The Hole

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

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

It's good to welcome back one of the undisputed masters of modern genre cinema -- and adventurous kids will love it.

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

Not likely to give anyone outside of toddler range any nightmares, but it's still a smooth, smart, and eminently likable "rainy night" family film.

The Hole doesn't have the frantic wit of Dante's Gremlins 2 or the political import of his Small Soldiers, but it has something just as satisfying: a thorough understanding of the psychological underpinnings of the genre.

On the surface, Dante's movies are juvenile horrors with some movie-savvy comedy thrown in, but underneath they're among the most subversive entertainments being made today. Hopefully future generations will discover this silly, smart gem.

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

Dante once again finds similar success in The Hole, merging juvenile concerns with darker stories.

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.