Hollow Man 2 on DVD

If you’ve been waiting for Sony’s sequel to "Hollow Man" with Kevin Bacon to come out in theaters, you should know that "Hollow Man 2" is currently available on DVD. "Hollow Man" was a decent horror/thriller with psychological undertones, but it’s unclear whether or not the smart choice was to make a second film, especially given that the film has gone straight to DVD.

"Hollow Man 2" stars Christian Slater, and these days Slater’s movies have a habit of skipping the theater, just as this one did. This role could have afforded Slater a chance to show off more potential for the comeback that he seems anxious to make, but without seeing a movie screen, that might be a hard sell. If you’ve grown jaded by Slater’s appearances in films like "Basil," "Hard Cash," "Alone in the Dark," and "Mindhunters," no memory of Slater’s glory days in flicks like "Heathers," "Pump up the Volume," "Young Guns II," and "True Romance" will be able to persuade you to give "Hollow Man 2" a chance.

That is not to say that it might not deserve a shot, but you might not want to go in expecting anything on the same quality level of the first film or a serious horror/thriller. "Hollow Man 2" is about Michael Griffin (Slater), a soldier who is subjected to invisibility experiments and finds himself needing a serum injection to stay alive as he goes insane from the side effects of being made invisible. His body is also deteriorating, causing deformity, and as in "Basil," Slater walks around wearing rags covering his face while he’s visible. This allows the struggling Gen X actor a very insignificant amount of real screen time; probably not the best formula for reminding Hollywood and moviegoers that he’s still there and working to regain his lost status as a star.

If the idea of a soldier who was the subject of military experiments with invisibility going crazy and becoming an unseen threat as a monster appeals to you, check out "Hollow Man 2" if you can find it. Peter Facinelli ("Fast Lane" and "Six Feet Under") and Laura Regan ("Judging Amy" and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent") also star.