(c) Disney

And herein lies the fault of director Davis: with all this zipping back and forth in time, which jars instead of flows, the film lacks a sufficient pace and tone, failing to capitalize on the whimsical aspects of Sachar’s story. For example, the deadly yellow-spotted lizards that inhabit the Camp’s desert setting are rendered with obvious computer-aided imagery, a high tech solution to what should have been a natural creepiness; what, no lizard wranglers available? Early in the film, Davis settles for a cliché-ridden camaraderie among the boys, using every prison/war/schoolyard trick in the cinematic book.

Such lazy handling undercuts Sachar’s surprisingly strong script (notably, his first screenplay), but eventually Davis stumbles onto a groove, despite himself, that brings all the loose elements (peaches and onions, holes dug and un-dug, the old and the new West) together for a final, satisfying denouement, rather neatly and tidily for such a ‘dirty’ movie.

And that’s something to be said in a time when that other, more famous literary kids’ adventure lumbers along endlessly from sequel to sequel …

Toon Talk Trivia:

• Originally published in 1998, Louis Sachar’s Holes won the Newbery Medal and the National Book Award for children’s literature.
• Sachar himself can be seen in the film, in a cameo appearance in the Old West scenes.
• Oscar-winner Jon Voight (Coming Home) played FDR in Disney’s war epic Pearl Harbor.
• In addition to Even Stevens, Shia LaBeouf has appeared in such Disney Channel favorites as The Movie Surfers, The Proud Family and the upcoming The Stevens Get Even TV movie.
• Brenden Jefferson (X-Ray) has also appeared on Even Stevens.
• Just like a war movie, LaBeouf and his fellow cast-/inmates participated in a two-week, hole-diggin’ ‘boot camp’ prior to filming.
• The fabulous Eartha Kitt was the fabulous Yzma in The Emperor’s New Groove. She also starred in Ernest Scared Stupid.
• Holes composer Joel McNeely also wrote the scores for The Jungle Book 2, Return to Never Land, Santa Who?, Iron Will, Polly: Comin’ Home, Parent Trap III, Parent Trap: Hawaiian Honeymoon and Splash, Too.

Coming Soon:

• A Robert Louis Stevenson double feature hits DVD players April 29^th: the original live action classic Treasure Island and the Oscar-nominated animated adventure Treasure Planet.
• Disney Channel favorite, Hilary Duff, makes the leap to the big screen in The Lizzie McGuire Movie, opening May 2^nd.
• Get ready to empty your Mickey Mouse piggy banks: May 20^th is a big day for Disney DVD fans, with no less then four new releases: the Special Editions of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Love Bug and The Rescuers, plus the video premiere Atlantis II: Milo’s Return.

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-- Kirby C. Holt

Kirby, a former Walt Disney World Resort Cast Member (and Trivia Champ), is a lifelong Disney fan and film buff. He is also an avid list maker and chronic ellipsis user ...

Took Talk: Disney Film & Video Reviews by Kirby C. Holt is posted whenever there's something new to review.

The opinions expressed by our Kirby C. Holt, and all of our columnists, do not necessarily represent the feelings of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the future plans of the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.

-- Posted April 21, 2003