The Hole: Critic Reviews

It's the kind of knockabout, kid's-eye-view comedy-horror that hasn't been made for a while, with some nasty, frightening touches, but expertly encased in a distinctive family-movie aesthetic.

Cool it may be, but scary (or even mildly shudder-inducing) it ain't.

No one understands that giddy rush of sugar buzz cinema better than director Joe Dante.

Sadly, the picture is just too mild for its own good.

Curb your expectations and know you're going into a film about how curious children overcome their fears, not how malevolent darkness torments a group of unsuspecting "victims."

A refreshing example of how to make a film for a specific demographic the right way. ... Smart, scary and fun as hell.

Entertaining, with a welcome sense of mischief, The Hole plays to Dante's strengths, returning him to a suburban battleground where young characters face off against an unstoppable, often knee-high malevolent force.

Now that it's finally here, it proves a sight better than its direct-to-video credentials suggest.

Catch THE HOLE in 3-D if you can, but watch it with your kids during this approaching Halloween. You might remember a time when horror was fun and creepy and less violent and exploitative.

All the elements are here, they just don't add up to a satisfying whole.

If you enjoyed recent scary-but-kid-safe thrillers like Don't Be Afraid of the Dark or Super 8 - albeit toned down for pre-teens - then The Hole is definitely worth a peek.

A fun kids horror film that may be a minor work for Dante, but still very satisfying.

Will be instantly recognizable to anyone who grew up watching movies in the 1980s!

The return of director Joe Dante would be more welcome if his children's horror-thriller weren't so tepid.

Scarier than any of this year's 18-rated horror crop.

Director Dante knows a thing or two about making teen thrillers, and this film gets the atmosphere just right without indulging in cheap movie gimmicks.

This is scary, thrilling stuff, especially considering there's very little actual violence or gore.

Scary fun for young teens.

With the 1980s increasingly looking like a golden age for live-action family blockbusters, Joe Dante, the decade's most subversive practitioner of the form, makes a welcome return...

An excellent family adventure with its heart in the '80s and its head very much in the now.

Dante delivers some terrific spine-tingling chills on the way towards a disappointingly overblown climax.

An enjoyable compendium with some good effects, The Hole is bound to find one of your weaknesses.

The Hole can't really be considered a return to form for the beloved helmer, but the shared ideas and themes overlap with his more successful works and will bring memories flooding back for those brought up on his '80s favorite.

Enjoyably old-fashioned horror from genre veteran Joe Dante, with a strong script, some suitably creepy sequences and superb performances from its young cast.

Not since the peerless Monster House will kids enjoy getting scared out of their developing minds.