torsdag 30 juli 2020

20 Years Anniversary Review Of Hollow Man

Through science we can discover ways to cure people, learn new technology and improve the future. And as long as we have a lot of brilliant minds out there who keep developing new ideas, who knows what they will come up with next. I have a feeling there are a lot of things that will happen in the future, that we never thought would be possible. So what if you could make yourself invisible ? What would you do ? Would you sneak into places that you are not allowed to go ? Or perhaps you would empty a bar, and get drunk and don´t even have to pay, since no one can see you anyway ? For me personally i know exactly what i would do, i would try to get inside Area 51 and see what secrets they have hidden there. I have a feeling that the only secret that is inside that area, is that they actually have all the VHS concerts of Modern Talking Tour in the 80´s. Speaking of invisible, if you are a fan of old Hollywood films, i am pretty sure you have heard of the 1933 film known as The Invisible Man. I have seen this film a long time ago, and i believe it was on DVD, maybe back in the early 2000´s. The story of this film takes place in the English village of Iping in Sussex. This is where they discover Dr. Jack Griffin ( played by actor Claude Rains ), a chemist who have made himself invisible. One interesting detail is that this film is directed by James Whale, who also directed the 1931 horror film Frankenstein. Considering that this film was made in 1933, a lot has happened since then in the world of cinema. But i do feel that there is something charming about this film. The Invisible Man started a wave of films, and TV series, that brought up the subject of being invisible. Even legendary director John Carpenter made an attempt to make his own film about a man who becomes invisible, in the 1992 film known as Memoirs Of An Invisible Man. Not one of John Carpenter´s better films in his career, but i have to admit that legendary comedian Chevy Chase is a good choice for the character. Since i mentioned the early 2000´s, earlier in this review, i have to bring up a film that not many people talk about these days. And that is the sci fi horror film Hollow Man, released in the year of 2000. Directed by lenedary director Paul Verhoeven ( director of Robocop and Total Recall ), this film was a fun ride back in those early days of the year of 2000. Since this film have turned 20 years old this year, is Hollow Man better than i remember, or has this film aged just as bad as Carrot Top´s Las Vegas shows?

Scientist Sebastian Caine ( Kevin Bacon ) have developed a serum for the military that can make a subject invisible. His team includes ex-girlfriend Linda McKay ( Elisabeth Shue ), Matt Kensington ( Josh Brolin ), Dr. Sarah Kennedy ( Kim Dickens ) and other ones as well. The team succeeds in reversing the procedure, returning an invisible gorilla to visibility. Instead of reporting his success to the military, Sebastian lies to an oversight commitee wich includes his mentor Howard Kramer ( William Devane ), and convinces his team to go right into human testing. The procedure is performed on Sebastian himself. The test is successfull and Sebastian is now invisible. Sebastian is enjoying being invisible, when he sees all the things he can do that would not be possible in ordinary life. But his team is concerned that Sebastian is using this ability to cross a line that is not acceptable.

If you enjoy a combination of science fiction and horror influences, then Hollow Man does still have something to offer. This is a film that shows what could happen if you let science go into the wrong hands, when someone is taking advantage of science. In some ways you could say that this film is an updated version of the 1933 film The Invisible Man, but this film has also a lot more special effects. And this is something we need to talk about, because even if this film has turned 20 years old, i still feel that the special effects are actually not bad. I especially enjoy the scenes when Kevin Bacon´s character Sebastian, goes on a rampage journey through the city, being frustrated over becoming a laboratory rat. Speaking of Kevin Bacon, he fits really well into this movie. I would not say that this is one of his better acting performances, but he did manage to create Sebastian into a ignorant bastard, who loves to take advantage of women as he is invisible. But there are other actors in here as well, and one of the better acting performances comes from actress Elisabeth Shue ( who i will always remember in the 2004 film Mysterious Skin ). Her character Linda McKay is exactly who you would want in a working team, she is a good listener, she cares about everyone and she have such a natural shining personality. Legendary actor Josh Brolin is here as well, and even if you don´t get to see a lot of him, he does bring some fun moments to the table. The best part of Hollow Man ( if you ask me ) are the action scenes, when they are fighting against the invisible man. These scenes actually look pretty effective, and i especially enjoy the scenes when you see the invisible body in water. Is everything good about Hollow Man ? No, there are some flaws, but i can accept that and just enjoy this film for what this is, a sci fi action film made for fans of this genre, and who appreciate fun special effects. I know that director Paul Verhoeven does not like this film, and he directed this film. And i know he even said in an interview that he can defend Showgirls, but not Hollow Man. Of course he have the right to feel this way, and all i can say is that i think this is worth watching. For me, Hollow Man is one of those films that you watch for pure entertainment. Hollow Man is a perfect example that everything released in the year 2000 was not bad, and that has to be seen as something positive.

Rating: DDD

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