Holes
For adults with children who are either past or awaiting tweenhood, Louis Sacher’s novel Holes is probably unfamiliar. But for tweens it’s revered, a story with irresistible, high-interest hooks (an ancient curse, lost treasure, an intriguing mystery, and a happy ending) and a resonate message (put-upon kids find justice and redemption among cruel adults who don’t understand them). As the screenwriter, Sacher has retained all of the key elements that made the book a success. In the hands of director Andrew Davis (The Fugitive), the film adaptation will satisfy not only the young fans but the adults too.
Stanley Yelnats (Shia LeBeouf) denies there’s a curse on his family, as his father (Henry Winkler) and grandfather (Nathan Davis) have claimed. But when he is falsely accused of theft and sent to Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention facility, he begins to accept its existence. Like all the rest of the boys there–who sport nicknames such as Armpit, Zig Zag, and Squid–Stanley is required to dig a hole five feet across and five feet deep in the middle of the camp’s dried up lake bed. The Warden (Sigourney Weaver), overseer Mr. Sir (Jon Voight), and counselor Dr. Pendanski (Tim Blake Nelson) say this exercise builds character. But Stanley figures out the real reason for the dig: These three are searching for something. How it all relates to the local legend of bandit Kissin’ Kate Barlow (Patricia Arquette) and the Yelnats’ family curse is unexpectedly uncovered.
Davis presents this multilayered story in a way that’s engaging and easy to understand. The film could have done without one or two scenes in which Stanley must prove himself to his peers, but this is minor quibbling. The story is irresistible and LaBeouf has such a likable presence that we can’t help but root for Stanley.
The cast’s veterans each approach their roles differently and with success. Weaver is feminine enough to tempt a man but vicious enough to claw his face off with poisonous nails. Nelson delivers a subtle comic turn as the addle-brained Dr. Pendanski. Meanwhile, Voight is over the top as Mr. Sir. His pencil-thin moustache, razored sideburns, and pompadour are as outlandish as his performance. Some may not like this sort of broad turn, but it’s fitting here and a source of constant amusement.
Holes isn’t overly original, but it has energy and confidence–an enjoyable film for all ages.
(Running time 1:57, rated PG)
Grade B
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Bulletproof Monk
Sometimes an actor’s personality or the chemistry generated by two leads can overcome a predictable script. Such is the case with Bulletproof Monk, an adaptation of a cult comic book that borrows so many elements from other works you could make a drinking game out of naming its original sources. However, the unlikely pairing of Asian superstar Chow Yun-Fat (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and American teen goof ball Seann William Scott (the American Pie movies) is unexpectedly entertaining.
Chow is the Monk With No Name, who’s gifted with supernatural powers and whose mission is to protect a sacred scroll. Wouldn’t you know it, a group of Nazi officers led by the sadistic Struker (Karel Roden) wiped out the Monk’s village in the 1940s searching for it. The tenacious madman has been chasing the scroll and the monk ever since, a journey that takes them to modern-day New York, where the high-kicking holy man has come to anoint a successor. He discovers Kar (Scott), a pickpocket who lifts the scroll from the monk and proves much more adept at martial arts than stealing wallets.
The outcome of Bulletproof Monk is obvious from the very first frame. Yet some imaginatively executed action sequences and the scenes with the two leads make up for the trite plot. Chow’s stoicism and Scott’s wide-eyed approach generate quite a few laughs. Director Paul Hunter and his crew obviously aren’t taking things very seriously–why should we? If you want to sit back and have a good time, Bulletproof Monk makes it easy.
(Running time 1:44, rated PG-13)
Grade C+
This article appears in Apr 24-30, 2003.
