Hollow Man (2000)
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Starring: Elisabeth Shue, Kevin Bacon, Josh Brolin
Synopsis:
A team of scientists experimenting with invisibility move forward with human trials unauthorized with disastrous consequences.
Impressions:
My regard for Paul Verhoeven as a filmmaker is mixed, and when this movie came out, I was inclined more toward the negative end as I really didn't like his take on Starship Troopers. (I'm sure I'll get to revisiting that one day for review purposes.) I didn't check it out at the time but pairing this with 1933's The Invisible Man as a double feature gave me an excuse to give it a shot. What did I think? I thought it was pretty good. You set up the issues with the procedure, Sebastian's character flaws and all the interpersonal conflicts that stand to get exacerbated as things get worse. While some of the effects haven't aged great, you can still appreciate the technical accomplishment, especially the depiction of bodies phasing back into the visual plane. The progression of the horror aspects follow similar beats to Cronenberg's The Fly, and I say that as a compliment. The grand finale is a bit overwrought, but if you're wanting spectacle, it's quite a way to go out. Overall, I'd say this is worth a watch, so if you want to see the horror science has wrought, go for it.
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