Spoilers Marvel Cinematic Universe spoiler-heavy speculation thread

[The Nth Doctor]

The main problem with The Black Hole is that its tonally all over the shop. It at once wants to be a family friendly Star Wars style film with cute robots, whilst also an epic sci-fi film with grand ideas more like 2001, and then, deciding that contrast wasn't quite jarring enough, someone thought "But what if we were a horror movie as well?"

As someone who tragically still hasn't seen the film (I know, I know!), this description actually intrigues me. I've generally heard poor reviews for it so my expectations aren't high but my curiosity for it is at the highest now.

 

[Captaindemotion]

As someone who tragically still hasn't seem the film (I know, I know!), this description actually intrigues me. I've generally heard poor reviews for it so my expectations aren't high but my curiosity for it is at the highest now.

I think it’s on Disney plus now. I watched it during lockdown for the first time in at least 30 uears. It has all of the flaws that @Starkers describes but for all of that I still enjoyed it. My tolerance for post Star Wars flops or misfires may be higher than most though (I also rewatched and enjoyed Battle Beyond The Stars during that time).

 

[DarrenTR1970]

I recently rewatched 'The Black Hole' and I agree with what @Starkers and @Captaindemotion have said and add that visually, it's a gorgeous film to look at, with the shots of the black hole being really impressive. I can't imagine what it looked like on the big screen. I think another flaw in the film is its brevity. If you include credits, the movie only clocks in at 90+ minutes, far too short to develop some of the story lines. The movie '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea', which 'The Black Hole' is trying to emulate, clocks in at 127 minutes, which gives the movie time to breath and develop characters and subplots. As it stands, you're left wondering how Reinhardt managed to accomplish some of what he did and if he had help from co-conspirators.

 

[Starscream2112]

The best part of the Black Hole is the music. But I do enjoy most of the film. Just not crazy about the ending.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Yes, the visual effects in The Black Hole are outstanding. The sets and models, too.

The music is good, but unfortunately the number of independent compositions is too few, and it gets repetitious after a while.

The list of scientific errors is... long.

The story is not compelling. Things especially fall apart, literally and figuratively, once the ship starts heading towards the black hole.

The characters are flat, and too many of the "good guys" are uncharismatic. Maximilian Schell, Yvette Mimieux, Roddy McDowall, and Slim Pickens are the standouts. Even Perkins and Borgnine bat below their averages, partly because their characters, like all the others, are only one or maybe two dimensional (that wouldn't necessarily be a problem in a different kind of movie, but in this one there is a lot of dialog and scenes of people just talking, often with VFX in the background).

 

[Set Harth]

Saw it in the theater.

 

[Starscream2112]

Saw it in the theater.

Me too. Multiple times. My Mom saw Terms of Endearment several times in the theater and would drop us off at The Black Hole since we had no interest in seeing that film. Lol!

 

[fireproof78]

The main problem with The Black Hole is that its tonally all over the shop. It at once wants to be a family friendly Star Wars style film with cute robots, whilst also an epic sci-fi film with grand ideas more like 2001, and then, deciding that contrast wasn't quite jarring enough, someone thought "But what if we were a horror movie as well?"

Yeah. Not a film I enjoyed.

 

[cooleddie74]

Loved it as a kid. Not as much as an adult but I have fond memories of how it made me feel when I was about, oh, seven.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I find the weird gothic vibe of The Black Hole still works for me but that may be me channeling my younger self watching it maybe. It's not hard SF but I like the whole haunted space castle vibe and find it still feels eerie and cold and weird and worth watching.

 

[Rich Watson]

Oops!

Who the hell is Ruth? Is that who they're replacing Sabra with to avoid getting boycotted by half the world?

 

[eschaton]

Oops!

Who the hell is Ruth? Is that who they're replacing Sabra with to avoid getting boycotted by half the world?

One of Emil Blonsky's soulmates/wives was named Ruth. Given how much Hulk-adjacent stuff is in the movie, it's possible it's her.

It's also possible they're introducing Ruth Lang (Scott's sister) into the MCU I suppose.

 

[Rich Watson]

D'oh.

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Ruth_Bat-Seraph_(Earth-616)

 

[Commander Troi]

EW.com has an interview with Joseph Quinn about playing Johnny Storm in the new Fantastic Four and about the movie in general.
They talk quite a bit about the two '00s movies, but I couldn't help but notice there was no mention of Fan4stic. So are we all just pretending that one never happened now?

I'm perfectly fine with that. It was boring. At least the 00s movies weren't boring.

visually, it's a gorgeous film to look at, with the shots of the black hole being really impressive. I can't imagine what it looked like on the big screen.

I know I saw The Black Hole in the theater, but I don't remember much past it being gorgeous.

 

[JD]

I watched The Black Hole a while ago, and while I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as most of the Star Wars, Trek, or Alien(s) movies, I still thought it was pretty good.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

Here's a documentary on the making of 'The Black Hole'.

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What I find interesting is that some of the criticisms that were being leveled against then Walt Disney CEO Ron Miller about the state of Disney movies are the same ones being leveled at Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger today.
Unfortunately, 'The Black Hole's' failure cost Ron Miller his job and he was replaced by Michael Eisner.

 

[Anwar]

Oops!

Who the hell is Ruth? Is that who they're replacing Sabra with to avoid getting boycotted by half the world?

Is Cascavel supposed to be the female Diamondback?

 

[fireproof78]

Is Cascavel supposed to be the female Diamondback?

Means "rattlesnake " in Spanish. Odds are good.

 

[Anwar]

Means "rattlesnake " in Spanish. Odds are good.

Before folks suspected that Sharon's romance with Steve would be transferred to Sam, looks more like Steve's romance with Diamondback will be transferred to him instead.

Kind of like the theories that Bucky and Natasha's romance in the comics will become one with him and Yelena instead

 

[fireproof78]

Before folks suspected that Sharon's romance with Steve would be transferred to Sam, looks more like Steve's romance with Diamondback will be transferred to him instead.

Kind of like the theories that Bucky and Natasha's romance in the comics will become one with him and Yelena instead