It’s been a long while since Joe Dante took to the director’s chair for a big-screen outing – not since 2003’s Looney Tunes: Back in Action in fact (ahem). But his name still rekindles fond memories of such 80s classics as Gremlins, Innerspace, and The ‘burbs – the kind of VHS fodder played over and again until the tape got worn, the sort of movies that defined a generation of fanboys. So with the release of kiddie-friendly The Hole last year, we had to ask – does Dante still have the magic? And now with the DVD release, we can ask further – does The Hole have the capacity to define a whole new generation?
Fortunately, The Hole works. It’s not for everyone, that’s for sure – horror hounds may find it too family friendly, whereas some families may find it too damn scary. But overall, Dante has created an affecting, creepy little movie from a sound script by Mark L. Smith.
The story of brothers Dane and Lucas works on most levels. As they mysteriously move from town to town, avoiding something unspoken from their past, viewers will engage easily with the enigma at the heart of this troubled family. Of course, the enigma doesn’t last all that long, as some twists and turns are unfortunately predictable. But still, the story is involving enough and there’s a suitable darkness behind the flowerly, formulaic family dynamics. There’s some good creepy-clown action, high tension, and genuine mystery about the hole that burrows beneath their house.
The story does plod along a little, bringing out one convoluted plot-point too many (hey, I left my sketchbook at the underground lair of the weird old guy who seems to know what’s going on), and though the pace never reaches the point of screaming ‘Get down the hole, already!’ it’s not far off. Despite this, there is something about The Hole that inspires memories of the childlike fun behind many 80s (read old-school Dante’s) films. It’s hard to know exactly what it is – be it the sense of adventure, the innocent relationships between its young leads, or the fact that the adults are either absent, a threat, or completely clueless. Whatever, there is undoubtedly something Goonies-‘burbs-Moster Squad-esque about this movie. And what’s wrong with that? In this day and age it’s refreshing to see some innocent fun – with much horror leaning towards seriously dark or gory content, and most family movies awash with Hollywood nonsense and stomach-churning sentimentality, it’s good to see Dante bring the two together for an all round satisfying movie experience.
But the thing to remember here is that the DVD release is markedly different from the cinema version, and it’s this that could cause an issue in regarding this movie as a future home-video classic. The Hole was, of course, one of the most high profile 3D releases last year, and the promotional campaign very much focused on this aspect. The three dimensions are not replicated on this DVD release and there is always a concern that once this spectacle is removed, the film will fall flat. Luckily, Dante has focused on story and character (textbook perhaps, but well rounded none the less), so the lack of 3D visuals isn’t as big an issue as one might expect. Sure, it’s frustrating having to watch camera angles and action sequences specifically designed to utilize the SFX, but at least this reiterates that 3D is not the be all and end all – story and character reign supreme.
It’s good to see that Joe Dante hasn’t completely lost his touch, as a few of the old guard most certainly have (stand up, Carpenter, Landis, and Reitman). And who knows, maybe this will catch on as a childhood favourite? It certainly boasts a number of traits that are reminiscent of previous classics, and though it treads the line of formula and familiarity, there’s no denying that it grips, scares, and emotes in all the right places. Just as The Hole is about a darkened tunnel straight to your darkest fears, maybe it could also be a jolly old passage straight to movies of yesteryear…
The Hole is available on DVD and Blu-Ray now.
