Review of Holes (2003) by Terminator 8 — 24 Sep 2015

Holes is an extremely unique family film. Its nature is so gritty and surreal that it at times feels it isn't even a Disney film. With a stellar cast of characters (as far as the main ones, some of the other hole diggers are a little dull) and a thrilling realistic story, Holes is a great unique addition to my review collection.

Stanley Yelnatz, wrongfully accused of stealing a famous baseball player's famed shoes, is sent to a far off Texas camp for a year and a half where he digs holes for no real reason, following the commands of unruly authority figures. Stanley meets many friends there that bond together to strike back against their authority, specifically Zero, a quiet yet misunderstood boy who Stanley befriends.

Holes is one of the better book to film adaptations. The cast of characters is great, the story is extraordinarily unique and gritty, and the background of the location serves well for its tone. Shia is at his short lived best and arguably only good film role, as well as Jon Voight's performance as Mr. Sir. Cons include some oddly focused storylines. The film tends to occasionally drift off into the past to follow an misunderstood and infamous outlaw cowgirl - these scenes show that the majority of the main characters are tied in somehow ancestrially but are somewhat unneeded. Another unneeded storyline is the occasional drifting off to Stanley's dysfunctional family life back home where his father annoys the family by attempting a cure at foot odor - these scenes get in the way of the tone and are somewhat of a drag. Nonetheless, Holes takes a leap to capture what the book envisioned and not the cliche of most Disney or family films.