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the audience applauded

Admirable film.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The blatant amount of backlash and dismissal that has been thrown against 2000's "Hollow Man" is something that even to this day- 16 years later- I've never quite been able to fully understand. Is it a particularly complex film? No, not really. But then again, it doesn't seem like it wants to be a complex film... it definitely seems to be focused on just being a mildly creepy and very entertaining roller-coaster ride. And guess what? Thanks to some great performances and very solid visual direction courtesy mad cinematic mastermind Paul Verhoeven, it definitely excels at being mildly creepy and very entertaining!Kevin Bacon portrays brilliant but somewhat troubled scientist Sebastian Caine, who is working with his team (including ex- girlfriend Linda McKay as played by Elizabeth Shue and her new lover Matt, portrayed by Josh Brolin) to achieve perfect invisibility in humans. After successful attempts at making animals invisible and then visible once again with experimental formulas, Sebastian convinces the team to make him the next test-subject. It goes off perfectly- until he discovers the visibility formula doesn't seem to work on people. Now stuck invisible, Sebastian slowly begins to lose his already-shaky mind thanks to the immense power that invisibility affords him... And soon, he may very well begin to threaten the lives of his own team and those he knows as he becomes increasingly obsessed with escaping...The thing I really enjoyed about this film is that it's completely and utterly unapologetic about its intentions, tone and style. It knows what it is and it seems to take much joy in exploiting that. And what is it? Essentially, it's an 80's-era slasher movie with a $100 million budget, A-list actors and cutting-edge effects! (Well, cutting edge at the time at least...)Yes, it's sort-of a shallow concept, but it's just so darned fun seeing the old tropes and clichés of a silent killer stalking his victims with an actual budget to allow for intensely brutal kills, mind-warping visual effects, top-notch set design and wickedly stylish direction. All while characters are gleefully portrayed by the same sort-of actors who could just as easily be starring in Oscar-caliber films in the next screening room over at the theater. Particularly Bacon, who ratchets up both the charm and the sadism in a twisted and wild performance that reminds us of just why we love him so much as an actor.And even though he has more-or-less disowned the film, it most certainly is a Paul Verhoeven picture. It features a lot of his trademarks, like wickedly over-the-top brutality and a touch of his savage sense of dark humor, somewhat subdued though it may be as he was aiming for a more commercial release. I really think he was the perfect fit for the material and he injects a lot of fun into the proceedings, so it's kind of a shame that he considers it one of his lesser efforts. His sense of composition and off-kilter style mixes well with the storyline. If anything, I'd say it would have benefited a bit more if he had cranked up the crazy "Verhoeven-ness" that made his other American flicks (like "RoboCop" and "Total Recall") so memorable. But still, wonderful direction.Add to that some decent cinematography, a wonderfully eerie and evocative score from musical genius Jerry Goldsmith, and wild invisible-man CGI effects unlike anything we had seen at the time, and you just have the formula for an entertaining little film.That being said, I do have to dock some points for the predictable nature of the story. While the unadulterated fun of it being an old-fashioned slasher-flick with a big-budget does earn it some good-will points, it does rob much of the suspense since you can tell what's coming much of the time. It could have been a bit better if they had subverted at least some of the clichés, but I can't hold that against it too much. It's still a great bit of good, old dumb- fun and is a nice relic of the early 2000's- a time when a high concept and interesting new visual effects was more than enough to get an audience excited for a film. Sometimes I miss those days, especially as audiences nowadays seem kind-of jaded about a lot of things. It's fun revisiting a nostalgic little treat like this from time to time."Hollow Man" is occasionally scary but always boasts great entertainment value, despite some minor issues with the storytelling. And so, I give it a very solid and pretty-good 7 out of 10.

Hollow Man (2000): Dir: Paul Verhoeven / Cast: Kevin Bacon, Elisabeth Shue, Josh Brolin, Kim Dickens, Rhona Mitra: Special effects are the only aspect of visibility here because the writers are as invisible as the monster they created. It first assaults viewers with the image of a lab rat being torn to bits by an unseen force. Kevin Bacon plays Sebastian Cain, the genius who came up with this formula. When he tests the formula on himself the plot is reduced to slasher elements with everyone trapped in the laboratory until they die. Director Paul Verhoeven never seems to have fun with the idea of being invisible and the results are opportunities lost. He previously made such embarrassments as Starship Troopers and Showgirls, now he can add this sh*t to the list. Bacon never seems to be there and his name Sebastian Cain is about as obvious a profile as Bozo the Clown. Elisabeth Shue is the standard damsel. Josh Brolin plays her new beau whom Cain wants to kick in the ass because they both desire Shue. Kim Dickens also appears and dies graphically. Rhona Mitra has the misfortune of playing Caine's neighbour whom he spies on and then eventually rapes. Without addressing the invisibility theme it becomes a big hollow graphic mess. An idea for a film such as this is to toss it into a room full of gorillas and turn the light off so to make it invisible. When the lights go on, the film should be improved. Score: 1 / 10

This really is a movie to avoid if you still have some common sense. It starts really good, decent plot but at some point it becomes so dumb. If you respect your time you should avoid it, stop in the middle and better go out have a beer. What disappointed me the most is how stupid some scenes are. I'll list them then go on with my life: so if you have a restricted area, that you can get to only with an elevator, that you must type and spell your password, would that elevator have an escape unsecured door at the top just in case you are chased by someone with a flamethrower? I don't think so. If you are trapped in a freezer at -50 degrees, how in the world would you have electricity in there? Say you can't break the above freezer door window with a wrench, but being a women gives you the strength to break a steel bar like a toothpick. And by the way, secured facility elevators can be released, when hanging, just by pressing with your foot on some detacher. These are just a few, if you get the patience to watch it you'll most probably get disgusted. This is one of the worst movies I've ever watched.

It was the film that convinced director Paul Verhoeven to leave Hollywood and take a break from film making. His reasoning being that any Hollywood director could have made Hollow Man, a big effects led movie that made a lot of cash at the box office. It's this that is the main problem with the picture, it lacks some of the director's bite and satirical savagery, even the souped up sex (natural or deviant) that often comes with his productions. Yet devoid of expectations of a Verhoeven masterpiece, and the crushing realisation that it basically wastes its potential and plays out as a haunted house stalk movie - it's a good energetic popcorner.It quickly becomes obvious that we are entering special effects extravaganza, the opening credits are dynamite, sci-fi sexy, then the opening gambit sequence literally grabs us and a rodent by the throat. From here on in we are treated to grade "A" effects and some genius ways of exposing "the invisible" Sebastian Caine (Kevin Bacon) to us and the prey he soon comes to hunt. Unfortunately the whole cast performances are a much of a muchness, and playing a roll call of sci-fi stereotypes. All involved here have done much better work in their sleep, but they put the bums on theatre seats and ultimately this works as one of those movies designed to thrill and awe the senses - but not the brain. 6.5/10