Hollow Man Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Hollow Man Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 12, 2024

Mill Creek and Wal Mart have collaborated on a store exclusive SteelBook release for Director Paul Verhoven's 2000 re-imagining film 'Hollow Man,' starring Kevin Bacon and Elisabeth Shue. This is at least the third issue of the film on Blu-ray, following the original Sony pressing and a subsequent Mill Creek release in 2013. In a pleasant surprise, this release includes a supplement that was not included on either Mill Creek's previous issue, or on the Sony disc (though ti is absent the handful of other extras from the Sony disc). See the 'Special Features and Extras' section of the review below for more on that supplement as well as the SteelBook's look and feel. Finally, I did not review, nor do I have access to, the original Mill Creek issue, so I will offer a few fresh words on video and audio, though they are likely very similar to the previous Mill Creek release (which, by the way, was only available as part of a two-film bundle with Hollow Man 2).

For a full film review, please see Michael Reuben's comprehensive coverage accompanying the last Mill Creek release by clicking here.

Hollow Man Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

This is a satisfyingly filmic image. It certainly looks a little flat, tired, and downtrodden and wanting for a remaster, but it's a very serviceable and faithful picture in the aggregate. Overall clarity is solid, with good, though not at necessarily great, facial definition. Clothing lines and seams are visible but not leaping off the screen, and adequate definition to the cold lines and set dressings around the lab where much of the film takes place is plainly visible. Colors are hardly bold, but there is a nice sense of basic tonal accuracy and depth at work to clothes, lipstick, hair, and the like, with the steely grays of course a tonal foundation for the film. Some of the visual effects (muscular systems, etc.) look a little ragged, but the film is approaching a quarter-century in age, so do expect them to not look like they might today. Better, the transfer defies the usual Mill Creek trapping of excessive compression issues, which is most welcome. There are a few stray spots and speckles but such are very sporadic and very unobtrusive. Overall verdict: pretty good!

Hollow Man Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack delivers a well-rounded listen with potency probably being the most pronounced part of the presentation. Music rocks with full stage engagement during a prominent Rock song in the 7-minute mark, offering excellent depth as well as full-on surround fill and prodigious volume at reference level. The film's action scenes, and additional examples of high intensity score, are likewise characterized by high volume, stable clarity, and full surround usage. There are some pleasingly discrete spatial elements when Sebatian speaks from various corners of the soundstage, and a handful of moments offer vital ambient detail to better draw the listener into tension. Dialogue is satisfyingly clear and centered for the duration.

Hollow Man Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Unlike the previous and featureless issue of Hollow Man from Mill Creek, this release contains one supplement. The needlessly long title is Full Transparency: Scoring Hollow Man: Interview with Jerry Goldsmith Biographer Jeff Bond (1080p, 18:29). Bond recounts Goldsmith's work on the film primarily and briefly discusses his other compositions in collaboration with Paul Verhoven. No DVD or digital copies are included.

The matte SteelBook is very attractive. The front panel simply repurposes familiar poster artwork, a ghostly, slightly blurry look at an "invisible" Kevin Bacon, white with dark shadows across the eyes and to the left of the panel. Shue's and Bacon's names appear at the top, the title across the top spans the length (along with Verhoven's name), and the text "Think you're alone? Think again" runs along the bottom. The title and bottom text are presented in white on the left and black on the right. The rear panel features another stock image of Bacon in a hoodie with a mask on his face and hollow holes for eyes. A blurry background appears behind him. The spine is black with Bacon's picture at the top. The film's title appears in white, center, and Mill Creek and Blu-ray logos are at the bottom. Inside, the lone Blu-ray disc sits on the right-hand side. The interior offers a two panel spread featuring an invisible Sebatian crawling on the facility floor, covered in water. The main action takes place on the left and not under the disc. On the right is more or less empty space. A flimsy J-Card is also included.

Hollow Man Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hollow Man was not exactly a critical darling and it is certainly one of the lesser films in the Paul Verhoeven canon, but it has its moments of interesting content and ideas. Still, I believe Michael's review to pretty spot-on (as usual). Mill Creek's SteelBook release is very nice and offers, in addition to the packaging, a supplement centered on the score. This is hardly a candidate for the top release of 2024, but fans will want to pick this one up.