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Overall Rating : 4.5/10
Directed By : Claudio Feah
Christian Slater (Alone In The Dark)
Peter Facinelli (The Scorpion King)
Laura Regan (My Little Eye)
Supplied By : Sony Pictures
Film Reviewed By : Rick L. Blalock
Date Reviewed : Apr. 18, 2006
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| PLOT A Seattle detective and a biologist find themselves the targets of murder from an invisible assassin gone rogue, as well as the government forces who caused him to become invisible... |
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| THE REVIEW HOLLOW MAN 2 is an unrelated sequel to the 2000 smash box office hit HOLLOW MAN, with a similar plot line but a product that is less inspired This time the plot centers around a story of a group of scientists hired by the federal government to create the ultimate indestructible, invisible soldier for use in combat. Their subject is Michael Griffin, a soldier they consider to be one of the most highly trained on the force, therefore making him the best candidate to becoming the world's first secret weapon. During testing they inject him with the famous invisible serum and as expected things go array. It seems that Griffin has had a reaction to the serum and the side effects cause his death, or did it? You guessed right if you said no and it seems that Michael is back some 5 years later and the effects of the serum have given him amazing strength, it seems nothing can stop him on the path to his revenge. Michael's goal is to get the one thing that will keep him alive....a reverse serum known as "The Buffer", and the only one to possess it is the only survivor from the team of doctors that administered the test..... Dr. Maggie Dalton. Fearing for her life, Dalton teams up with Detective Frank Turner, as they must fight what they cannot see... I remember really enjoying the Kevin Bacon flick HOLLOW MAN, but I cannot say that I remember a lot about what takes place in it, but from what I do remember, HOLLOW MAN had a well thought out script....something I can't say for it's sequel. This film in no way relates with the original besides for the fact that the same serum is used and the same things happen to the test subject. Since they are really in no way alike, you could consider this one a remake of a much bigger film, except it is done on a far less expensive budget. HALLOW MAN, had a really solid back story that lead up to the events in the film, while this one just gives you a soldier and a reason for making him invisible. With the special effects in this film, I guess a lot of explaining isn't needed but they could have at least told us a little more about the test subject. Just why was Michael Griffin picked? Did he have a behavioral problem before hand? Just what made him the best candidate out of the whole US MIlitary? The original HOLLOW MAN told us who exactly Bacon's character was and he showed emotion that enabled the viewer to feel sorry for him at times. In this one however Michael is already invisible and already angry...we go into HOLLOW MAN 2 just wondering what is going on.... There are also a few holes in the plot that do not make since. For Instance, they say Griffin died after the test and it flashbacks to his funeral.... just how in the hell did they put him in a casket have a funeral and bury him? He would have had to have been bones when the buried him, so how do he escape the casket only to terrorize Maggie again 5 years later? Also later in the story another invisible man shows up and he is explained to be one of THREE test patients, so there was more than one. If Griffin wasn't the only one then how come the other two aren't shown earlier in the film. Shortly after this second man is introduced he quickly vanishes from the story and we never hear from him again...makes you wonder, just why was he even there in the first place. The acting was average, but not too strong. Top billing goes to Christian Slater as the Hollow Man, and he is pushed as the star here although we don't actually "see" him a lot, only hear him. He used to be one of the great young actors, but in his older years his career choices have not been too wise, take for example ALONE IN THE DARK. Laura Regan and Peter Facinelli, outshine Slater her as they play Maggie Dalton and Frank Turner respectively. I enjoyed Facinelli's portrayal, but I believe that there really wasn't that one performance that stood out, which might explain it's direct to video release. Over all the film is decent, the plot isn't all that clever really but the film does offer up some cool effects and sometimes slick directions by Faeh. It looks as if they are planning a series of these HOLLOW MAN flicks by the looks of this one's ending....I don't know if i'd call that a good or bad thing. |
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| GORE
METER 4/10 The gore starts heavy and promising but only to later tone down a bit.... |
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| MUSICAL
SCORE 5.5/10 The Score is actually pretty good, sometimes suspenseful yet dramatic. |
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| OVERALL
IMPRESSION OF THE FILM As I said previously, I thought this film was alright, it is definitely not what a sequel to a multi-million dollar blockbuster should've been. Fans wanting to see this expecting a film on the same level as its original will probably be let down by HOLLOW MAN 2. I say take a chance and rent this, but you will have better chances of liking it more if you haven't seen the original. This DVD will be released on May 23, 2006 |
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