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| View Larger Image | The Black Hole | DVDStarring: Ernest Borgnine, Joseph Bottoms, Robert Forster, Roddy McDowall, Tommy McLoughlin
Also With: Anthony Perkins (Primary Contributor), Maximilian Schell (Primary Contributor)
| List Price: | $24.98 | |
| | Binding: | DVD | | Rating: |  | | Run Time: | 98 minutes | | Format: | Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, Letterboxed, Original recording remastered, Widescreen, NTSC | | Studio: | Starz / Anchor Bay | | Number of Discs: | 1 | | Aspect Ratio: | 1.33:1 | | Release Date: | March 30, 1999 | | Sales Rank: | 79,624th |
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Amazon.com
Disney's foray into big-budget science fiction, close on the heels of Star Wars, had some of the most impressive special effects to grace theater screens in the 1970s. Graced by handsome production design--most notably a glass and latticework interstellar craft that looks like a battleship crossed with a modern skyscraper--The Black Hole is in many ways the most beautiful science fiction film of its era. Unfortunately, the graceful and gorgeous picture is jarred by dialogue that wouldn't pass muster in a comic book and a silly conclusion that plays like a murky, dime-store knockoff of 2001. Too bad, because the visual realization of the film is a veritable haunted house of futuristic phenomena, from the cloaked zombie-like drones shuffling through corridors to the devilish, crimson robot Maximillian, the strong arm of the mad scientist played by Maximilian Schell (a kind of wild man Captain Nemo with an even more ruthless temperament). Only the way-too-cute robot V.I.N.CENT (voiced by Roddy McDowall), a merchandising gimmick that looks like a Fisher-Price toy, mars the technological landscape. Robert Forster is the quietly authoritative captain of an exploration ship that stumbles across the seemingly derelict ship, and Anthony Perkins, Yvette Mimieux, Ernest Borgnine, and Joseph Bottoms fill out his crew. This is one case of a triumph of art direction and special effects over story--it's worth sitting through it to see the magnificent scene of the fireball rolling through the ship's enormous hull alone. The rest is just atmospheric gravy. --Sean Axmaker |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 3.5 based on 175 reviews)
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Very different disney film by Ronald L. Ferrell Jr. (McDermott,Ohio)  4 Stars
September 22, 2009
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2DD8N8L7HVVWN
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Black Hole Review by Alfredo E. Garcia (Shreveport, LA)  5 Stars
June 10, 2009
Just like I remembered it back then when it came out. It was nice to see it on DVD again. Special effects were advanced for that time.
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My kids liked it by Christopher A. Wilson 4 Stars
January 04, 2009
As with the other reviews, the ship takes the cake, however I guess my memory of this movie was better than what I saw recently. It is a classic disney film with all of the quirks and foibles associated with it. I got this for the kids over the holidays and watched it with them, they were a little confused at the end but liked it overall. We had recently watched bedknobs and broomsticks and it has that same overall feel.....it's hard to explain other than to say "Classic Disney". I would recommend for anyone looking to round out their movie collection, especially if you thought this was a good flick as a kid (and have some of your own now...).
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Great sci-fi! by Jon Remy (DFW, TX USA) 5 Stars
December 11, 2008
If it's sci-fi, I'll watch it! The Black Hole is a movie I'll watch over and over again. It may have gotten a bad rap, but I'm very pleased with it. I'm surprised it didn't do better since I think most younger kids would really enjoy this movie. The music soundtrack is also wonderful!
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First 3/4's Great! Finale...Hmmm by Just Anonymous (Georgia, USA) 4 Stars
December 07, 2008
I loved this movie when I first saw it as a kid in 1979 and this is truly a kids film
This movie was Disney's response to Star Wars.
The story goes as follows. The Cygnus was the first and apparently last of a vast program to explore the stars. The Cygnus was as vast as a city and as well armed as a battleship. It carried a large crew. Unfortunately, after it was lost without anyone hearing from it -- space exploration went a different route....smaller ships like Palomino were sent out to explore the cosmos for life (mostly in vain).
As the Palomino with its small crew featuring Ernest Borgnine, a few other crew members, and V.I.N.C.E.N.T - the ship's robot, are making their way back to Earth they detect a massive black hole.
Caught at the very edge of the Black hole's gravity but not falling in they detect a ship. It turns out to be the Cygnus.
I won't spoil the story beyond that but suffice it to say that the first 3/4 of the movie make great scientific sense. Even when the pyrotechnics start, its wonderfully beautiful -- but the very last finale of the movie falls apart into metaphysical mumbo jumbo many times that's more reminiscent of the psychadelic 60s. In its defense, the finale does tend to be somewhat poetic, is visually beautiful, but somehow it seems out of place for a movie that seems so well grounded in science for the first 3/4s of it. Poetic ending, yes, beautiful yes....but the movie could have done with a more balanced ending.
The movie's special effects, acting, animation, robots are all great.
Beware though, if you saw this movie as a kid and see it as an adult expecting that same wonder that you felt as a kid - you might be dissappointed. The robots look a bit rigid and like they're made of cardboard -- but VINCENT's and BOBs personalities steal the show. The movie is dated, not quite as tightly woven as you probably remember. Its a fun romp through memory lane though.
I own the movie, if that says anything.
If you don't like sci fi - stay away.
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