Plot: What’s it about?
Dr. Sebastian Caine (Kevin Bacon) and his team of workers have been funded by the military to unlock the secrets of invisibility. This sounds rather complex, but they have already been able to grant primates invisible status, though they haven’t mastered the art of making them visible again. But Caine and his team push forward and after some successful tests, the time has come to report the good news to their committee that funds their work, but Caine lies instead. Caine is an arrogant man with a bad attitude and since he wants to be the first human subject, he keeps their progress under wraps. He then volunteers to be the test subject and when the first phase is complete, it seems as though the process will show no flaws when tested on humans. But when the time comes for Caine to rejoin the visible realm, problems surface and he is forced to remain invisible. He starts to slide downhill mentally and soon, his levels of aggression start to peak. Soon enough, Caine begins to escape from the lab for periods of time and gets more & more risky in his actions. With no real identity in his mind, will Caine run loose and cause chaos? If so, will anyone be able to stop him, since no one can see him?
Man, what a wild ride Hollow Man is. I admit, the film veers off course toward the end, but as a whole, this is one fun movie. Some incredible visuals take the main focus, but the basics of character and storyline don’t get kicked aside either. This story is not a new one by any means, but some cool new twists and turns have been tacked on, so this far from a simple rehash, I assure you. I think fans of director Paul Verhoeven and of course, mad scientist films will be most interested, but anyone in search of a great thriller will find a lot to like with Hollow Man. From the musical score to the cast to the direction to the dazzling special effects, Hollow Man packs all the elements and then some to hold the viewer’s attention. This might not be the most complex film in terms of story and characters, but this is much more than a visual feast, there is substance with this style. You can watch this film for the thrills and intense visuals, but there’s also some nice subtle touches to explore on repeat viewing sessions. I give this film my highest recommendation and with such a fantastic disc, I think a purchase is in order.
In the realm of film directors, Paul Verhoeven is always in the midst of criticism. His films run the gamut from all out action blockbusters to sex laced stripper epics, all of which have divided viewers in the process. I happen to fall on the positive side of Verhoeven’s work and consider him to be one of my personal favorites. In my eyes, his films usually have many layers, some obvious at first glance and others that require you to look beyond the surface. His more recent efforts have been passed off as one dimensional blockbusters, but I think they’ve possessed much more depth than most people admit. Hollow Man is no exception to that trend and while many claimed it was all visual flash, I think it is excellent and offers a lot to think about. Just what the morals and such are varies from person to person, but I think it does offer some food for thought. Other films by Verhoeven include Basic Instinct, Starship Troopers, RoboCop, Soldier Of Orange, Total Recall, and of course, Showgirls. The cast of Hollow Man includes Kevin Bacon (Wild Things, Footloose), Josh Brolin (The Goonies, Best Laid Plans), Elisabeth Shue (Leaving Las Vegas, Molly), Kim Dickens (Zero Effect, Mercury Rising), William Devane (Payback, Space Cowboys), and Joey Slotnick (Twister, Pirates of Silicon Valley).
Video: How does it look?
Hollow Man is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. You want wicked visuals? Hollow Man supplies them in massive amounts and thanks to this reference level transfer, it all looks excellent here. As should be the case with such a recent release, the source print looks totally pristine and this transfer shows no traces of compression flaws, which provides a stable visual base. The film’s colors come across well here, with rich hues and no signs of discoloration, as well as natural and consistent flesh tones. Just as impressive is the contrast, with a high level of detail and very well balanced black levels. This movie needed a superb visual transfer and as usual, Columbia/Tristar has more than delivered.
Audio: How does it sound?
In addition to some intense visuals, this film also showcases some dynamic audio, here in a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. I want to say right off the top here, I love Jerry Goldsmith’s score for Hollow Man. The score is so subtle at times, then sneaks up on you, which fits in like a charm within this film. So, I am very pleased that Goldsmith’s work is presented in such fine form here, very eerie and very immersive. The surrounds also see a lot of action from the sound effects, which range from atmospheric touches to instant scare tactics. But whether subtle or obvious, all the audio comes through in proper and effective form here. The dialogue is also superb in this mix, with some excellent directional presence and a high level of clarity at all times. All in all, an immersive and very active audio mix that delivers on all counts. The disc also contains English and French 2.0 surround track, as well as subtitles in English and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This one is loaded to the teeth, which couldn’t please me more. I went right to the isolated musical score, which also contains comments from Jerry Goldsmith in the silent spaces. As I mentioned above, I love this score and am so glad it was isolated, as well as being able to hear Goldsmith’s comments. The usual talent files, theatrical & teaser trailers, and basic DVD ROM elements also can be found, but that is just the start of the bonus materials on this disc. If you want to know more about the film’s awesome special effects, then you’re in luck, as this disc contains a virtual treasure trove of featurettes. You’ll find a wealth of brief featurettes here, each of which spotlights a specific special effect. Most are just basic looks at how each effect was created, but some have commentary and storyboards as well. There’s more in terms of featurettes as well, with a basic all around behind the scenes piece and a featurette on director Paul Verhoeven, which I liked a lot. A trio of visual effects comparisons are also included, which shed even more insight on the tricks used to dazzle our eyes in Hollow Man. Next is a selection of deleted sequences, which were also welcome additions to this disc and include comments from Verhoeven. The final supplement is my personal favorite, an audio commentary from Verhoeven, actor Kevin Bacon, and screenwriter Andrew W. Marlowe. This proved to be an excellent track and with all three, few spaces can be found without comments. I was interested in Verhoeven’s comments more than the others, but this is a very well rounded audio track in the end.
