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. This new Superbit Deluxe release lacks some of the extras, but looks & sounds superior in every aspect, so if the movie is what matters to you, instead of bonus materials, this is the version to own.
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. I had minimal complaints about the previous release, but when compared to this new Superbit edition, it just doesn’t have the same shine. I’ve done direct comparisons of several scenes and in each case, the image is crisper and shows much better detail, no two ways about it. I know some have called Superbit a gimmick, but if you have a larger screen system, you’ll notice some improvements here right from the start, especially in terms of subtle, but obvious touches. The deep shots seem to be more focused in terms of visible depth, while small items seem more in focus also, another impressive transfer from this Superbit line. I still stand by my claim that the original transfer was excellent, but if you’re a fan of the film, this is how you’ll want to screen the film.
Audio: How does it sound?
Can you say reference level audio? If not, you’ll learn to after you’ve heard Hollow Man in DTS, no doubt about it. As always, this Superbit version houses Dolby Digital & DTS 5.1 surround tracks and while the DTS holds the line, I think either could serve as a demo track, without question. I mean, some scenes will have you wondering if you’re in movie yourself, as sounds whirl around you and pull you inside the picture. That means atmosphere is top notch and that is needed in a movie like Hollow Man, to help us overlook the flaws. You’ll notice the excellent audio gets even better as the action picks up, but from start to finish, these tracks are top notch in all respects. This disc also includes subtitles in English, Spanish, French, Korean, Chinese, Thai and Portuguese, should you need those options.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Thanks to the inclusion of a second disc, Superbit movies now have extras, such as talent files and theatrical trailers, 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 vault of more than fifteen featurettes. You’ll find a treasure trove 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. Lastly, we have a selection of deleted sequences, which were also welcome additions to this disc and include comments from Verhoeven. I do think fans will miss the audio commentary track found on the previous disc, but the absence of the isolated score is even worse news, hands down. But aside from those two exclusions, this Superbit Deluxe edition ports all of the prior version’s supplements.
