Rating: 
Summary: A Monument to Classic Campy Sci-Fi
Review: It's 1979 - Hyde Park, New York. The Roosevelt Theater still only has one screen and this weekend we are being favored with this new Sci-Fi flick from Disney, coming in under the wake of Star Wars and the promise of its sequel just around the corner the following summer. The lights go down and the overture begins. At eight years old I start getting fidgety because I'm just listening to music and looking at a stationary matte of stars.All of a sudden, the music turns more ominous and a bright green grid begins scrolling accross the screen, then filling it. Roll the credits. From that moment on, I was captured. "The Black Hole" is truly one of the many classics in the world of Sci-Fi and it had the same campy feel of it's many predecessors including Disney's own "Forbidden Planet" which I had seen only a year or so earlier and which had the same affect on me. It also reminded me of the film which made "Klaatu Barada Nicto" an American catch-phrase, "The Day the Earth Stood Still" with its seeming refusal to let the audience in on all the details until we've had time to form our own ideas...and have them crushed. Over the course of the next hour-and-a-half I was favored with the exhilaratingly dark story of Dr. Reinhardt, Maximilian and the horrific truth about the Cygnus and the fate of its crew. While the story did seem a bit slow and lacking in action at times, it was extremely imaginative and it let the world know that the Sci-Fi genre was still alive and well outside the Star Wars Universe. It also showcased the classic Disney style of integrating stunning visual imagery without spoonfeeding interpretation, just as they did in "Fantasia." But among the many accomplishments enjoyed by "The Black Hole", the greatest of these had to be its moral message about the dangers of sacrificing humanity for the efficiency of machines. When the line between the two grows excessively thin there are serious repercussions. This message is particularly true today in this world of automated everything and the rapid decrease in necessity of human beings with feelings and emotions in the advancement of society. I shudder to think what this world would be like if the Dr. Reinhardts of the world were to someday get their way. The DVD edition of this film recaptures all the wonder of the theatrical release, but captures little more. It's a real bargain basement kind of product with little in the area of extras. There was room for them, and there was far more that could have been done in terms of mulitple audio tracks and extra footage. Unfortunately such things are, in general, not a major concern to the Disney company and it's something we deal with when buying their products. Fortunately, I wasn't looking for a lot of extras - just a durable copy of a good movie. I think in that regard the DVD definitely delivers.
Rating: 
Summary: Bad soap opera in space.
Review: Dreadful "sci-fi/fantasy" with all-star cast embarrassingly plodding through inept story of madman Maximillian Schell attempting to wreck havoc. There is absolutely no action, just talk, talk talk talk. When you think they'll stop, they talk some more. Even Susan Lucci wouldn't be caught dead in this lame soap opera in the sky.
Rating: 
Summary: I was a little disappointed
Review: I think the only thing that earned three stars for this movie is the special effects, and maybe the musical score. The story sounded very interesting on the back of the video case, but seemed a little cheesy due to the terrible robot effects(the robots were ridiculous to say the least). The psychic also was a stupid character. Never the less I think what is so eyepopping about movies such as this and the Star Wars Trilogy(and other 70's and 80's sci-fi) is that the special effects took inagination and creativity rather than a high tech computer. You have to appreciate the time it took for early sci-fi movie makers to build the models of ships, space stations, etc. In retrospect I don't regret buying this movie I just wish I had gotten the wide screen version instead.
Rating:
Summary: Great to look at.
Review: Okay, so the plot of this STAR WARS imitation suffers from a lot of "black holes" of it own (Why does Rhinehart ask the girl to protect him from Maxmillian? How can V.I.N.C.E.N.T drill a hole into Maxmillian's hide when lasers can't make a dent? How are the good guys able to survive the atmosphere of space?). Despite these defects, THE BLACK HOLE does have some assets worth seeing, especially as seen through Anchor Bay's new widescreen edition. The special effects are excellent (although the rolling meteor is downright silly, it is still convincing), the production designs, like the skeletal ship and bridge, are marvelous (although the matting between effect and film are sometimes noticeable, it mostly fits nicely), and John Barry orchestrates a fine score. Lousy in human element and story, THE BLACK HOLE is nevertheless brilliant in the visual department.
Rating: 
Summary: An excellent film, but poor DVD.
Review: The Black Hole is a true classic. The soundtrack is one of the best of any movie, proper to the tone and scope of the subject matter in every way (if only it was available on CD). The designs of the ship and all the elements was excellent and still look great. The movie is a bit cokey and cheesy, but it was meant to appeal to children making this forgivable. It doesn't take away too much from the entertaining value for adults. If you've never seen this film in widescreen, or at all, then go out and buy it. If you only saw the poor rental video verions, then go out and buy it. BUT WAIT... You must know that the DVD version has many things that suck. Disney seems to have decided that their classics should be released in this new format and since they're in financial trouble that they should charge more for it than other companies' DVDs, but not run the expense of adding anything extra to it to make the value worthwile. The movie looks brand new, YES, but that's it. You may as well be watching the VHS widescreen collector's edition which just came out as well and also looks brand new. There are NO features except for a crappy version of the trailer. You'd expect a kids film to be in many languages to have the broadest appeal (especially for the expensive price), but NO. Think about the VHS widescreen edition, if not, then buy it at Amazon, where it is cheaper. Compare it to other DVD's you own, and let Disney know about it. In conclusion, though, I must be fair to this movie in the sense that it is awesome. Enjoyable for people of all ages. You'll especially love the soundtrack, and the ship design doesn't look dated. Even the old effects look better than some "modern" CGI effects. Take a look, you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Disney Has Got to release the Soundtrack.
Review: The Only reason why i am giving this movie 3 stars is because of composer John Barry's Marvolous score in the beginning and throughout if disney would release the soundtrack i would buy it in a heartbeat.
Rating:
Summary: No need for apologies ... terrific movie
Review: There actually is no need to preamble this movie with "Keep in mind when this movie was made ... " The Black Hole looks great for any decade. Coming off the heels of Star Wars, this movie took the daring step of being a dark and sinister vision, rather than key-lit eye-candy. It is a masterpiece of set design, and the score (remember the Overture at the beginning) is ambitious and grand. The acting? It rises to the hokey script and that is good enough. This is sci-fi, not Arthur Miller ... it's people running around firing laser pistols. This movie is a terrific vision and an arresting movie. No apologies necessary.
Rating:
Summary: it was a 70's type of space movie
Review: I thought that it was a great movie,the wide screen version has seens that they cut out in the black holes first release on video. the picture quality was exelent. If you have kids and they like star wars they would like the black hole. But there is that one part where the robot kills a man with knife blades but there is not any blood. I thought it was a good movie.
Rating:
Summary: Better than most newer sci-fi!
Review: After waiting what seems an eternity, they've finally released this film to high-quality video and DVD. The quality of the transfer is so good that you see things you didn't before on the first release in the early eighties. I am someone who highly appreciates the older style pre-digital era of models and wires, and the sheer craftsmanship of the special effects and miniature work is awesome indeed, rivalling 2001 for it's splendour, plus it's nice to know that it was all crafted by human hands rather than just churned out on a cumputer keyboard like so much is today. True, the live action and acting could use some work and there are more scientific and physical inconsistencies and flaws (done for dramatic license no doubt) than there should be, but still, it's a lot better than some of the junk that's put out now! (the incredibly horrible "Starship Troopers" comes shudderingly to mind!!) The nostalgia factor for those of us who grew up in the 7eventies is powerful, but for those of you who have not seen the film ever before, you need to remember WHEN the film was made and try to enjoy it for the art that it is rather than try to make something truly meaningful out of it. (I sometimes wonder if the reviewers who trashed the movie as they did ever enjoyed entertainment for it's own sake!) But if you like seventies sci-fi and can enjoy a film that is designed solely to entertain, you'll love "The Black Hole". It is definitely a unique piece of work.
Rating:
Summary: Visually stunning film w/outstanding score & fair dialogue
Review: If you were fortunate enough to be an impressionable kid when this movie was released, this is probably one of your favorites; it certainly is one of mine. Today's younger generation--spoiled by the modern special effects of the '90's--probably won't appreciate what was accomplished in this film in 1979. What was accomplished is a visually stunning film whose only drawback is an average script with a few cheesy/corny lines built in. But the story line is still intriguing and inspires thought, the musical score is absolutely fantastic, and the special effects, though 20 years old, are still better than some of the overhyped effects of more modern movies. The hologram and opening shots of The Black Hole in the beginning are neat; and the suspense/tension of the first 15 minutes and last 15 minutes are the highlights of the film. (Isn't the Cygnus a creepy sight to behold darkened and drifting in space? How would you like Maximillian chasing you around a fragmenting ship with those metallic pincers spinning?) What's in the middle isn't too bad either. (Remember this is a kid's flick, that's why we have BOB and VINCENT) With the proper perspective and atmosphere, this can be a very enjoyable film--surround sound and a big screen TV are a must, along with nighttime viewing in a dark room. So buy or rent this cult classic, and go in, through, and beyond! And please Disney, how about releasing the soundtrack on CD?
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