Classic Heroes: Vincent: The Black Hole

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

Besides R2D2 there is one robot that has stayed with me for all its humour and appeal to the sci-fi kid inside me that has never left.

The fact Vincent, in the Disney movie The Black Hole, was and still is a joy to watch is something that Star Wars really should have had too. He is so human in a way that has stuck with fans to this day as action figures of him still sell in big numbers. His name is short for Vital Information Necessary Centralized and a valued member of the Palomino. He is very human and constantly bantering with first officer Charlie Pizer. I always wanted a flying robot rather than a pet but alas it never happened. But Vincent can and it helps him maintain the ship both inside and out. When Vincent is almost lost to float in space forever, we discover he has a telepathic link with Dr Kate McCrea (Yvette Mimieux). It helps the crew locate and rescue him before they discover the Cygnus on the lip of the titular Black hole.

Voiced by the legendary Roddy McDowall, the audience immediately listens to him due to the actor’s being such a household name. Like a cross between your dog and best friend, Vincent protects those he cares about. Once aboard the Cygnus, he meet older models of him especially BOB whom Vincent forms an immediate bond with like an uncle or father figure. But Vincent makes enemies too in the shape of Maximillion and Starr (Special Troops/Arms Regiment) as he takes a firm stance on their bullying of BOB.

Starr and his minions treat other beings like trash and look down on humans given Reinhardt’s ambitions. Starr has seen the human crew reduced to lobotomised to mindless vegetables. If one human can do that to his so called colleagues then Starr follows that example. And Vincent will not stand for it.

When Starr tries to beat Vincent on the shooting range, he does not take it well when Vincent beats him hands down. With his superior firepower, Starr is twenty years out of date. Vincent also goes head to head with the evil Maximillion, Reinhardt’s psychotic robot. Like a turtle, Vincent can retract his head afraid of the behemoth. It is clear that the Palomino crew care for Vincent and BOB as much as they care for them.

A lot of this is down to the dialogue and imbuing Vincent with such a human personality. He is the best friend you always wanted and someone to have by your side. BOB is the frail old man you want to protect. The fact they are machines doesn’t even come into the equation. And that is a huge part of the appeal of the character. McDowall is the perfect voice for the robot and there is pure magic on screen that does stand up there with the droids from Star Wars.

But when the Cygnus begins, under Reinhardt’s direction, to move into the black hole, Vincent and the other crew members are sentenced to death. He must take on Maximillion in a battle to the death in order to get everyone to a probe ship that they can escape in before being pulled in. What we get is a wonderful ariel battle between David and Goliath as meteors crash into the ship. BOB is killed in the fight. Maximillion almost kills Vincent by electrocuting him but Vincent drills into his rival’s stomach area killing him instantly. Ironically, it is payback universally for how Mailmillion killed Doctor Durant.

Too late, Vincent is pulled into the black hole with the others. Vincent would go on to cameo in Tomorrowland and Tron: Legacy but the Black Hole was his only big screen outing. There is no doubt that he worked beautifully as he is still popular among collectors to this day. It is a figure set I have on my wish list. Indeed R2 never flew until the prequels but the idea of a floating robot was just too much to resist. His big eyes were very much of Disney character origin but it was the way the other actors treated him that made him a relatable character. Just with the Star Wars droids, we cared about Vincent and BOB. Their design was genius and to this day the ariel fight between them is awesome.

But once again, it took the magical tones of Roddy McDowall to complete Vincent and instill him to all who saw the original movie.