Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992) User Reviews

Outta sight.

[vip_ebriega · 6/10 · 18 October 2008]

My Take: It' ain't great, but its funny and interesting, and packed with wildly imaginative special effects.

Part-Hitchcockian manhunt thriller, part-James Whale and part-screwball special effects comedy, John Carpenter's 1992 misunderstood MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN is a delightful although not entirely great comedy. Or was it really meant to be a comedy? Although it's obviously a Chevy Chase vehicle pumped up by (for-the-time) groundbreaking special effects. But was it really a comedy? John Carpenter refuses to tell us exactly what the identity of, not the character, bu the movie. It was both a thriller, a comedy and a love story at the same time. And, although Carpenter wasn't able to balance all three genres together and make them mesh together completely, he does provide an interesting and skillfully-made little film. The special effects are dated compared to today's standards (By the following year, these kind of special effects would be extinct and would make way for CGI with JURASSIC PARK) but they are still quite convincing at some scenes. As a matter of fact, they're actually quite funny in some scenes (The scene where Chase sees the food he just ate digesting was pretty hilarious). The performances are decent at best, with Sam Niell in fine form as the antagonist, a ruthless undercover agent, and Daryll Hannah as a fine damsel-in-distress. Chase is pretty good too, although due to his comedic screen presence, it's quite hard to take him seriously during his scenes that are meant to be serious.

Although flawed, MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN is a skillfully-paced and hilarious film. It might be an overstatement to say Carpenter was in control here, but no one can say he didn't at least do a passable job.

Rating: *** out of 5.

The first Chevy Chase movie that I ever saw...and it's in Movie Madness's horror section.

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 3 January 2006]

If you're walking through Movie Madness's horror section and see a Chevy Chase movie, you may think that it's either a joke, or that you're dreaming. Well, it's serious. "Memoirs of an Invisible Man" was actually the first Chevy Chase movie that I ever saw (and I even saw it in the theaters). Chase plays San Francisco stock analyst Nick Halloway, who becomes see-through after an accident. His only hope is documentary maker Alice Monroe (Daryl Hannah), but CIA agent David Jenkins (Sam Neill) has his eye on Nick (not literally, of course).

Much of the movie has Nick running away from people. Some scenes are just straight comedy, like his dream of undressing. But most of the movie portrays the grim world that Nick is forced to inhabit. Maybe this was an allusion to the malaise that had taken over the country during Bush Sr's presidency. I wouldn't call this John Carpenter's best movie ever, but I did find it interesting, if only to see Chevy Chase in a non-goofy role.

Chevy Chase can be serious when necessary

[necrophilissimo · 7/10 · 25 September 2005]

I have to admit, I was very skeptical about this movie, mostly because most John Carpenter's attempts to do something else than horror or sci-fi have been complete disasters. And having Chevy "cheap comedies" Chase on the cover didn't help. But I'm glad that there still are a few positive surprises lurking in the video rental shelves.

Most movies involving invisible people have been pure special effects extravaganzas with few thrills, so seeing this film was a pleasant fresh meat to the grinder. Performances are great, except perhaps for Hannah (but as she is there for looks, it doesn't hurt). Chase's performance is as solid as it can get and even though there are slight hints of his generic and all-seen comedic maneuvers here and there, when combined with ILM special effects they're fine - a bit like Jim Carrey in "The Mask". Sam Neil is great bad guy, but that's no news for everyone who has seen third "The Omen".

Not to spoil things, I can say that the plot is fine and has several innovative ideas. Just don't expect anything genre-defining or even remotely intelligent, and you're in for an entertaining ride.

Surprisingly good...

[Chiron1987 · 20 July 1999]

Memoirs of an Invisible Man tanked in 1992, and was seen by many as a dismal failure, and a sure sign of Chevy Chase's film career demise. However, I, a life-long Chase fan, was pleasantly surprised by the film, and enjoyed it thoroughly.

It is fast-paced, quick-witted, and features a terrific dramatic turn for Chase. While the story is somewhat muddled, and the other performances, especially Darryl Hannah's, remain a bit stoic and wooden, the eye-popping special effects are truly top notch.

Chevy Chase has never been respected in Hollywood, and his movies are always deemed as failures, but to me, and others, he is a comedic genius, either as the familiar buffoon, such as Clark Griswold of the superb Vacation series, or as the aloof wisecracker, such as Irwin Fletcher, in the Fletch films.

Highly recommended.

Not prime Carpenter, but decent viewing for what it is.

[Hey_Sweden · 6/10 · 11 August 2018]

Eventually there comes a time when actors who usually specialize in comedy decide that, for at least once, they'd like to be taken seriously. And so it goes with this Chevy Chase vehicle in which he largely plays it straight. He's cast as Nick Halloway, a securities analyst who is rendered invisible after a freak accident at a laboratory. This makes things difficult as he attempts to romance a documentarian (a radiant Daryl Hannah) whom he's just met, and tries to avoid a sneaky Federal agent (an appropriately smarmy Sam Neill) who wants to exploit Nicks' situation.

At the least, "Memoirs of an Invisible Man" offers an interesting look at a person who has to accept invisibility as a fact of life. In addition to the benefits of not being visible, he must deal with the realities. For example, HE may be invisible, but the food and drink he ingests won't be as they enter his system. All the spy stuff is pretty standard-issue, and one has to presume that the source novel by H.F. Saint was somewhat more nuanced.

Still, this is reasonably entertaining. It was clearly just work for hire for the celebrated veteran director John Carpenter; because it's among the least "Carpenter-esque" of his filmography, it may not be very satisfying to his fans.

Chase is very earnest. You have to respect his restraint; at no time do you get the indication that he wants to crack wise. Hannah is appealing and of course gorgeous. Neill is an effective villain, although he doesn't really try to suppress his natural Kiwi accent for the role. Familiar faces like Michael McKean, Stephen Tobolowsky, Patricia Heaton, Donald Li (From JC's "Big Trouble in Little China"), Rosalind Chao, and Sam Anderson also turn up. JC himself has a cameo late in the picture as a helicopter pilot (billed as "Rip Haight").

But the real stars of the movie are undoubtedly the visual effects team at ILM. If a viewer is otherwise bored with this, they can't deny that the invisibility gags are effective.

Overall, good for some chuckles and thrills.

Six out of 10.

Good Movie

[LuboLarsson · 6/10 · 26 February 2007]

I enjoyed Memoirs of an Invisible Man, its no classic but better than its flop reputation. I've always been a fan of Chevy Chase and I'm also a huge fan of John Carpenter although I never imagined that Carpenter would direct a Chevy Chase movie, but to be honest if I had not heard that John Carpenter had directed this or seen his name in the credits and had just watched the movie oblivious to the fact I don't think I would have guessed this was a Carpenter movie. Nothing about it screams John Carpenter, its much more a Chevy Chase movie although a slightly more serious one than normal. He's pretty good in this, more straight and with less of the physical and wacky comedy that made his name. Daryl Hannah is as beautiful as ever as the love interest and Sam Neil makes a good villain. One thing I will say about this film is it seems like it may have been heavily cut as it seems a bit disjointed at times. Special credit to the special effects guys though , amazing effects for a 1992 movie. All in all a rather good movie.

An Highly Visible Movie (dvd)

[leplatypus · 7/10 · 12 April 2005]

This movie is a good surprise.

It tells the story of a modern invisible man. There is no question about experiment, mad scientist, etc... because the hero is a simple trader, and his life turns into a mess the day he becomes accidentally invisible.

On this simple idea, this movie succeeds in a lot of genres: it is a fantasy movie, a comedy, a thriller, a romance, a Carpenter's movie with a subtle critic of America....

The locations are also very enjoyable and spouses well the need of the story: the urban life of San Francisco & the countryside near the ocean. In the city, the action is dynamic, while in the country, there is much time for reflexion.

All the tricks of the invisibility are well done. Every 5 minutes, you will be delighted to see a funny, inventive shot. On the psychological side, all the implications of this situation are confronted: the loneliness, the power, oneself's identity, the value of appearance, etc....

At least, all the actors are wonderful: Hannah delivers her traditional but so much sensitive portray of a delicate, naive, sincere woman. Chase excels with his attitude and he sure brought his comedy experience.

In conclusion, congratulations Mr. Carpenter !!! Your talent have blended harmoniously all this, and in spite of of being far away of your traditional horror movie, you prove that you are a great director !!!!

The fun is very visible in this sweet, unassuming little film

[inkblot11 · 7/10 · 25 July 2007]

Nick Holloway (Chevy Chase) is a self-centered businessman who, somehow, ends up in a scientific experiment gone awry. As the sole inhabitant of a building at the wrong time, Nick is rendered invisible by a glitch in a research project. Almost immediately, he is tracked by a nefarious government agent (Sam Neill) who insists that Nick become part of the United States spy program...or else. Yet, Nick is clever and manages to escape, time and again. At last, Nick takes refuge at an empty summer house on the California coast, where he orders the delivery of groceries and tries to plan his next move. Visitors arrive unexpectedly, and one of them is a beautiful woman named Alice (Darryl Hannah), whom Nick has romanced before. Can Nick somehow communicate to Alice his troubles and garner her help? This is just one of those "nice little films" that can entertain in a big way for an evening. Chase is terrific, Hannah is beautiful, and Neill looks like he is having a ball as the designated bad guy. The rest of the cast, although unknown, are a complete joy as well. The sets are very special, including the city of San Francisco and the lovely-beyond-compare summer house on the coast. Costumes are likewise very fine, with Hannah looking like a dream most of the time. As for the production values, they are top notch but, the film does pose some problems. Chase is the star, therefore, he can't be "invisible" all of the time. Very often, the viewer sees Chase, but if a mirror or window is nearby, the reflection shows us nothing...except a toothbrush or a hat, for example. The end result is an inconsistency in the realm of invisibility but, in truth, it doesn't matter, not really. For those who love amusing films, with intrigue, romance and funny characters, this is a movie to consider. Although the flick is totally unassuming, it delivers a "good show" for almost any audience out there.

A nice try, but no cigar

[MovieAddict2016 · 5/10 · 12 October 2005]

The believability of "invisible man" pictures has been a problem long left ignored in Hollywood. The main problem is that invisible characters never seem to do what real humans would do if they were given the powers. This creates a distance between the viewers and the characters themselves, resulting in alienation.

Before Paul Verhoeven attempted to portray a realistic and edgy invisible man in his "Hollow" (pun intended) sci-fi mess, John Carpenter took a swing, too - and similarly missed.

This isn't as hard-edged as "Hollow Man" (it's PG-13) but Chevy Chase's character does become involved in some rather uncomfortable and awkward situations. Beginning with sexual lust as a visible man (such as the brief fantasy sequence involving Daryl Hannah wearing very little) and transferring to sexual lust as an invisible man, a few things are suggested at - a speedy sex scene with a swift cut-off, for example - but I can't help but imagine a more gritty and realistic invisible man picture is still waiting to be made..."Hollow Man" had its moments but it was just too silly as a whole to find enjoyable.

"Memoirs of an Invisible Man" is an espionage thriller in which Chase's accidental invisibility is caused by a government test. Chase's yuppie escapes unscathed but soon finds himself being pursued by a ruthless baddie (Sam Neill in fine smarmy form). Love interest blossoms, etc., etc., etc...a lot of clichés.

So far the best invisible man picture is the original with Claude Rains. It seems every time Hollywood attempts to produce a unique "twist" on the concept it falters.

Some day I'd really like to see this idea taken to full expansion.

Mainstream Carpenter - Surprise, Surprise

[gravity3 · 7/10 · 15 October 2005]

I really stayed away from MEMOIRS FROM AN INVISIBLE MAN for a long time. I couldn't imagine cult-horror/action director John Carpenter pulling this off. But it's actually very well made, quite enjoyable and proves Carpenter's range is greater than many of us would believe. MEMOIRS is as slick a movie as anyone in Hollywood would crank out. It's the thoughtful Carpenter direction, packaged in a Tony Scott style wrapper.

What Carpenter doesn't get quite right is keeping Chevy Chase from smirking a few times too many (an arguably tough chore I'm sure, since that's what you'd usually want him to do more of in any other film). That pulls us out of the moment and made me uncertain just what was intended in a couple of scenes. There are other times when I felt the filmmakers went for a joke a bit outside the range of the rest of the comedy. Because really, MEMOIRS is not so much a comedy as it is a look at what would be the misery of invisibility and not the greatness of it. Mostly the humor is borne out of that misery, and that makes the film a little more compelling and thoughtful than a typical popcorn flick.

The special effects don't feel dated as much as one would expect, and are sometimes quite remarkable. Hannah does well considering she's acting against an effect or by herself half the time - certainly harder than it looks. The cast is all good, and Michael McKean and Sam Neill stand out as you'd expect.

Shirley Walker's score is really the best of any Carpenter film I can think of - perhaps because he stayed out of it this time. I won't say I haven't liked a John Carpenter score in the past, and he does cook up some good melodies, but it's often the weak link. I know he has fun doing them, but music helps the whole story succeed, and Carpenter would be better off turning over his melodic ideas to a pro like Walker more often.

Actually, I think this kind of movie is where Mr. Carpenter needs to return to - a mainstream story that shows his range. His vampire, alien, undead serial killer plots are getting pretty thread bare of late, and maybe there's just not another good story to tell there. He's given us plenty of the best of those - heck he pretty much reinvented the genre with films like HALLOWEEN; what more could he show us in that world? I say come on back to the mainstream, Mr. Carpenter. MEMOIRS proves you can do it, and well at that.

Not much I can say about this movie.

[MikeK1987 · 4/10 · 29 November 2009]

It's Chevy Chase and he's invisible. Darryl Hannah's kinda hot. The guy from Jurassic Park wants to make Invisible Chevy an invisible spy. That's it.

There's not much I can say about this movie. Except to question one little thing.

**SPOILER ALERT** At the end of the movie when we see that Invisible Chevy & Darryl have gotten away and living in the Swiss Alps, it shows Darryl Hannah as pregnant. Yes, that's not a typo. She's pregnant!!!! What is that kid gonna look like? You had an invisible sperm and a visible egg! That probably means that half of the kid's body will be invisible. Will half the kid's leg be invisible? Will he have no face and his brain, eyes, and teeth just seen? Or will his body be in invisible patches like the building looked right after the explosion. That's just too weird a notion to leave us hanging on. I mean, yeah, I know it's a movie. But it's a really weird notion being put forth that Darryl Hannah's character will give birth to the first baby that will probably be partially invisible.

Great film about what it would REALLY be like to be invisible.

[behamut · 8/10 · 13 September 2000]

One of the best points of this movie is what it seriously would be like to be invisible. I'm sure everyone, at least once in their life, has wanted to be invisible, but how few of us really thought about the negative side effects? This movie shows them. Nick (played by Chevy Chase, whose great in a serious role,) gets turned invisible in a lab accident. As soon as the CIA find out about this, they stop at nothing to obtain him. And if they can't have them, no one can (including himself.) Although the film has a large amount of funny parts and an overall light tone, it isn't necessarily a comedy. There is a serious over tone to it that makes it very interesting as well as funny and can be enjoyed almost purely for it's story line and insight on what it would really be like to be invisible. Definitely worth a look for anyone who's up for a good movie.

Good, Underrated Carpenter Love Story!

[gwnightscream · 6/10 · 29 February 2012]

Chevy Chase, Daryl Hannah, Sam Neill and Michael McKean star in John Carpenter's 1992 sci-fi film based on the book. This takes place in California where we meet Nick Halloway (Chase) who is a stock-analyst. He meets attractive producer, Alice Monroe (Hannah) and they fall for each other. Soon, Nick gets into a lab accident while attending a seminar and becomes invisible. Nick confides in Alice and are on the run from government agents led by David Jenkins (Neill). David will stop at nothing to try to make Nick a spy for him or kill him if he can't have him. McKean (This is Spinal Tap) plays Nick's friend, George Talbot. I've always liked this film and think it's underrated. It's a good love story, Chase and Hannah have great chemistry, Neill is a good villain and Shirley Walker's score is great. I recommend this.

Unremarkable film with remarkable special effects.

[lost-in-limbo · 5/10 · 7 July 2005]

A weary stock analyst Nick Halloway (Chevy Chase) decides to take a nap after a late night out with a gorgeous documentary filmmaker Alice Monroe(Daryl Hannah). Unknowingly the facility his in has had a nuclear accident and when he awakes the building is half invisible and he slowly realises that he has turned invisible too. Now he's on the run from C.I.A agents led by the crooked David Jenkins (Sam Neill) that would like to use his ability to their advantage and they would try any type of means to get there man. But all that Nick wants back is his molecules.

"Memoirs of an Invisible Man" would have to rate somewhere in the middle of John Carpenter's filmography and it's definitely one of his least known, if not. You could say this is one of his big-budget films, but not one of his most successful. Usually that's the case for most of his bigger projects, but he's somewhat of an on and off director. For every good film there's a few ordinary ones and sadly this is one of them. Though, I wonder just how much control and input into the film Carpenter really had? The film wasn't bad or great, just disappointing, as it could've been far better than it actually was. What we have here is an interesting premise, but what actually lifts the film is the astonishing special effects weaved by Industrial Light and Magic productions. The effects they come up with were rather dazzling and cleverly achieved to great effect. Though, the same can't be said about the material (plot and screenplay) and performances that totally lacked punch and came across as rather monotone. Maybe it would've work more as a straight comedy than that of the serious tone it held and its spurts of deadpan humour along the way. It's not so witty or delivered convincingly, with some humour missing the mark. Reason for that could be for Chevy Chase being miscast and just lacking the edge to carry the film. His performance just didn't stick it for me. Plot wise it's neither memorable nor remarkable with its routine clichés, dragging narration and slow blotches of tedium. Overall, it was just a stodgy and uninspiring effort that kind of leads nowhere after a promising first half. The film only goes for 90-minutes or so, but still it felt overlong and rather drawn out when it came to the ending.

Some of the other performances were lacklustre and incredibly hammy. Especially that of Sam Neill who gave a rather mix performance. He's either hamming it up or then he suddenly gives a controlled performance. Daryl Hannah performance is fair, but she looks beautiful and adds some added fizz to the film. Leading man Chevy Chase looked like he wished he were somewhere else in his hollow performance. The story just didn't flesh out these characters enough.

Since I mostly bagged out the film so far, there are some good points other than the fxs I should type. Very good production valves on show here. It's incredibly well shot and some of the location scenes (beach) are extremely nice to look at. The music score is well founded. Maybe if Carpenter was the music director, he could've added another dimension to it. Throughout there are some solid action pieces and a couple of humorous sequences, but overall it just didn't come off.

An unimaginative script, plot and performances make it a let down, but visually it isn't. It's definitely worth a look if only for the stunning fxs. If your just looking for a good Carpenter film to watch go with his oldies instead.

Nice little film for a slow night.

[OllieSuave-007 · 7/10 · 26 September 2017]

This is not a bad movie starring Chevy Chase as Nick Halloway who turns invisible after a freak accident. CIA agent David Jenkins (Sam Neill) tries to recruit him in a world of espionage. Nick tries to cope with his new life while wooing new girl Alice Monroe (Daryl Hannah) running from the treacherous Jenkins.

There's a good mixture of drama, thrills and comedy in this film, and is quite entertaining and amusing. Not one of the best movies I've seen, but it's a nice little film for a slow night.

Grade B-

Not A Bad Choice For A Simple, Lighthearted Entertainer

[CinemaClown · 11 September 2018]

Well aware of the strengths & limitations, and working within those confinements to put up a story that's serviceable & sufficiently satisfying despite its conventional structure, Memoirs of an Invisible Man is a sci-fi comedy without stakes that finds John Carpenter stepping out of his established forte, features some truly impressive special effects, and though it is no match to the director's finest works, it delivers the goods as a lighthearted, family-friendly entertainer.

Could Be Better and Better

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 1 October 2015]

In San Francisco, the stock market executive Nick Halloway (Chevy Chase) does not like commitment and is a man with no family and very few friends. One day, he goes to the bar and meets his friend George Talbot (Michael McKean) that invites him to join his table with his wife and their friend Alice Monroe (Daryl Hannah). Soon Nick and Alice make out in the ladies' toilet and when Alice leaves the bar, Nick drinks too much. On the next morning, the hungover Nick has to visit his client Magnascopic Laboratories and he decides to take a nap in the bathroom. However there is an accident in the building and Nick does not hear the alarm for evacuation. Soon part of the building and Nick become invisible. When the rogue CIA agent David Jenkins (Sam Neill) finds that Nick is invisible, he convinces his supervisor Warren Singleton (Stephen Tobolowsky) that would be very important to capture Nick to be studied and he chases Nick everywhere. Meanwhile Nick is seeking Dr. Bernard Wachs (Jim Norton) expecting to restore his visibility. Will he be well succeeded?

"Memoirs of an Invisible Man" is a totally different film directed by John Carpenter, especially the music score that is not made by him. The weak screenplay is lost between sci-fi, romance and comedy and the story is too conventional. Daryl Hannah is very beautiful and together with the special effects, make this movie worthwhile watching. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Memórias de um Homem Invisível" ("Memoirs of an Invisible Man")

Note: On 18 Sep 2020, I saw this film again.

A different Chevy Chase movie and that's a good thing

[Quinoa1984 · 7/10 · 25 September 2021]

Most likely the two highest compliments I could pay to Memoirs of an Invisible Man are that, for one, it isn't what one thinks of as the typical Chevy Chase movie and, secondly, it's striking as a Richard Matheson-lite kind of scenario explored (this isn't a slight, quite the opposite). The film Memoirs reminded me more than anything else, when it was at its strongest, was The Incredible Shrinking Man, a story that explores the terrifying existential waking nightmare of the condition that this is - becoming very small or becoming invisible and all the very real and practical problems of functioning and in society - and not taking it at least at heart as a joke.

This doesn't mean that Memoirs, like Shrinking Man, doesn't find beats and moments or full set pieces that can have a humorous bent (a cat pawing after a tiny man is scary but it's also kind of funny for example), and seeing, for example, Chevy Chase walking down a street as a woman gets her purse stolen and quickly takes it back from the thief and hands it to the woman again in seconds finds that comic book absurdity. But this isn't strictly a comedy, which makes me happy that I'm seeing it about 30 years after it came out instead of earlier. How I didn't see it as a kid, whether right after it came out (my dad rented most anything with Chevy because hey it's Chevy) or once I got into John Carpenter, I have no idea, but the distance and getting older may have helped to see this more as its own thing. This doesn't mean it isn't weak in places or that the main romance isn't the strongest, yet as a piece of throwback-in-attitude but not strict style science fiction drama it's captivating and involving.

Really this is more interesting as a Chevy Chase movie than one for the director; Carpenter was a studio hired gun (Ivan Reitman reportedly had a falling out with the star and dropped out) and his mark is in keeping the pace never too slack and the compositions favor the action bring dynamic (if a little less than other films by him than... yeah). So, it's Chase who the studio favored, but I like that he takes the character and the story seriously and does that rarity for him which is playing it straight. His narration is part of the Matheson comparison, hard to say if that's from the book or Goldman or rewrites the point is it's there as more pulpy comic-book sci-fi that I can get behind, and that mostly plays too to emphasize his struggle.

He did that sometimes in his career, and maybe was straighter depending on who he was in a scene with (ie Nothing but Trouble), but there's no mugging and nothing in his voice that tells us this is a comedy, and that makes the bits when it is amusing work more. His Nick isn't a buffoon or clueless, if anything he has no choice but to become equal parts mortified and adapt and become adept at his condition and it gives him an arc since he starts as kind of a vanilla typical white guy (as we're told he doesn't have much in friends too). Adding to this is a straightforward and kind of average but not badly done turn by Daryl Hannah, and a turn from Sam Neill who is menacing without having to over-do it or go to that. To put it this way, he can threaten someone's manly bits in a moment of rage and barely raise his voice or profile, and that's damn extraordinary acting to me.

It does start to soften in the second half once the romance picks up a bit more, as for as believable as the characters may be on their own the two don't quite gel as much as they should - or I should say why would she just immediately fall for him, uh, so much going on aside from the invisibility and desire to trade stocks and run away, is that it - and there is Brownface that I was less offended by and more just confused for why it needed to be there at all. It may help ultimately to go into this with not low but limited expectations, and I have to think like myself a number of you will come to this either after going through many of Chevy's main titles and hits or Carpenter's catalog.

I wondered if I might be indifferent to it, and was happily surprised by the quality of the special effects for the time, which show that JC had more of a budget to play with that usual and his crew did great work with him, and that the drama worked, the bits of comedy worked and the exploitation of the sci-fi genre part of it worked most of all. It's a well-oiled basic B movie elevated with A list talent.

Last but not least is a wild piece of trivia to me: it may be notable for some of you that this is one of the only times Carpenter didn't also compose the music for the film, but what you didn't know (thanks imdb) is that Shirley Walker, suggested by Chevy by the way so for once good on him, was in composing and orchestrating the score the first woman to have that title on a major Hollywood movie. By 1992. Holy (invisible voice says expletive) people!

Do they still give you marks for effort?

[A_Different_Drummer · 6/10 · 5 December 2013]

MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN was actually a really good novel written by HF Saint in 1987. It is typical of our film culture that many reviewers just assumed that this was some sort of special vehicle designed for Chevy after his middling success with Fletch...? Now (sorry for the lecture, but facts are facts) in my review of the first Fletch film here on IMDb I tried my hardest to point out that Fletch was ground-breaking literature by a great writer and was never written as a comedy; and was certainly never written with Chevy Chase in mind. (But I am sure the author cashed his check anyway!) You gotta figure that by the time the Fletch franchise imploded, Chevy's agent was SERIOUSLY looking for something to reestablish the actor as a lead in a romantic comedy, one that did not involve false teeth and playing an inbred hillbilly. So in the strange bizarro world that passes for Hollywood logic, the next step was to take a serious novel like this and see if Chevy could make it fly? They tried. It's close to the book, which is high praise for Hollywood. Hannah is always fun to watch on screen. And Sam Neill steals every scenes that is not nailed down. But the film never really gels as entertainment and, as others here have noted, Chevy's film career was was starting to run on fumes.

Carpenter's funniest...

[Mister-6 · 4/10 · 24 January 2000]

Okay, maybe not as funny as "Big Trouble in Little China".

But any movie where Chevy Chase plays an invisible man is bound to have a few laughs. And "Memoirs of an Invisible Man" is definitely at its best when it goes for the laughs.

And there are several laughs throughout this film, courtesy not just the FX (which are very good) but also via the supporting cast - many of them are rare gems that bear repeated viewings. It's good to see the ever-serious tradesman Carpenter kind of lay back and have fun with a movie like he does here.

UNFORTUNATELY... you knew this part was coming, didn't you? There is the business with the big evil secret government agency headed by Neill (who turns in one of his best performances here) who wants to secure Chase for "study". The same old thing done the same old way. Well, I guess you have to expect Carpenter to still hold on to that paranoia, huh?

Of course, Hannah is luminous as the love interest and plays her scenes well, considering that most of her intimate scenes are played to special FX. The last scenes over the end credits are especially touching - for a sci-fi drama, that is.

Over all, a good movie with great scenes that doesn't quite make it out of the hole its FX dig for it. Carpenter and Chase try, but these "Memoirs" end up not all that memorable.

Four stars. Okay, but good to see the old Chevy still running.

Interesting

[Dockelektro · 6/10 · 29 July 2001]

What if an ordinary man was invisible? And what if that ordinary man was chased by a group of scientists who want to analyse the effects of invisibility in a human? Full of breakthrough special effects, this film works as an interesting modern day variation of the invisible man theme, with plenty of gags, but also with some cool moments. Chevy Chase is a perfect choice, as Sam Neill in the role of the bad guy. It is a pity that this film remained relatively obscure, it really has originality, albeit distorted by the demands of the studio system.

Wow! This blew sooooo bad!!!!!!

[Tallsonofagun · 1/10 · 21 August 2010]

I'm sorry, but if you read this book first and then saw this movie???? How in the Hell can you give it more than 1 or 2 stars. The book is soooo detailed about his life and trying to function in the world and then the movie made it so ha ha comedy with Chevy Chase???? What the eff? Seriously, I don't get it. This was one of the best, coolest, most detailed pieces of writing I have ever read and then they turned it into this silly movie???? If you are reading this review and even have one solid idea of how cool writing can be when it's thoughtful and done well, then you need to read this book first before you see the movie. Please! I swear! The book is a million times better than the movie.

A movie with a serious Chevy Chase - I liked it

[waldwuffel-1 · 8/10 · 30 April 2008]

I've seen this movie a couple of times, and I like to watch it ever since I saw it the first time when its on TV. The plot is moderately original, the settings are good, and on top of all, we see great acting from all three leads: Sam Neill, Daryl Hannah and - to my surprise - Chevy Chase. My main memories about him the time I saw the movie for the first time was him sitting behind the wheel of an estate car, playing is undoubtedly most famous Clark Griswold character, which I really do not like. The more astonishing that it just takes a darker setting, some good co-actors, and the fact that he is visible only about half the time of the movie, and there you go, some fantastic Chevy Chase acting over there. He played his character very authentic, although maybe a little too cool later on during the movie. Maybe this movie cannot hold up to more popular Hollywood movies of its time, but it is a quite decent story with good acting and some very nice ideas. 7 outta 10, with a +1 star understatement bonus.

Not a true Carpenter flick, but a true Chase flick

[ODDBear · 6/10 · 24 January 2006]

Chase plays an egocentric successful prick who by accident becomes invisible. Government sleaze ball Neill wants to apprehend Chase and use him to "serve" his country as a spy.

This movie isn't called John Carpenter's Memoirs of an Invisible Man, and with good reason. There is nothing Carpenteresque about this film, it feels completely like a Chevy Chace vehicle with state of the art special effects. If you like Chase you'll enjoy this film somewhat, just don't mistake it for an authentic John Carpenter movie. Chase delivers his fair share of decent one-liners and overall the film is quite enjoyable, but a lot of priority has been given to the film's spectacular special effects. The story grows a bit tiresome and it doesn't have any tricks up it's sleeve, it's mostly just Neill chasing Chase.

If you're a special effects nut then this will appeal to you. Chase fans (like myself) will like it too but this ain't no great affair. Sam Neill is a convincing bad guy and Daryl Hannah is always lovely to look at. I can't help thinking that Carpenter couldn't have had total creative control, for this is completely a by the numbers comedy. Oh well, maybe he's just slumming this time around.

Daryl Hannah in Lingerie and Invisible Castration Anxiety

[Cineanalyst · 4/10 · 12 March 2020]

For the most part, "Memoirs of an Invisible Man" fails to do anything interesting with the great cinematic potential of a character who is invisible. Although this one is directly based on another book, H.G. Wells's novella has proven fertile ground for the visual art form in other movie adaptations, including Universal's classic 1933 "The Invisible Man," as well as, to a lesser extent, a couple of the sequels, and there's the recent 2020 version that's highly self-reflexive and based on the cinematic gaze. The failure here is especially disappointing given that its director, John Carpenter, also made "Halloween" (1978), among other films, which demonstrated a mastery of framing a picture around looks and the resulting jump scares from what is revealed and what is masked. There's even a partly-invisible building in this one, but it's not leveraged for any intelligent architectural design. Plus, "Memoirs of an Invisible Man" isn't very funny, despite starring Chevy Chase. All of that said, however, the brief nightmare scene here is fantastic--especially for anyone familiar with being bored and bemused by lectures and readings on outdated psychoanalytic theories such as the "mirror stage" and "castration anxiety."

After Chase's character becomes invisible, there are numerous shots of him facing this fact by looking in mirrors and not seeing his reflection, even though Chase actually appears in the film a lot, although he's supposedly invisible, which just makes the comedic actor appear vain. Anyways, his newfound invisibility, then, enters something of a mirror stage, or reversal thereof. To paraphrase Lacanian psychobabble, the mirror stage is when the child recognizes their reflection and individuality. The adult Invisible Man, by contrast, loses this. Another facet of the mirror stage involves the male's castration anxiety upon the realization of their mother's lack of a penis and fear that their father will castrate them for desiring their mother, or some such nonsense (for the female, this would supposedly be replaced by penis envy). By way of Laura Mulvey's seminal essay, "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema," and works by others, Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalysis made its way into film theory, whereby the mirror became analogous with the "male gaze," which has something to do with controlling the image of women for the dual benefits of sexual pleasure and relief from that pesky castration anxiety.

So, in "Memoirs of an Invisible Man," we have a man who cannot be gazed upon because he's invisible, which thus increases his association with the gazing upon others through the camera and, by extension, that of us, the spectator, who are truly invisible to the characters on screen. His love interest, played by Daryl Hannah, is positioned to be looked at, though. In the dream, she's dressed in skimpy lingerie, gazed upon by Chase. He disrobes only to discover his lack of a visible penis. Were Hannah to represent the comforts of the mother and domesticity here, the father would be represented by the wider social order and law, as per Lacan. Appropriately enough, then, when the absence of the penis is revealed, the lawman of the picture, the CIA agent (Sam Neil), laughs at him. The Invisible Man wants sex with the woman, but he's been castrated by the man.

Oh, the rest of the film is quite bad by comparison. There were maybe one or two other little moments that I chuckled at--the purse stealing bit was kind of funny. There's hardly any interesting order to the cinematic gaze throughout the rest of the picture, and the mirror motif plays out mostly as part of the spectacle of decent special visual effects for the invisibility. The narrative is lousy. The psychobabble is so poorly followed through that Chase's character has no parents and little to no motivations at all before becoming transparent. Despite his already being something of an "invisible man" due to his lack of worldly attachments before the accident, as Neil's character puts it at one point, when he's pursued by the CIA, he hides by going to places familiar to him. It's rather unbelievable that it would take an entire feature-length film to catch him. Moreover, instead of the fancies of a madman that we get from other invisible men in other movies, this one views his transparency as a curse and just wants to smooch Daryl Hannah. What a bore. Meanwhile, the cartoonishly belligerent CIA comes across as a remnant of the Iran-Contra scandal of the era in which the film was made. The film is also framed by Chase's narration as he videotapes his memoir, as though he were Fred MacMurray in "Double Indemnity" (1944), and, yet, there's hardly anything else here that resembles film noir. That nightmare, though, amuses me greatly--a good film could've been made around it.