Don't listen to the negative reviews

A bit overrated, but still an amazing film

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

When I first saw Disney made this movie I wasn't too thrilled watching it because I rarely enjoy those movies. But with Holes it was totally different, it was pleasant to watch, with good acting and a decent story. Seeing Shia LaBeouf acting at that age shows you he already had good acting skills when he was a kid. Jon Voight was to me the best actor in this movie playing Mr.Sir. Sigourney Weaver at 54 still looks amazing and even though she has not the biggest role she was still pleasant to watch. The story isn't too far fetched and is entertaining enough to never get bored. So all in all Disney can make movies worth watching, and not only for kids, even if most of the actors are kids.

I was initially drawn to this movie because I very much enjoy Shia LaBeouf's style of acting. I had absolutely no experience with the YA novel of the same name, so I had no idea what to expect in terms of plot/characters. What I found was just a fun movie that can be enjoyed by the entire family.For a basic plot summary, "Holes" tells the story of Stanley (LaBeouf), who is wrongly-accused of stealing an expensive pair of shoes and as such shipped off to a boys work camp. Led by Mr. Sir (Jon Voight) and The Warden (Sigourney Weaver), the camp makes each boy dig a large hole in the desert each day in order to "build character". Through the use of flashbacks, however, viewers begin to piece together information suggestion that Mr. Sir and The Warden may have an ulterior motive for the holes.To me, the main draw of this movie (and what ultimately gives it its charm) is the flashbacks that are used to flesh out the backstory of the Stanley Yelnats family and the area where the work camp has been constructed. At first, viewers will wonder what the heck all the flashbacks mean and might even get a bit confused as to how they relate to each other. As the narrative continues, though, the plot lines begin to weave together to form a satisfying conclusion that "we probably should have seem coming" much earlier than we actually do.Of course, children who watch the film will be more attuned to the events of the work camp itself, the crazy antics of Mr. Sir, and the jocular camaraderie present throughout. Even for adults, though, there is enough mystery surrounding the proceedings that things never seem juvenile enough to zone out.Overall, "Holes" is a fun little movie that can be enjoyed by a wide range of audiences. I'm sure that pre-knowledge of its novel counterpart lends even a deeper understanding to the movie's plot and central characters.

**Warning: Contains Spoilers**Ever since I can remember, Holes has been a favorite film of mine. Holes is a 2003 Disney film about a boy, Stanley Yelnats, who is sent to a rehab camp for a crime he did not commit. The film not only focuses on Stanley and his adventures in camp, but also his ancestors. The film uses flashbacks to show you his great grandpa and great great grandpa. Stanley's ancestors stories eventually connect to Stanley and his life in the camp. Because this is a Disney film you would think that the intended audience is 7-14 year old's. After watching this film, nothing is further from the truth. Yes, it still stays true to its Disney roots, by not having blood, nudity, or inappropriate language. Even without these things this movie has the amazing ability to reach all demographics. It's able to do this because it has a very complex story line that engages adults and children. It is also partly because of phenomenal acting, and partly because it captures real human emotion, interactions, and relationships. The movie starts off with Stanley getting arrested and sentenced to 18 months at Camp Green Lake, a rehab facility that takes troubled youth and changes them. Stanley's family knows he did not commit the crime and is in fact innocent. The only explanation they can give Stanley was it was his "no good dirty rotten pig stealing great great grandfather", who cursed the family. So Stanley goes to Camp Green Lake. The rehab consist of digging a five foot by five foot hole everyday. The mission statement of the camp is manual labor will make a bad boy a good boy. This is not the truth though. The truth is that the warden knows of a treasure that was buried somewhere in that very desert in the 1800's. So the Warden builds a camp that digs holes in the hope she can find the treasure and get rich. Little does she know that the treasure actually belongs to Stanley's great grandfather. Stanley's past and ancestors are explained with flashbacks that take place throughout the story line. The story is complex as it is emotional. But with an attentive eye towards films, you can understand this movie perfectly the first time around. Bad acting in my opinion can kill a movie, regardless of the story line, special effects, and cinematography. So when watching a movie the first thing I look for is the acting skills. The protagonist, Stanley Yelnats is played by Shia Labeouf. In 2003 Shia was still an "up and comer" in the acting world. He had yet to have his breakthrough movie that put him on the map. This movie changed his career. It skyrocketed his performance capabilities out of the Disney bubble, which had consumed many actors. Through his incredible acting in this film, he earned a place in Hollywood. Big name actors like Jon Voight, Sigourney Weaver and Tim Blake Nelson also help carry this light hearted fiction into a believable touching story. The side actors are also very good and believable delinquents. Overall the acting does not disappoint, which helps engage the audience in the characters and story line. This also helps it reach all audiences instead of just kids, who often times do not notice bad acting as well as adults. Another aspect that makes Holes a classic film for all demographics, is its ability to relate with people by showing real human emotions and interactions. Most of the times Disney's intended audience is a younger crowd. So in most of their movies, the acting and emotions are basic, so that this younger crowd can understand and connect with the movie. It is not this way in Holes. There are complex relationships and story lines. You see Stanley getting blamed for a crime he didn't commit, and the heartache it causes his mother. You also see how she tries to keep it together in an attempt to stay strong for him. You see him stay optimistic and write home often, to try to comfort his mother. There are also themes of bullying throughout the movie. Stanley is confronted with hard choices of doing what's right and helping an unpopular boy versus doing what's accepted and joining in the hazing of him. A good example of how everything's not black and white, is shown with the antagonist, the Warden. Contrary to most Disney movies, the antagonist is not some evil person who's main goal is to have everyone that is not her be miserable. No, she is just greedy, all she cares about is the treasure. But she still has feelings and deeper goals that are shown. You also see themes of forgiveness. Stanley meets another boy at camp named Hector. He later finds out Hector's actions contributed to him being at camp. Instead of remaining angry, Stanley forgives Hector. I believe these deep human emotions and struggles that we see Stanley go through and overcome over the course of the film is what takes it from being an average film to an extraordinary one. Every person watching can relate to at least one character or a character's struggle throughout the film. In this regard the movie becomes more than a movie to the viewers. It becomes something more powerful and meaningful to you. The main takeaway that I really want to drive home is this: Holes is not just another Disney movie. In it you will find a complex story that will keep you engaged no matter what age or maturity. This is accomplished with the help of amazing actors, both veteran and new to Hollywood.Their incredible performance allows you to connect on some level to the story and take away something personal and touching to you and you alone. It is absolutely worth your two hours.

Holes is a Walt Disney production of 2003. The story takes place in the Texas during moderns times. Holes is an adventure ad drama comedy. The film is directed by Andrew Daws who made other good movies like Le fugitive. Holes is a movie based on a book of the same name. The book is writ by Louis Sachar. He has a little role on the beginning and the end of the movie.Holes is the story of Stanley Yelnats incarnated by Shia Leboeuf that was send at Camp Green Lake because he stole a pair of choes. At the camp he met Zero (kleo Thomas) and became very good friend. One day, Zero escape from the camp. Few days later, Stanley joins him and they climb the Good thump. Finally, they return to the camp to dig their last hole.Since the film is based on the book, I found that the movie was better because compared to the book; many details for each part on the book make it hard to understand.The actors were very well prepared. They were natural and felt good with their role. For example, Shia Laboeuf was 17 years old and played very good Stanley that was 13. This movie was very well prepared and many stars played on it so it' make the movie more professional and famous.Finally, Holes is a very good movie and I appreciated but I've seen better movie. For this reason I give the mark of 5/10 that is a very good mark for a movie for me.Messaad,Abdel HR: 201