Holes 2003
This is a neat story that only kid’s books (and movies) can get away with. There are outsized characters, crazy things like magic onions and 11-spotted lizards, destiny, curses, and everything ties neatly together at the end. I mean everything.
With a cast consisting mostly of teenage boys, you’re not looking for Oscar contenders. And the production generally seemed underbudgeted with some bad CGI effects and a TV-movie feel. Jon Voight is good as a crusty boys prison supervisor and the dumb guy from O Brother Where Art Thou reprises that role as the camp counselor (very much like Jim Varney’s Ernest). Sigourney Weaver brings some depth to her role. Henry Winkler is a throw-away as the father and there are some other performances by less knowns. Nothing great, but a strong supporting cast.
The story is the star of the show and it’s a lot of fun watching all the events unroll. There are historical flashbacks to at least two preceding stories plus various stories going on even within those. It makes the movie feel very choppy, especially at the beginning, but by the end when things start to fit together it all works.
So this definitely isn’t great movie-making but it is a fun story and is very entertaining throughout. I’ll give it an A-.
Owned on: Digital