It’s the Future!  The USS Palamino is on a mission to explore deep space.  On the Palamino are Captain Dan Holland (Robert Forster), Dr. Alex Durant (Anthony Perkins), Lt. Charlie Pizer (Joseph Bottoms), Dr. Ellen McRae (Yvette Mimieux),  a trash can-looking robot named Vincent (voiced by Roddy McDowall), and a hard-drinking, out-of-place journalist named Harry Booth (Ernest Borgnine).

The Palamino has nearly completed its mission when it comes across a black hole.  They also come across the USS Cygnus, a ship that disappeared 20 years ago.  Boarding the Cygnus, they discover that it is ruled over by Dr. Hans Reinhardt (Maximilian Schell) and that the crew appeared to be made up of robots.  Dr. Reinhardt plans to direct his ship to fly through the Black Hole.  Dr. Durant is inspired by Reinahrdt’s determination to discover what lies on the other side.  The rest of the crew is suspicious of Reinhardt, especially after they meet Maximillian, the hulking red robot that serves as his bodyguard.

One of the studio’s first attempts to make a film for grown-ups, The Black Hole was also the first Disney film to receive a PG rating.  The Black Hole has a lot going for it.  The cast is stacked with talent.  (I haven’t even mentioned Slim Pickens as the voice of a beat-up robot.)  The plot is interesting and I think anyone watching will be able to relate to Reinhardt and Durant’s desire to explore what lies inside of the Black Hole.  Even when seen today, the special effects hold up fairly well.  Maximillian is actually frightening at times.   There are some violent moments that definitely earn that PG rating.

It’s just too bad that the movie is so damn boring.

The Black Hole is a movie that calls out for a director like Nicholas Meyer or even Douglas Trumbull.  Instead, the movie was directed by Gary Nelson, a television director who lets the story plod along at a slow pace. The movie goes through the motions but it never really captures the wonder or the excitement of being in space.  The journey through the Black Hole is visually impressive but it takes forever to get there and then it’s over too quickly.  Disney spent so much time on the special effects that they forgot to come up with a script worthy of them.

The Black Hole is a film that should have been much better than it was.  As long as Disney is remaking all of their old films, I say it’s time to remake The Black Hole.  Get the right director and make it the film that it should have been.