Log in / Sign up
 
    Share this page

    Hollow Man

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

    WARNING: This review is hidden because it reveals the content of the film.
    Click here to show this review.
    “Hollow Man” has a lot of good things going for it. Unfortunately, it peters out towards the end and turns into a routine horror film.

    Sebastian Caine (Kevin Bacon) is working with a team of scientists on a way to make humans invisible. Problem is, he’s a glory-seeker. He decides to test the invisibility formula on himself, becoming the first invisible man. When the formula to bring him back doesn’t work, things start to spiral out of control.

    This is not a terrible film but it doesn’t live up to its potential. The conclusion is where “Hollow Man” is at its weakest, devolving into a simple slasher film. Characters are walking around wondering where Sebastian is, who he’s coming after next, what his plan is and that sort of thing. Characters grab a weapon and seem to find a solution to restrain or incapacitate him but he evades them, sneaks up on his next victim or simply gets back up again like Jason from “Friday the 13th”. It is written and executed better than your run-of-the-mill knockoff (which have their charm but are predictable) That doesn’t make it feel any less out of place. Even with the characters acting intelligently, it isn’t on the same level as the first three-quarters of the movie. I hate to say this, but if you have to drop the ball at any point in a movie, make sure it’s early on. A sloppy conclusion will leave the audience feeling sour.

    With that said, there are a lot of good things about this movie. The special effects are impressive. They say the key to a good werewolf movie is the transformation. Seeing “Hollow Man” makes me think that the key to a good Invisible Man movie might be the effect of a body disappearing. Ok, maybe not, but it certainly helps. You expect a film where the main character is invisible for most of the story to be cheaply made (it’s probably the easiest effect in the world to have someone invisible walking around on the set) but it certainly isn’t the case here. We’ve got three sequences where a subject either disappears or reappears and they’ve very cool to watch. I also got a kick out of Sebastian’s character. He’s an egocentric glory whore with some serious personality defects that goes off the deep end. I also have to give credit to the film for getting a lot of the little details about the invisible man story right. When he first becomes invisible, Sebastian complains about the bright lights because he can blink... but his eyelids are transparent so it has no effect.

    The movie boils down to being just ok. I was shocked to see Director Paul Verhoeven's name on the project. His trademark humor and satirical elements are absent and it isn’t nearly as inventive as it could have been. It’s a well-made movie about a killer stalking a bunch of people. That’s it. I have a hard time mustering enthusiasm for “Hollow Man” due to the turns the story takes and its conclusion. If you happen to catch it randomly on TV or rent it for cheap, I suppose it’s decent way to spend an afternoon. (On DVD, January 23, 2014)

    5
    HelpfulNot helpful  Reply
    adamwatchesmovies@  28.12.2016 age: 26-35 2,867 reviews

    Show all reviews for this movie
    Note: The movie review posted on this page reflects a personal opinion of one user. We are not responsible for its content.

    Did you see ''Hollow Man''?

    There is a problem with your e-mail address and we are unable to communicate with you. Please go to My Account to update your email.

    How do you rate this movie?

    Select stars from 1 to 10.
    10 - A masterpiece, go, see it now
    9 - Excellent movie, a must see
    8 - Great movie, don't miss it
    7 - Good movie, worth seeing
    6 - Not bad, could be much better
    5 - So so, okay if you don't pay
    4 - Not good, even if you don't pay
    3 - Poor movie, not recommended
    2 - Very bad, forget about it
    1 - Worst ever, avoid at all costs

    Please explain. Write your comment here:

    Please choose a username to sign your comments. Only letters, digits, dash - or period. Minimum 4 characters.

    Your age and sex:

    We publish all comments, except abusive, at our discretion.