GREMLINS director Joe Dante conjures up some more family friendly scares in THE HOLE (12A). Apart from the seemingly mandatory use of 3D, there s something reassuringly old school about this tale of a single mum and her two kids who move to a smal

GREMLINS director Joe Dante conjures up some more family friendly scares in THE HOLE (12A).

Apart from the seemingly mandatory use of 3D, there's something reassuringly old school about this tale of a single mum and her two kids who move to a small American town to start life afresh.

Things start to take a nosedive into terror when 17-year-old Dane (Chris Massoglia) and his 10-year-old brother Lucas (Nathan Gamble) discover a seemingly bottomless hole in their basement that had been carefully sealed shut by the precious owner. With the help of a teenage next-door neighbour Julie (Haley Bennett), the youngsters open it up and are forced to confront their deepest fears... including a freaky demonic puppet.

It might drag a little in the middle but for the most part Dante shows off his horror pedigree with well judged all-ages scares while the 3D is refreshingly restrained - except for one unnecessary scene involving Lucas throwing a baseball to himself which seems included purely to remind people they're watching a 3D flick.

Sure it's slow at in places but the film is always solidly entertaining and may just scare a few parents as well as their kids.

- JUSTIN MATLOCK