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' Instead of putting their infrared goggles on so that they can see him, they try every other trick in the book (fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems...
The story really lost it at the end.
But the special effects were good;
that's the only reason I give it a 2/10.
This is the kind of movie that leaves you with one impression..
Story writing IS what movie making is about.
Incredible visual effects..
Very good acting, especially from Shue.
Everything is perfect..
Except..
The story is just poor and so, everything fails.
Picture this, if you had the power to be invisible..
What would you do?
Well, our mad scientist here (played by Kevin Bacon) could think of no other thing to do but fondle and rape women..
This is all his supposedly "genius" mind could think of.
Does he try to gain extra power?
He doesn't even bother research a way to get back to being visible.
The guy is basically a sex crazed maniac.
Add to that, the lab atmosphere, you have all these young guys..
Throwing around jokes like they were in a bar..
If it wasn't for all the white coats and equipment, you would think this is a bad imitation of "Cheers."
Very shallow and poor personalities and very little care is put into making you think these guys are anything but lambs for the Hollow Man's wolf.
Even as a thriller, the movie falls way short because most of the "thrilling" scenes are written out so poorly and are full of illogical behaviors by the actors that are just screaming "this is just a stupid thing I have to do so that the Hollow man can find me alone and kill me."
If you read the actual book, while the Scientist (Cane) goes after women, there is a lot of mental manipulation and disturbing thought that goes into his character.
In the movie, Cane is just the sick guy who goes to a crowded marketplace to rub his body in women and get off on it.
Just sad.
Within the realm of Science Fiction, two particular themes consistently elicit interest, were initially explored in the literature of a pre-cinematic era, and have since been periodically revisited by filmmakers and writers alike, with varying degrees of success.
The first theme, that of time travel, has held an unwavering fascination for fans of film, as well as the written word, most recently on the screen with yet another version of the H.G. Wells classic, `The Time Machine.'
The second theme, which also manages to hold audiences in thrall, is that of invisibility, which sparks the imagination with it's seemingly endless and myriad possibilities.
And this theme, too, has again become the basis for a film adapted from another H.G. Wells classic, `The Invisible Man,' the realization of which, here, is `Hollow Man,' directed by Paul Verhoeven, and starring Kevin Bacon and Elisabeth Shue.
Sebastian Caine (Bacon) and his colleagues have for some time been conducting experiments for the U.S. Government, exploring the possibility and practicality of invisibility, which they have, at last, achieved in a number of the primates upon which they have tested their method.
They have, in fact, progressed to the point that effecting the invisibility is assured;
their only problem now is bringing the subject back to the original `visual' state of being.
It's a problem, however, that Caine, after diligent effort and too many hours in the lab, has solved-- or so he thinks.
And when the application of his theory on a live subject is successful, he decides to present the results to the board of directors, in an effort to thereby maintain the funding necessary for the continuation of the project.
At the last minute, though, Caine demurs, fearing that control of the project will be wrested from him before they can proceed to the next level-- the testing of a human subject.
And he takes it upon himself to become that subject, securing the assistance of his research team by telling them that they've been given approval by the board to do so.
But something goes wrong, and Caine becomes trapped in his cloak of invisibility;
and as he and his team struggle to find the solution to his considerable dilemma before it's too late, it all begins to take a toll on Caine's mind.
And suddenly, his fear of losing funding and control becomes inconsequential, as he finds himself facing the imminent danger of losing much more than that.
Now there's a very real chance that he may lose everything-- Including himself.
Verhoeven has crafted what is initially an exciting, even thought provoking film;
he establishes a good pace and uses the F/X at his disposal to great effect, though he does tend to allow the striking visuals to overwhelm the character development.
Anyone familiar with `The Invisible Man,' or actually anyone who can logically follow the progression of the story, will know early on that Caine is not destined for happier times.
Still, Verhoeven has a style of storytelling that is definitely going to capture the attention and engage his audience.
But he seems bent on rushing toward the climax, and along the way he abandons any and all of the nuance that has made his film thus far successful, opting to enter into a final sequence that is nothing more than a mindless blood-and-gore fest that betrays his audience and everything he's worked for earlier in the film.
Rather than seeking an intelligent resolution to Caine's suffering, and using some inventiveness and imagination to take the film to it's inevitable conclusion, Verhoeven takes the low road, and though it may succeed on a purely visceral level, any meaning one could derive from the story dissolves like so many ashes in the wind, along with anything that would have made this a memorable film.
And it's a shame, because Verhoeven has it at a higher level than much of what is offered in this genre, and he allows it to sink unnecessarily to one much lower.
Kevin Bacon does a good job of creating a character that is believable, if only on the surface, which seemingly serves Verhoeven's purposes perfectly.
There's little depth to Bacon's portrayal, but it has more to do with his director's agenda than his own acting abilities.
Verhoeven simply does not allow Bacon the time to develop Caine to any extent;
the character is mainly a vessel around which Verhoeven can build his story, and toward that end, it works.
The film would have been better served, however, had Verhoeven and Bacon collaborated more closely on at least developing a bond between Caine and the audience that would have prompted some emotional involvement on the viewers part, something that would have drawn them in a bit, rather than leaving them at the gate, as it were, as mere observers of an F/X laden extravaganza.
Elisabeth Shue comports herself well in the role of Linda McKay, Caine's willing accomplice in the ill-fated experiment, but it's basically a thankless part that offers little challenge, especially to an actor of Shue's caliber.
The same can be said of Kim Dickens (so magnificent in the 2001 film, `Things Behind the Sun').
Her character, Sarah Kennedy, does little more than support the action and F/X.
Both actors are capable of so much more, and deserve better than what they are given to work with here.
The supporting cast includes Josh Brolin (Matthew), Greg Grunberg (Carter), Joey Slotnick (Frank), Mary Randle (Janice) and William Devane (Dr. Kramer).
Entertaining to a point, and even successful on a certain (low) level, `Hollow Man' is one of those films that leaves you contemplating what could have been.
Like an annual fireworks display, it will give you some momentary thrills, but after awhile it'll begin to blend in with all the others you've seen, without anything special to set it apart.
And it's too bad, because given the talent and abilities of those involved here, it could have been so much more.
I rate this one 4/10.
I don't normally feel much of an incentive to comment on films I don't like, but in a case like this one, I just have to say something.
This movie is terrible, illogical, and stupid.
There are so many flaws in the storytelling that I don't even feel obliged to elaborate on because it's time for me to move on from this experience.
The most annoying point is, however, that at no point in the film does anyone explain whether the motivations for Bacon's character's madness are due to a power trip or a physiological reaction to his condition.
Granted the special effects are impressive, and in the past Paul Verhoeven has done some good stuff (the director's cut of Robocop on DVD is great).
However, this movie is stupid and generally doesn't come near to explaining the point or technical aspect of the subject matter, and instead settles for predictable action without any enjoyment.
In short, as many other reviews here say (wish I had read them before...
) - Stay away from this film!
Unfortunately, one of the best efforts yet made in the area of special effects has been made completely pointless by being placed alongside a lumbering, silly and equally pointless plot and an inadequate, clichéd screenplay.
Hollow Man is a rather useless film.
Practically everything seen here has been done to death - the characters, the idea and the action sequences (especially the lift shaft!) - with the only genuinely intriguing element of the film being the impressive special effects.
However, it is just the same special effect done over and over again, and by the end of the film that has been done to death also.
I was hoping before watching Hollow Man that the Invisible Man theme, which is hardly original in itself, would be the basis of something newer and more interesting.
This is not so.
It isn't long before the film turns into an overly-familiar blood bath and mass of ineffectual histrionics - the mound of clichés piles up so fast that it's almost impressive.
On top of all this, Kevin Bacon does a pretty useless job and his supporting cast are hardly trying their best.
Good points might be a passable Jerry Goldsmith score (but no competition for his better efforts), a quite interesting use of thermal imagery and the special effects.
I was tempted to give this film three out of ten, but the effects push Hollow Man's merit up one notch.
4/10
Paul Verhoeven finally bombed out on this one.
He became a joke on himself.
Once again we have a film which includes sex and violence, immorality, leering at women and lots of attitiude talk between the characters and dollying pans.
Its all for nothing.
Because their is no action at all in this film.
It fudges all its set pieces.
All the actors give the kind of performances form a Verhoeven film.
In other words rampant over acting on almost every level.
Starship Troopers got away with it because it was such a macho world the characters inhabited.
In this scientists are acting the same way.
Sorry Paul but Soldiers and scientist are not really made of the same mindset.
One major flaw in the plot was that after escaping for that one night to do evil things Kevin Bacons character then returns back to the science lab where we have already spent more then enough time watching these animated manniquens (Elizabeth Shue excepted) walk and talk.
Why not show the extent of what the character could do in the outside world.
How could they possibly track him if he could be anywhere at all???
Think os all the different things that could have been done with this concept, both in terms of story and characterisation.
Then look at what this film does and you really how badly done and concieved the whole project really was.
More insulting is the Doco on the DVD where everyone is claiming that Verhoeven is some kind of MAd Genius.
Well one out of two isnt that bad.
This film has nothing of note in it.