Plot: What’s it about?
A man has been killed at a high society soiree, a high profile scientist, no less. The murder took place in the open, with numerous people within plain sight, yet no one can identify the killer. Detective Frank Turner (Peter Facinelli) is called in to investigate, but before he even starts his work, he is told his involvement is over. He is met by a group of federal agents of some kind, who have taken over the case. While he is taken off the case, he still remains close to the situation, as he is assigned to protect Maggie Dalton (Laura Regan). Dalton is a scientist and she is thought to be in potential danger, so Turner is sent to watch over her. As it turns out, she is indeed in danger, as she and Turner are attacked and almost killed. Although they manage to escape with their lives, the attacker also got away. When Turner realizes he was attacked by an invisible man, he demands answers and Dalton brings him up to speed. A serum was given to a test subject named Michael Griffin (Christian Slater), in order to create an invisible soldier, perfect for covert operations. But now he is going insane, killing everyone in his path in search of an antidote. With their lives on the line, as well as the lives of countless others, can the two come up with a plan to stop the invisible assassin?
I loved Hollow Man. I know, most folks bashed it to no end, but I thought it was a cool thriller with some cool special effects. I liked how it felt like a slick, grand scale B movie and of course director Paul Verhoeven is a personal favorite of mine. When I heard about Hollow Man 2, my interested was piqued, until I learned it would be direct to video, with a new cast, and Verhoeven was only listed as executive producer. Instead, we have Christian Slater and Peter Facinelli, not my top two choices. But the previews promised not one, but two Hollow Men, so I figured it would be worth a look after all. I was pleased to see little time is wasted and the invisible madness kicks off without hesitation, but then the brakes are slammed on. I guess the B movie feel of the original wasn’t what the filmmakers wanted this time around, as we’re buried under exposition and lame plot devices. I want simple, I want the story to take the back seat in a case like that. I’d rather have more special effects, more sleaze, and more violence, not a wannabe complex story, especially one as bad as this one. Hollow Man 2 is buried in exposition and slow, dull sequences. I doubt anyone would watch a movie like this to be bored, so why not just make a cool movie, like the original? I was bored to tears at times with this movie and when the hollow man showdown does arrive, it doesn’t live up to the hype. I can only recommend this as a rental and even, only to those in desperate need of invisible madness.
Video: How does it look?
Hollow Man 2 is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. The print is very clean and shows minimal signs of wear, while compression is flawless, no defects to report in the least. The colors range from vivid to dank and all stops in between, but no matter what the shade is, all of the hues look picture perfect here, no errors at all. No issues with the contrast either, as black levels come off as sharp and refined throughout. All in all, this is a more than solid visual presentation.
Audio: How does it sound?
A Dolby Digital 5.1 option is used here, but as the film is driven by dialogue and music most of the time, this is not the kind of track to demo your sound system with. A few scenes do liven up the mix and bring the surrounds to life, but outside of the music and a handful of other moments, the front channels handle the audio burden. This is not bad news per se, as the dialogue and other basic elements sound solid, but it does limit the depth and presence, so the mix seems flat at times and never that impressive. This disc also includes English subtitles, just in case.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes three featurettes, one of which is quite insightful, plus a collection of the film’s storyboards.
