Thrills Don't Disappear With 'Hollow Man'

Bacon Excels As Dastardly Villain

Debra A. Scott, Staff Writer
August 4, 2000, 10:23 a.m. EDT

Director Paul Verhoeven pulls out all the stops in his newest invisible adventure, "Hollow Man." At times the film breaks the believability barrier; the story itself is not particularly original. But most of the time you just hold onto your seat and absorb each new thrill that materializes.

Characters played by Kevin Bacon, Elizabeth Shue and Josh Brolin head up a super-secret military project that is designed to make invisibility a reality. The team has no problem with the disappearing part; it's when they try to bring the subject back to visibility that they run into problems.

Bacon, as Dr. Sebastian Kane, is a vain super-genius with a God complex -- just the type of person to make the impossible happen. And he's just the type of person to whom you don't want to hand the keys to a dangerous power.

When the scientists reach a breakthrough and break the code to bring a gorilla back into view, Sebastian wants to wait before handing over his pet project to the government. He decides that it's time for human trials, and he insists on being the one to take the plunge.

At first, Sebastian revels in innocent little "Where'd he go?" tricks. But when the serum to make him visible doesn't work, he quickly descends into madness and stops at nothing to keep his co-workers from stopping the project.

But is it the serum coursing through his veins that makes him believe that he is unstoppable? Or does the thrill of control kick his God complex into high gear?

Special-effects wizards have outdone themselves with innovative ways of making an invisible man visible, revealing him with smoke, water and fire. The terror is turned up a notch when you can't see it coming.

In the transition from invisible to visible and back again, the filmmakers aren't content just to let their subject fade away; it disappears one layer at a time. First the skin disappears, then the muscles, then veins, and finally the skeleton dissolves.

Bacon is turning out to be a first-rate villain. However, it would have been nice to see his character demonstrate some vulnerability and tenderness before be descends completely into megalomania. A little more humor would have been welcome, as well.

Shue takes over the action-babe reins in this film and handles them with gusto as Sebastian's partner and former girlfriend.

Another standout in the cast is Kim Dickens as Sarah, the feisty vet on the project. Her spunk and idealistic dedication to her animals is a terrific counterpoint to Sebastian's self-interest.

Once the terror gets started, it never lets up until the final, all-too-conventional end. "Hollow Man" may come up short in substance, but as a good-old-fashioned scream-fest, it fulfills its promise.

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