Hollow Man *** (2000, Kevin Bacon, Elisabeth Shue, Josh Brolin, Kim Dickens, William Devane) – Classic Movie Review 341

In 2000, Kevin Bacon stars as gifted, Pentagon-funded scientist Sebastian Caine, who develops a secret invisibility serum for animals. He then tests it on himself — with horrifying results, especially since he hasn’t yet worked out how to revert to visibility.

He becomes an insane killer who stalks the other scientists on the invisibility project. so his colleagues quickly have to figure a way to bring him back to the normal world.

Elisabeth Shue also stars as Linda McKay Foster, one of the fellow scientists working on the serum, and the cast also includes Josh Brolin, Kim Dickens and William Devane. These classy actors are all assets to the film.

Bacon and director Paul Verhoeven have lots of problems creating a good, fresh movie experience out of this weakly scripted, jumpily paced yarn, drawing on The Invisible Man and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, especially considering the story’s familiarity over the years.

But Bacon’s lively performance, Verhoeven’s relentless energy, the striking visuals and the clever, Oscar-nominated visual special effects come to the rescue and succeed in making it a fairly decent, enjoyable sci-fi thriller. It’s certainly better than Andrew W Marlowe’s script ever deserved. I quite like that it’s hokum.

Like its star actor, Hollow Man always remains easy-going and likeable. Despite its high-tech look, it’s essentially comfortably old-fashioned and retro as a yarn and as a movie too. And this is one of those movies that gets better with repeated viewings. Who’d have thought?

A sequel, Hollow Man II, appeared in 2006 with Christian Slater.

© Derek Winnert 2013 Classic Movie Review  341

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