene Siskel (who was always noticeably snobbier than Ebert) hated the film, panning the performances of Reynolds and Golden. When they reviewed the movie on their show, after Ebert gave his positive remarks, Siskel snarked, “Wow, where’s your big red suit and beard, Santa? You just gave them a gift.” A minute later, he jabbed again: “I’m stunned, Roger.”

Their fight over Cop and a Half continued through to the end of the year, when Siskel named it the worst movie of 1993: “The only thing more unnerving than this picture is my esteemed colleague, across the aisle, so wise, so often, is the only major film critic in America who actually recommended Cop and a Half.” Yet Ebert didn’t rescind his endorsement, and in a hilarious act of revenge, he named his worst of the year a film that Siskel had given a “thumbs up” to — the sci-fi horror flick Carnosaur.

. Funniest of all, after the first and only time Ebert got his colleague to change his initially positive opinion on a film (for 1996’s Broken Arrow), Siskel interjected, “Do me one favor, look in the camera and say, ‘I was wrong about Cop and a Half, it wasn’t a very good movie.’” Even three years later, Ebert refused to back down, to Siskel’s continued bewilderment.

As baffling as Roger Ebert’s review of Cop and a Half admittedly is, , no matter what everyone else thought. There is something darkly hilarious about the fact that his most venomous fights with Gene Siskel came not from beloved classics like Full Metal Jacket or Blue Velvet, but from Cop and a Half. Cop and a Half is available to rent on Apple TV+ and Prime Video.