Review of Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992) by Alexander A — 11 Nov 2008

I really, really liked this movie as a teenager. Comedy, action, suspense, science fiction, and great special effects combined into exactly the sort of film I'd really enjoy.

Unfortunately, rewatching it now, after quite a few years, it also seems much more flawed. The story of a lazy yuppie who accidentally becomes invisible, and then has to escape from rogue CIA agents who want to force him into becoming an assassin for them feels strangely unsatisfying. Yes, our hero becomes invisible and has all sorts of problems as a result, but he never really has any fun with it. Or rather: while he does have some fun, that occurs strictly off-screen, in between scenes. The result is a movie that feels not nearly light-hearted enough; a broody science fiction comedy.

Broody is also a word that could be used to describe the soundtrack. Overdone, epic, and unsuitable are other words. Right from the start, the soundtrack sets a sinister tone that befits a horror movie more than a comedy. Presumably, John Carpenter was a factor in this. The opening shots of a big city, combined with the music, suggest this film wanted to be Godzilla, not Ghostbusters. Which is a pity - I cannot help but wonder whether Frank Oz or Harold Ramis would have made this a much better movie, had they been directing it.

The music and the broody atmosphere meet the dialogue, and, as great as William Goldman's writing can be, in this film it's pure corny cheese. Film Noir stereotypes that are never given the benefit of matching cinematography; settings and characters that would have felt more at home in the 1940s than the 1990s...

So, poor music and a mismatch between dialogue and setting, between moods and plot... still, I really enjoyed it way back when. This is a movie that could have been great, but misfired slightly.