Customer Reviews

El Misterio de los Excavadores (Holes) [VHS]

5 star:		(186)
4 star:		(46)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

For the myriads of fans of the book, Good News! Author Louis Sacher did the screen adaptation, and Director Andrew Davis did an excellent job in creating the mood, leading his fine cast of young actors, and being faithful to the spirit and actuality of the book.

Stanley Yelnats IV (Shia LaBouf), is a hard-luck boy, not surprising seeing his great-great grandpa had a curse laid on him for eternity by Madam Zeroni (Eartha Kitt). The Yelnats have had a habit of failure ever since. Stanley's Dad, (Henry Winkler) is working (unsuccessfully, of course) on inventing a perfect shoe-deodorizer. Ironically, Stanley is falsely arrested for stealing a great athlete's shoes. He is given a choice of jail or Camp Green Lake. Stanley innocently notes he's never been to camp before so---you just know This Was Not A Good Choice. Camp Green Lake is on a parched and barren desert. The lake disappeared a century before. Stanley is indoctrinated by down-and-dirty bad Mr. Sir (Jon Voight) who informs Stanley his days will be spent digging 5' x 5' holes to build "character" and any misstep will bring him to the Warden's (Sigourney Weaver) attention, a lady who coats her nails with rattlesnake venom.

His fellow inmates who like to be known as X-Ray, Armpit, ZigZag and Magnet greet Stanley with hazing and hard times. His only true ally is tiny little Zero (Khleo Castro) who wants Stanley to teach him to read. The day-in-day-out work is filthy, backbreaking and endless. But Stanley is learning some secrets that might permit him to break the age-old curse of the Yelnats.

Mr. Davis tells us Stanley and Camp Green Lake's history via flashbacks, and for the most part does a good job keeping the story moving, though it might be overly complex for younger viewers. Jon Voight is priceless as thoroughly bad, gimlet-eyed, bone stupid Mr. Sir. Sigourney Weaver is just shy of psychotic with her barely repressed rage at her situation. The boys are rightly terrified of her. "Holes" has a magnificent arc of a story and culminates in a manner that will have the audience cheering.

There are a few scary scenes that might be too much for the viewer under nine, as well as the flashbacks that could be hard to understand. If you have doubts about suitability, read the book both to yourself and the child. That way you have a win/win situation. This is a don't miss movie.
-sweetmolly-Amazon Reviewer

I read "Holes" several years back for a children's literature course I took in college. I highly enjoyed it! It was one of the best books I read in that class.

So when they introduced the movie, I was quite interested. Part of me was hopeful it would turn out well, the other part of me was skeptical that it would be anywhere near as good as the book. However, my fears were dashed. This movie was FABULOUS!

The story jumps back and forth a little between three different tales -- the story of Elya Yelnats, the main character's "no good, dirty-rotten, pig-stealing great-great-grandfather"; the story of Stanley Yelnats IV himself; and the story of a legendary outlaw, Kissing Kate Barlow. The three stories are interwoven quite ingeniously. In some cases, you aren't completely sure what the connection will be, but then when you find out, it fits perfectly.

The story IS slightly altered, of course, as most books-brought-to-movies tend to be. But it very much keeps the spirit of the original book. The boys are very believable -- I especially love Zero! Sigourney Weaver makes a wonderfully nasty warden. And John Voigt does a wonderful insane portrayal of Mr. Sir.

This movie will keep you laughing and curious throughout. And if you enjoyed the book, you'll like this film!

Popular children's author Louis Sachar converts his most intricate book into a screenplay, and director Andrew Davis, in collaboration, brings it gloriously to the big screen! Although I'm surrounded by a sea of terrific young 11 and 12 year old reviewers, "Holes" is for everyone!

A young cast of actors, all talented, couples with Jon Voight as the over-the-top Camp Greenlake superintendent, "Mr. Sir".
Greenlake is a juvenile detention camp in the desert, and while conditions there are pretty oppressive, they are downplayed enough to make the movie safe for 9 and 10 year old viewers, as well.

The charm of the book, and also the movie, is to tell the tale of the Yelnats clan, revolving it around young Stanley Yelnats IV's incarceration for something he didn't do. Flashback is used to revisit the era that both Stanley's great-grandfather and grandfather lived in. These flashback scenes, amazingly, focus not on the Yelnats, but more on the women who inflicted the family curse on them, arising in terrific roles for Eartha Kitt (as gypsy Madam Zeroni) and stagecoach robber Kissin' Kate
Barlow (played by the luminous and talented Patricia Arquette).

Modern day is not without its own bad girl, with Sigourney Weaver as the Warden, who rules the camp with an iron fist. The Warden has her own agenda for the holes that the boys are forced to dig in the desert, and she's quirky, evil, and larger than life, looming over Voight and "Dr."(Tim Blake Nelson). Weaver's "Ex-c-uuuuuu-se Me?" line, used over and over in the film, is terrifying!

The audience is caught up in the action from the opening screen, and given a couple of young anti-heroes that are worth their weight in gold. A cameo by the irresistible Dule Hill from "The West Wing", is also notable.

"Holes" is perhaps the best family film of the last couple of years, and an outstanding example of what good filmmaking is all about!

Highly recommended for sheer enjoyment!

"Holes" is Disney family comedy about Stanley Yelnats (Shia Leboeuf), a nice boy who has very bad luck. It seems his family is cursed, and Stanley ends up in a juvenile detention camp called "Camp Green Lake." There is, however, no lake; it's located in the middle of a desert. The camp is run like prison chain gang by "Mr. Sir," (odiously played by Jon Voight). Each boy must dig a five foot deep hole everyday for punishment. The warden (Sigourney Weaver) thinks something valuable is buried out there and wants to find it...

So far, so good. Then the endless subplots and flashbacks take over. We flash back to Stanley's eccentric family (Dad Henry Winkler is trying to invent a cure for smelly sneakers). Then we go back to Latvia, 150 years ago, to see the origin of the Yelnats family curse. Then we flash back and forth to an Old West frontier town, where the white school marm is in love with the black onion-farmer. Then it's back to Camp Green Lake. We are never told, until the end, what all the flashbacks and characters have to do with anything and after a while, it's hard to keep it all straight.

Shia Leboeuf is quite appealing as the innocent and kindhearted Stanley. The teens who play Stanley's campmates are all good, especially the boy who plays "Zero," the hero of yet another subplot. Fans of the novel will undoubtedly enjoy "Holes," since the screenplay was written by the author.

Stanley Yelnats IV (newcomer Shia LaBeouf) is falsely accused of stealing Clyde 'Sweet Feet' Livingston's (Rick Fox) shoe donation to a local orphanage and will either go to jail or 'Camp Green Lake.' Stanley chooses Green Lake because he's "never been to camp before". Camp Green Lake is a disciplinary camp, not your typical summer camp, for youths where its "campers" are required to dig a 5' x 5' hole daily in the hot desert sun, by order of the mysterious Warden (Sigourney Weaver) and her assistants Mr. Sir (Jon Voight) and Mr. Pendanski (Tim Blake Nelson).

Stanley and his fellow campers think digging holes is punishment without a purpose, but it soon becomes clear that the Warden is searching for something beneath the mysterious sands in a desert with more history than the audience realizes.

"Holes" is wonderful family entertainment with an all-star cast of Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voight, Patricia Arquette, Rick Fox, Tim Allen, etc. Based on the children's book by Lois Sachar, the film boasts a terrific screenplay full of wit, humor, mystery, drama, tears, and suspense; there's something for everyone. The story is truly remarkable, especially for that of a children's film. The kids will love "Holes" for its humor and fun. Adults will love and appreciate the intricately woven and complex web of intertwining stories.

"Holes" is a great movie for the whole family. It's not one of those empty-headed and ridiculous children's films that can be enjoyed by strictly 6 year olds, oh no, everyone in your family will enjoy this richly entertaining and heartfelt film.

Holes is an excellent movie, but I want to warn other parents of very young children that it does have questionable content. There is a storyline in the movie that is a flashback of the old west. In this narrative, a black man is shot and killed by an angry mob of cowboy morons for kissing a white woman who loved him. The woman then becomes the kissing bandit, who travels around killing men and kissing them on the head. There are guns and shooting and killing and racial issues in this movie that many parents may find inappropriate for young viewers. My son, who just turned 6, was very upset by that storyline.
Other than that, the movie really is spectacular. I just wish someone would have warned me about those parts.

For accuracy, this film ought to have a couple dozen stars. The only scenes which are included in the movie but not written originally in the book are quite strongly implied in the book and need elucidation in the screenplay version. I have never seen a movie that stuck so amazingly close to the book from which it was taken, and so beautifully followed the descriptions within the book, making it a rich experience for those with vivid imaginations. When I first saw Mr. Sir, I was taken aback -- he looked EXACTLY like I had imagined. The rest of the characters were just the same.
For general quality, it deserves the highest rating one could give. The acting is superb, especially when you consider it was done by a group of teenaged boys, the script is delightful, much of it taken word-for-word from the book, and there is very little objectionable material: a perfect family movie. There's a great balance of mystery, suspense, and humor (in particular, the thread of Elya and Madame Zeroni is comically hyperbolic, reflecting the comically hyperbolice way that "Caveman's" grandfather looked at life), with the book's intricate play of symbolism.
I read the book about two years ago, and the appearance of a movie didn't excite me much, but now having watched it twice in a row this week, I can say nothing but that I was extremely impressed.

"Holes" is one of those rare films that is faithful to the original book. Of course it helps that Newbery Award winning author, Louis Sachar, also wrote the screenplay.

I'm a former elementary school librarian who really enjoyed the book when it came out. I saw the film with my son, who has read the book several times, and my wife (a teacher) who had never read this book. My son and I went on an on about how Camp Greenlake is just like we pictured it in our heads, and my wife kept asking us if this or that was in the book, and we just kept saying, "Yes!"

Actually, I think the film made me appreciate the subtle complexity of the book even more. We're talking about a book that deals with such sophisticated themes as fate, justice, compassion, racial tolerance, love, education, family identity, keeping promises, and friendship, to name a few.

Don't let the PG rating fool you. This is not just a kid's movie. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't take younger children to see it, simply because they wouldn't get it.

Who would've thought that a film (and a book) about a bunch of kids digging holes could be so interesting! Highly recommended. I'm sure we'll see it again.

Unlike others here, I was never exposed to the book, so this movie was a mystery to me. I'd heard the generally positive reviews and read what passed for plot synopsis, but all I came away with was, "What?!?" This is a difficult movie to synopsize without giving away too much of the intricately woven plot. If this is what young teen-agers are reading, there may be hope for us yet.

This is a movie that requires constant attention. The plot is revealed in fits and starts with modern day action intercut with flashbacks and clues in plain view at the periphery of the scenes. The story is about the bad luck Yelnats clan, all of which leads to the youngest family scion, Stanley (his first and last name together are a palindrome). There are actually five interrelated subplots:

1) The origin of the family curse.

2) The history of the site of the juvenile detention camp where the protagonist finds himself. This takes place in the old west.

3) A story of Stanley's great-grandfather, who made a fortune and then lost it in events which touch on plot #2.

4) The story of the camp warden and her family. This also relates to plot #2.

5) The modern day plight of Stanley and his family.

Sound complicated? It is, but it all entwines in some exceptional storytelling. The ending wraps up all five stories in an entirely satisfying way.

So what is this and who would like it? Well, it's not a children's movie in any conventional sense. It requires attention and doesn't have a lot of "action". It's not riveting, but it is masterful storytelling. The film makers don't milk any scenes beyond their logical conclusion, so the intercutting between modern events and flashbacks could be disorienting to some viewers. The performances are all first rate. Jon Voigt is over the top as the dim-witted head guard, and Sigourney Weaver has her most deliciously evil role since "Snow White: A Tale of Terror". The juvenile roles are all excellent, especially the critical roles of Shia LaBeouf as Stanley and Khleo Thomas as "Zero". Eartha Kitt turns in a brief but effective performance as the old Latvian Gypsy who started the family curse. Patricia Arquette and Dulé Hill are touching in the critical roles as tragically star-crossed interracial lovers in the old west.

If you let it, this is a highly involving film and time well spent. I was only going to give this 4 stars because it's not particularly showy, but wound up giving it 5 since it delivers everything it intends. The story is intricate, but still not particularly grand. But that's OK - this is a master work and deserves an audience.

I think Holes is one of the best family-friendly movies that I've seen in the past few years. In the age of questionable jokes working their ways into family-marketed movies, I think any parent with a child over the age of 7 could feel comfortable with their kids watching this movie, as well as enjoy it themselves. It addresses issues such as greed and bigotry and rehabilitation of those deemed "hopeless" and the true meaning of friendship
and perserverance without being preachy and too "after-school-special." I think adults can enjoy this movie alot, too- there's something timeless to the heart of this movie.

I personally enjoyed the pacing and how the flashbacks were done. A lot of movies get mired up in flashbacks, the flashbacks go on too long, tell too much story, but Louis Sacher did a great job with weaving the 3 different stories into one. I loved that the script was serious, but still funny. The humor was cute and subtle and the characters were very three-demensional and all very dynamic, even the villians.

I especially enjoyed seeing Eartha Kitt playing Madame Zironi. I thought she was a great addition to the cast with her character. Another thing that I felt was a character in itself was the lake. It was this beautiful, bustling little city in Texas that turned into a dry wasteland after a horrible act of greed, jealousy and hatred destroyed lives.

I first read Louis Sacher books when I was 7-8 years old,and they were quite funny, but difficult for me. I hadn't picked up any of them since. I saw this movie about a year ago and I am quite impressed with Mr Sachar, now.

Bravo!