Ebert was later to refer to "Tombstone" in future reviews, comparing it favorably to Kevin Costner's "Wyatt Earp" ("It forced the comparison upon me.") and, in his review of "Wild Bill", singling out Val Kilmer's portrayal as "the definitive saloon cowboy of our time." In his review of Kurt Russell's "Dark Blue", he stated, "Every time I see Russell or Val Kilmer in a role, I'm reminded of their "Tombstone", which got lost in the year-end holiday shuffle and never got the recognition it deserved."