Review of Hollow Man (2000) by R.j. L — 30 Sep 2009

H.G. Welles "The Invisible Man" was one of the novels that redefined the way you looked at Science Fiction novels, it told the story of a man who after a lab accident becomes Invisible and goes on a rampage in a English town.

In 2000 Paul Verhoeven (director of Starship Troopers and Basic Instincts) reworks this beloved story and gives it his own twist. Verhoeven's "Hollow Man" tells the story of an arrogant research scientist Sebastian Cane (Kevin Bacon) who amazingly comes up with a formula that can make solid matter invisible. After the government declines human trials Cane goes behind there back and uses himself as the first ever human trial but something goes wrong and Cane starts to slowly but surely go insane. And now his research team has to race against the clock or end up being victims of his insanity.

"Hollow Man" is smart but dull, derivative and shallow it's got the makings of a great horror thriller but it lacks the efficient writing and acting to sustain the film for its run time. But I will say this in its favor it is slightly entertaining and interesting in its story and execution but even that is not worth the price of admission to see this B grade horror film.

Kevin Bacon's performance is strong enough to support the first half of the film but after he becomes invisible it starts to go down hill from there until he is nothing but a low class player in a low class film. Elisabeth Shue is so down played and under used that she almost turns out to be an eye sore. Josh Brolin is not as bad as Shue but he can't hold this film up on his own and he falls under the weight of terrible production values. All in all the cast does poorly to help this film and fail to make it any more interesting or suspenseful (which it lacks of both).

"Hollow Man" is what you call a shallow and complete waste of film and a b grade horror that is neither enjoyable or horrifying it's not worth the time or the money it's just a pathetic piece of movie making at its worst.