DVD Review: Hollow Man

Arrogant scientist Sebastian Caine (Bacon) has developed a method of rendering mammals invisible and then returning them to their original, visible state. The next phase of the testing involves humans, and Caine volunteers to be the subject. Only this time, defense team members McKay (Shue) and Kensington (Brolin) and crew can't seem to bring him back from his existence as the "Hollow Man." The make-up effects, designed and created by Alex Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr., are terrific. (Laurie Sevano)
DVD Picture:
The anamorphically enhanced 1.85:1 DVD exhibts a picture that will surely please, with sharp and finely detailed images. Some scenes exhibit a soft focus. Colors are naturally rendered with full saturation, rich hues and deep blacks. Fleshtones are well balanced throughout. Contrast and shadow delineation are excellent, with a pleasing gradation of visual information between darkness and total picture black. There are occasional instances in which pixelization is noticed, for a slight "digital" appearance, but one that is not terribly distracting. (Suzanne Hodges)

DVD Soundtrack:
The soundtrack was originally created as an eight-channel mix for SDDS (with Dolby® Digital Surround EX™). The Dolby Digital 5.1-channel soundtrack for the DVD is a remarkable production, with remarkable fidelity as well as articulate, artistic crafting and spatial distribution of sounds that is exemplary. One of the notable creative uses of dimension is in Chapter 10, as Sebastian Caine wakes up for the first time as an invisible man and you can hear him walking around the room. Those who have good imaging between the screen speakers will derive much benefit in being able to somewhat recreate the panning of Caine's voice across the screen, between the three primary channels via the extra two screen channels for SDDS. There's quite a bit to sink into in terms of low frequency impact - one example that is sure to test the capability of your subwoofer(s) is in Chapter 3, as the invisible Isabella the gorilla makes a stomping charge toward one of Caine's assistants. The low-end also provides for a nice deep bass foundation to the music score. This sequence is also a good example of the many instances in the film with remarkable dynamic range. Surround envelopment ranges between gentle to moderate for sound effects, and gentle to aggressive for the music. The back surround channel for Surround EX is used very sparsely for dramatic effects, and seems to have been generally incorporated into the surround soundfield to incrementally heighten the sense of spaciousness. (One of the examples of back surround engagement is at the end of Chapter 25 with the sequential opening of the fire sprinklers.) There's usually a balance toward the screen channels, but during heightened moments the listening space is dramatically energized. Additionally, it's important to note the many instances of well-recorded, poignant crafting and editing of sound effects that accentuate the visceral effect imparted by the visuals. Dialogue is very well recorded, with a pleasing, natural-sounding presence and exemplary spatial integration. Jerry Goldsmith's music score is an excellent recording (recorded/mixed by Bruce Botnick), with an expansive presence that effectively sweeps into the surrounds. This is a well-crafted, effectively executed soundtrack presentation that effectively heightens the emotional drama of this sci-fi thriller. (Perry Sun)

Picture: 4.5
Dolby Digital Sound: 5
Critics' Composite Score: 3

Stars: Kevin Bacon, Elisabeth Shue, Josh Brolin, Kim Dickens, Greg Grunberg, Joey Slotnick, Mary Randle and William Devane

This review provided courtesy of www.widescreenreview.com