Memoirs Of An Invisible Man (1992) ***
Memoirs Of An Invisible Man (1992) undoubtedly feels like a work for hire job by director John Carpenter (Ivan Reitman was the original director but left the project after disagreements with star Chevy Chase). Indeed, to symbolize his lack of complete creative control, the customary "John Carpenter's" does not appear before the title in the opening credits. The film was a critical and box office failure. And yet age hasn't been so bad to it—while the film sits in the lower quarter of my Carpenter rankings, I find it enjoyable, and not devoid of merit.
Chase does a commendable job in a more serious role, Daryl Hannah, oozing charm, is easy to fall in love with (as Chase's Nick Halloway does on screen), and Sam Neill is tops at portraying a dirty CIA agent, keeping his performance measured but sinister. There are a good deal of gags that land fairly well, but they never derail the somber tone of this story of a man who simultaneously loses his identity and becomes the source of a relentless manhunt.
Memoirs is a special effects heavy film and most of the work, a blend of practical f/x and CGI with lots of clever setups, holds up well to this day. The score of the film is noteworthy (sorry) both for being one of the few not written by Carpenter and for being the first major Hollywood studio picture to feature a complete orchestral score composed by a woman (Shirley Walker). On that note (sorry again), Walker's score is good, helping to heighten the suspense and romance.
As an update of The Invisible Man (1933) with a North By Northwest (1959) sense of adventure, Memoirs is pretty solid. Sure it's a bit conventional in the storytelling and doesn't bear its director stamp, but it's a fun piece of entertainment. Not every film has to be a masterpiece.
You can find my John Carpenter Films Ranked list here.
Chase does a commendable job in a more serious role, Daryl Hannah, oozing charm, is easy to fall in love with (as Chase's Nick Halloway does on screen), and Sam Neill is tops at portraying a dirty CIA agent, keeping his performance measured but sinister. There are a good deal of gags that land fairly well, but they never derail the somber tone of this story of a man who simultaneously loses his identity and becomes the source of a relentless manhunt.
Memoirs is a special effects heavy film and most of the work, a blend of practical f/x and CGI with lots of clever setups, holds up well to this day. The score of the film is noteworthy (sorry) both for being one of the few not written by Carpenter and for being the first major Hollywood studio picture to feature a complete orchestral score composed by a woman (Shirley Walker). On that note (sorry again), Walker's score is good, helping to heighten the suspense and romance.
As an update of The Invisible Man (1933) with a North By Northwest (1959) sense of adventure, Memoirs is pretty solid. Sure it's a bit conventional in the storytelling and doesn't bear its director stamp, but it's a fun piece of entertainment. Not every film has to be a masterpiece.
You can find my John Carpenter Films Ranked list here.
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