After the success of Star Wars in 1977, studios clamored to crank out more science fiction to cash in on the craze. Disney's first entry came two years later with The Black Hole. The film was moderately successful, yet garnered mixed reviews from critics who were wowed by the visual effects but felt the story was a little flat. The Black Hole saw further success on home video and the Disney Channel in the 1980's, and there were several merchandising tie-ins such as toys, comic books, and trading cards. During the 90's the movie started to fall into obscurity and stayed in the minds of only those who were fans of the genre.
The Black Hole begins with the spaceship USS Palomino coming across another ship, the Cygnus, as it returns from a mission. The Cygnus is somehow perched on the edge of a black hole, and the crew of the Palomino decides to investigate. They encounter the mysterious Dr. Reinhardt and a crew of robots running the Cygnus, with no sign of a human crew. It is soon revealed that Reinhardt is intent on traveling through the black hole at any cost, even the possible destruction of the Cygnus. The crew of the Palomino uncover the true nature of Reinhardt's plan and attempt to prevent the madman from killing everyone and destroying both ships.
The Black Hole offers a very interesting first half, with all of the mysterious goings on, the introduction of the whacked-out villain and his cool robot companions (especially the spinning blade-wielding Maximilian), and of course the creepy black hole itself. Things don't stay quite as strong for the finale of the film, with the exception of the visual effects. The Black Hole features a strong cast, including the likes of Robert Forster, Ernest Borgnine, and Anthony Perkins. Most of the performances are pretty solemn, but in a way they match the tone of the film.
What sets The Black Hole apart from many sci-fi films of the era are its amazing visual effects. From the swirling black hole to the ships to the incredible meteor storm, the Oscar nominated effects still work today, for the most part. Check this shot of a meteor making its way through the Cygnus:
I still prefer practical effects to CGI effects, not that the CG stuff can't be impressive, there's just something about a space ship that was actually built by hand in miniature form that gives the illusion of a massive space vehicle. Also of note in The Black Hole are the robots. Sure, little robots V.I.N.CENT and B.O.B. are heavily influenced by R2-D2, but they're there for comic relief and to appeal to the younger set. The sentry robots and Maximilian still provide a cool factor with their laser gun arms and whirling blades.
One of my favorite eras in film is late-seventies to mid-eighties sci-fi. From the Star Wars and Star Trek films to lesser-known fare such as Tron and The Last Starfighter, each film really broke ground when it came to the technical aspects of movie making. The Black Hole holds up as a technical achievement, and is worth a look for any science fiction fan.
There have been rumors over the last few years concerning a remake of The Black Hole, with Tron Legacy director Joseph Kosinski at the helm. Remakes are usually hit or miss, but I would personally like to see The Black Hole re-imagined today. In the meantime, the original is begging for a Blu-ray release.
