Hollow Man

Hollow: (adj.) Having an empty space, or only air, within . . .
A Review of Hollow Man
by Nonia Bidness

Pros: Good special effects -- they were a treat to watch.
Cons: Became farcical by the last quarter of the film.
Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

Here's my new theory: We each have a "Bin of Credibility," sort of like the locks on the Panama Canal. When doing an activity such as movie watching, each incredible bit of the viewing piles up in our "Bin." Once the "Bin" gets full, the movie's ridiculousness starts getting on one's nerves or perhaps starts causing raucous laughter to erupt. My "Bin" got full about three quarters of the way through the movie, and I guffawed undaintily the rest of the way through.

The movie started out well, with cool floating credits and suspenseful music, and good special effects from the beginning.

Now, you'll notice I am recommending this movie and the special effects are the precise reason. I actually was engaged and going along fine, eyes wide and rapt, despite a few really far-fetched plot details and happenings. The sets were cool, all high-tech and modern, gleaming and clean; the characters all young and good looking and terrifically talented and intelligent. Seeing the first preview had already clued me in to the story line. Kevin Bacon is the scientist that we know is going to be turned invisible, and we know Elizabeth Shue is part of the research team. We know that Kevin doesn't just do nice, pleasant things while he is invisible, now, don't we?? He becomes a mouth-breather, because the mask he wears to make him visible doesn't have nose holes. Once I began the laughter phase, that was one of the things I was giggling about (pretend I didn't end that sentence with a preposition).

My "Bin" began to overflow when one of the research team gets seriously wounded and another member of the team, one of the two attractive young women, runs off saying "He needs blood!" and goes to get blood - like um, yeah, let me go in the other room and grab some blood for ya . . . and from then on, the Bin's contents just spewed out ridiculously and I was laughing till tears ran down my cheeks. The duct tape part, that's really what started the uncontrollable laughter...

I with I could give this movie a split rating - it would be 2.5 stars for the first hour and 20 minutes, where it changes to a one star rating. It certainly isn't all bad but it sure isn't all good either! I suppose that's part of the definition of "hollow" - at least there is an outer shell containing the, um, nothingness.

Bang for the Buck: Go to the half-price matinee
Movie Mood: Serious movie/Science Fiction-type
Recommends to friends? Yes (weakly)

Nonia Bidness August 8, 2000