अनहोनी

I was pleasantly surprised by this film. The acting was quite adequate, the film score very imaginative and the special effects amazing (and gruesome). It copies "The Invisible Man", made half a century before, in having its protagonist lose his mind but unlike the other film, there is no humor to be found - nor any reason for it. It is a bit too apocalyptic near the end and I felt that the special effects turned it perhaps too much into a technical spectacle, but it made sense in general and brought me more pleasure than I had expected. Kevin Bacon was certainly up the his part and William Devane was frightening in his brief scene,

Curtis Stotlar

I watched Hollow Man in theaters and maybe once after that. I remember liking it. All these years later as a much more seasoned movie fiend, I expected this to be outdated, cheesy and bad. Yet I found myself enjoying it from beginning to end.

It barely feels dated. The visual effects are a thousand times better than I expected them to be. The pacing is great with increased intensity through to the climax. There are so many suspenseful scenes as well as creepy ones.

There are a few questionable parts but the movie is way smarter than the usual late 90s/early 2000s movie. It also repeatedly surprised me with the violence. Every time I think something will be implied or will happen off screen, the movie says nope, in your face. I miss when movies weren't afraid and am so sick of all the neutered PG-13 horror movies.

(about 3 viewings, 6/29/2024)

The 2000 movie "Hollow Man" from director Paul Verhoeven is a movie that can be watched again and again. And I have certainly sat down to watch it several times since it was initially released. And the movie continues to be every bit as entertaining with each viewing.

The storyline in "Hollow Man", as written by Gary Scott Thompson and Andrew W. Marlowe, is a rather enjoyable and entertaining script which makes for a very watchable movie. Not only is it good entertainment, but the storyline definitely also gives you something to think about, and that is something I enjoy about this movie. So thumbs up to the writers for that accomplishment.

Not only does "Hollow Man" have a good storyline and script, but it most certainly also have a great cast ensemble. The movie is carried nicely by leading actor Kevin Bacon, but the movie also have the likes of Elisabeth Shue, Josh Brolin, Kim Dickens, Rhona Mitra and others on the cast list. So you definitely are in capable hands here throughout the course of the 112 minutes that the movie run for.

Visually then "Hollow Man" was and still is a great movie. I like the special effects they pulled off in this 2000 movie, because it looks and feels real, and it adds a very enjoyable layer to the movie. So the special effects department really pulled their weight when they worked on "Hollow Man".

If you haven't already seen "Hollow Man", from director Paul Verhoeven, you certainly should do so, if you get the chance. It is a good movie.

My rating "Hollow Man" lands on a seven out of ten stars.

The story of The Invisible Man is updated for the 21st century in this tale of research scientists who've managed to turn animals invisible and then bring them back, and the arrogant egomaniac in charge, Sebastian Caine (Kevin Bacon). He's ready to start testing the process on people, and offers himself up as the guinea pig. Trouble arises when they can't make him visible again, and he becomes utterly frustrated, then gleeful when he realizes the power he holds. So it's then a very short trip into psycho territory for this genius, who begins to terrorize various unlucky individuals, including his own team. The movie is certainly not without its flaws, as eventually it does turn pretty routine, a high tech, sci-fi slasher with an overblown, Hollywood style climax, characters who start acting rather dumb, and, to top it all off, a villain whose virtual indestructibility makes him akin to a typical horror movie antagonist. Still, it's extremely well made technically, with director Paul Verhoeven in fine form, and does have a substantially nasty edge that may amuse some fans of the genre. Even at an hour and 53 minutes, it is paced fairly well, and gets a lot of mileage from Bacon's fun villainous portrayal. Elisabeth Shue and Josh Brolin also do fairly well as the co-leads trying to keep their romance secret, knowing well how ugly Caine's reaction would be to the truth. The main reason to see this movie are the eye popping special effects, especially as we see characters like Caine and the gorilla go through stages of visibility. Even with its flaws, the movie is undeniably exciting and far from boring. Followed by a direct to DVD sequel six years later. Seven out of 10.

Hollow Man is a ride, baby. It isn't scary as the ads would have you believe, but I'll be dammed if it isn't one of the most entertaining horror flicks I've seen in a while. In this age of computer generated, digital effects I have a hard time telling good special effects from bad (they all start to look the same after a while), but this one has a few of the most impressive sequences I've ever seen on film. I assume this is one of the most special effect-intensive movies ever attempted (aside form the latest Star Wars), and they do dazzle, so it's a shame the story doesn't quite measure up. It starts to get a little tired in the third act, but what the hell, I was entertained.

Aside form Kevin Bacon, there were no real stand-out performances in Hollow Man. The invisibility serum seems to bring on severe emotional instability in animals, so Bacon's character decides to try it out on himself. Problem is, Kevin is already nuttier than squirrel turds so this is not the smartest of decisions, but he runs the project, so he calls the shots. Mayhem ensues. This is a really clever idea for a horror film, and the smart ways the scientists think of to detect Bacon in his invisible form never ceases to impress. It's nice to see technology has finally made it so that they can do just about anything you can think of in film.

Paul Verhoeven is what makes this movie most attractive for me. I really love his go-for-broke, over the top directing style, and it's put to good use in this one especially. He took a step in the right direction by distancing himself from hack-supreme Joe Esterhaus in the entertaining but flawed Starship Troopers, and now he's back on his feet again. I can just picture him screaming like a madman on set, frothing at the mouth for "more blood, MORE BLOOD!". He doesn't shy away from gore, violence, sex, or anything. He just jumps right in. I like that. This movie is worth about an 8/10 stars. Worth the price of admission for the effects alone. G'night!