Steve Martin's Only Sci-Fi Movie Is A Classic That Roger Ebert Begrudgingly Complimented

Most movie fans have fallen for Steve Martin's charms, but Roger Ebert wasn't his biggest stan. While he rightfully gave a perfect score to "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles," the critic openly admitted that he was in the minority of people who weren't awestruck by the comedian. Still, that didn't stop him from enjoying "The Man with Two Brains," the only sci-fi movie Martin has lent his talents to thus far.

"I've never found Steve Martin irresistibly funny," Ebert wrote in his two-star review. "I guess it's a tribute to 'The Man With Two Brains' that I found myself laughing a fair amount of the time, despite my feelings about Martin." Add this one to the list of sci-fi movies Ebert liked.

Directed by Carl Reiner, "The Man with Two Brains" isn't the funniest movie of all time, but it is pretty darn hilarious. It tells the story of Michael Hfuhruhurr (Martin), an egotistical doctor who falls in love with a talking brain that lives in a jar. There's also a serial killer — who terrorizes people in elevators — on the loose, and Michael's actual wife is a gold digger.

In more serious hands, "The Man with Two Brains" could have been a more terrifying sci-fi horror movie. With Reiner and Martin at the helm, though, it's a glorious spoof. With that said, what did other critics have to say about it?

Roger Ebert wasn't the only critic who enjoyed "The Man with Two Brains." Pauline Kael, writing for the New Yorker, praised the movie, noting that it works due to Steve Martin's unhinged performance. "When he leers in 'The Man with Two Brains,' he leers triumphantly, like a baby grinning and dribbling milk out of its first few teeth. The performance is shameless, stupid fun."

Elsewhere, Inverse critic Jon O'Brien believes that "The Man with Two Brains" is one of Martin's most underappreciated gems, even if it doesn't allow him to showcase his more dramatic sensibilities. Still, a movie that does stupid well is great enough in its own right. "'The Man with Two Brains' is often ignored when discussing Martin's career greats. But while he undoubtedly went on to deliver more nuanced work, it shows him at his consistently funniest and most committed."

Martin has starred in so many great movies that it's easy to overlook some as all-timers. However, "The Man with Two Brains" deserves some reappraisal, as it allows the actor to unleash one of his wackiest performances.