Displaying items by tag: Claudio Fah

HOLLOW MAN II

US, 2006, 91 minutes, Colour.

Christian Slater, Peter Facinelli, Laura Regan, David McIlwraith, William MacDonald, Sarah Deakins.

Directed by Claudio Fah.

In 2000, Hollow Man was a popular drama, technological and scientific development of the popular Hollow Man/Invisible Man theme. It was directed by Paul Verhoeven who is an executive producer of this sequel.

The critical responses and the popular response to the sequel was mild. It is a variation on the theme, scientific experiments, illegal, allegedly military motivation, secret political motivations, destruction of enemies. And the use of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, in danger from court-martial, agreeing to be subject of the experiments.

The action of this film takes place over two days, the murder of a scientist at a social, some drama as the victim, isolated by the camera, subject to violence, his assailant unseen. The authorities are presented as secretive and sinister, especially the scientist doctor, using his assistant as bait to track the invisible man.

The main hero of the film is, in fact, not a super hero but a Seattle detective, played by Peter Facinlli, and with the death of his partner, not particularly warming to his surveillance of the science researcher, Laura Regan. But, with the attack of the hollow man, the role of the authorities, the two go on the escape route, building up to the final confrontation with the hollow man, the researcher using her wits, the ordinary police detective becoming something of a hero.

1. The popularity of the original film, themes, drama, invisibility? The problem with sequels, measuring up to the original?
2. The Seattle setting, city vistas at night, social events, police headquarters, the FBI, military? The streets, homes, warehouses…?
3. The opening, the social, the behaviour of the scientist, erratic, victim of the invisible man, his murder? The authorities?
4. The situation, Dr Reisner, his ambitions, creating the drugs, Maggie Dalton assisting, the choice of Michael Griffin, his military career, beyond the bounds, saved from court-martial, subject of the experiment, his personality, the injection, the effect? His being the third in the experiments?
5. Griffin, invisible, the promise of the buffer to restore him, the authorities withholding it? The first murder, the clue to Maggie Dalton, following her, to the house, the killing of the female detective? The consequences, the chases?
6. The authorities, secrecy, wanting to retrieve Griffin, destroy him?
7. Frank, his partner, the initial investigation, the authorities taking over, friends clash with his boss, go on surveillance guard, interactions with his partner, her death, the effect, the interactions with Maggie Dalton, her manner, the home, the laboratories, her work, the visit from her sister?
8. The house, the invasion of all the authorities, the escape, vehicles, pursuit, the dangers, Frank and his motivation, intense, Maggie and her mood and motivation, telling the truth? The buildup to the drama, the confrontation, the fight with Griffin, his taking Maggie’s sister, the meeting at the station, the injection, Maggie injected, Griffin injected, Frank injecting himself?
9. Frank, the attack, the fights between the two invisible men, Michael becoming visible? Maggie’s sister, Maggie’s collapse? The truth about the rat poison? Frank killing Griffin?
10. The aftermath, making hospital, her sister, Frank, keeping vigil – and a possible sequel?