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HOLLOW MAN
Kevin Bacon wrote a very detailed and insightful two-part journal
of his experiences making Hollow Man in Entertainment Weekly. He
said Hollow Man was the hardest movie he has ever made. I'm sorry
to say all of the effort he put forth and misery he endured during
filming was practically for nothing. Hollow Man was a terrible movie.
It might be one of the worst movies of the year. Special effects
alone, no matter how astounding or well done, are NOT a substitute
for a good story or engaging characters, neither of which can be
found in Hollow Man. Special effects should be at the service of
the story, not the reason to make the movie with a semblance of
a story strung together around the effects. There wasn't a single
compelling idea to be found, which is ridiculous considering what
could have been done with the concept of how a person might behave
if he were invisible, beyond the obvious no-brainers of turning
into a sex pervert and insane killer. The characters especially
were poorly written and completely unoriginal. Both Bacon and Elisabeth
Shue have done better work (sorry Kevin, but it's true) and a cardboard
cutout could have equaled and probably exceeded the performance
Josh Brolin turned in. There was no story besides Man Turns Invisible,
Goes Crazy and Kills Everyone. Paul Verhoeven has perhaps the single
worst track record of any mainstream Hollywood director. I'm shocked
he still gets work. Verhoeven hasn't made a good movie since Robocop
(1987). This is the auteur behind Showgirls after all. Hollow Man
is his latest contribution to the embarrassment of Hollywood moviemaking.
Hollow Man was a total disappointment and a waste of my time and
money.
- John Orquiola (reviewed 8/7/2000)
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