I'm not sure that it's entirely accurate to say that "later decided he didn't care for it". I think that it was more like he decided that it might not work for audiences that had not seen the musical. He had said that he liked it based seeing the show.
He originally gave it three stars in his review in the newspaper and on the web but decided later to change that to two and a half stars:
"Note: I gave the movie a "marginal thumbs up" on "Ebert & Roeper" because I felt people might want to see it based on what was good in it, but I am fine-tuning that to a **1/2 rating because, on the whole, I don't think the movie really works on its own, without reference to the theatrical version."
Ebert's RENT Review
"Smart! And into all those exotic mystiques -- The Kama Sutra and Chinese techniques. I hear she knows more than seventy-five. Call me tomorrow if you're still alive!"
Updated On: 12/12/05 at 11:26 AM