150 Word Review: 'The Black Hole' (1979)
Infinite density
George Lucas’ Star Wars upended Hollywood, inspiring countless space-themed imitations, the weirdest of which was Disney’s trippy, gorgeous, cerebral The Black Hole, a loose retelling of Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea set on a massive haunted spaceship. The cast is late 70s perfection: Anthony Perkins, Ernest Borgnine, Yvette Mimieux, and Robert Forster. Maximilian Schell rants as a Captain Nemo-like madman. Roddy McDowall is the voice of floating robot V.I.N.C.E.N.T., a charming R2D2 rip-off. There are plenty of laser gun shootouts. The black hole itself swirls like a giant, star-strewn mouth in the distance.
The Black Hole earns its PG rating, a Disney first. The demonic blood-red robot Maximilian murders one of our heroes with spinning blades! The special effects hold up: a deadly meteor shower is a highlight. The ending is a memorable headscratcher: a trip into the black hole yields an impressionistic journey to heaven and hell.
In the '70s Disney tried to outdo "Star Wars" by overplaying it. In the 21st century, they conquered it more easily by buying it.