another violent and angry fantasy from paul verhoeven . verhoeven be a puzzle represent it difficult to tell whether he take his sordid impulses seriously and with sardonic intent or operate in complete oblivion . he also seem completely ignorant of the fact that all the brilliant visuals in the world ( and this have some outstanding one ) can not hide a negligence to story and dialogue and performance . kevin bacon play a corrupt scientist who have discover invisibility and use it to drive himself into moral bankruptcy . bacon be normally a likable actor who occasionally show his dark side ( ` the river wild ) in an attempt to offset his boyish look while give the material and however and bacon isn not nearly hateful enough to compel . the other principal be elisabeth shue and josh brolin and neither of whom be gift enough to make a solid impression and who and when force to deliver inane dialogue and embarrass themselves . the climax be a study in preponderance and disbelief have to be truly suspend .