Hardcore Henry [DVD]

I have to say, I'm pretty impressed. In all honesty, I did not anticipate finding this movie as enjoyable as I did. My husband and sons (who are all avid gamers) convinced me to rent this last night, and I (semi-begrudgingly) obliged; basically assuming I could screw around on my phone in bed while it was on (I'm game for some mindless activity while the boys are preoccupied, lol). I ended up becoming pretty engaged within just a few minutes though, and to my surprise, I was glad I allowed them to rent it when it was over.Hardcore Henry, as many already know, is the first mainstream film of its kind; an action-PACKED (seriously packed with action), full-length, POV movie. In the film Henry awakens after what initially appears to be some type of coma, but soon the plot unfolds and the true backstory is explained. By the way, did I mention this movie is legitimately action-packed?I would love nothing more than to see this film in the domed Imax theatre. If ever I were to experience the harrowing feats of plunging to my death every 2.5 minutes, it would be while safely sitting in a comfy chair. Essentially, Henri is attempting to remain alive (rather intricate storyline to try and explain here), and has the aide of a fellow named Jimmy; who may be the coolest mofo ever. Jimmy comprises a multitude of characters; from Sex-Pistols like punk rocker, to Afgani-looking soldier (did anyone understand a word he said, lol?), to tree-hugging hippie, sex-crazed druggie, wheelchair bound O.G., and a few others-genuinely funny scenes take place with that character and he is perhaps my favorite element to this film.The panorama in certain shots was just breathtaking and so well-done. You seriously start to feel like you are taking part in the adventure with the POV shots; turning belly during the falls, ducking down while he attempts to hide. You find yourself physically maneuvering your body to each scent as events unfold-as though you were actually there! It's quite an adventure just to watch.However, if action is not your thing, you may refrain from watching this because this is non-stop from the jump. There is maybe a solid 3 minutes of this film that is calm and quiet, and that is IT. There is an on-foot chase sequence earlier on that was so amazingly well done. Long snaps of time without cutting to a different viewpoint; so I simply cannot imagine the amount of hours and practice these actors and stunt-folk had to put into getting this footage recorded. Completely baffling!Overall, super cool flick. I feel like I could watch this about 3 more times and catch something new during each viewing. I may turn my caption on the next time, too. Lol.

Non stop action,the first person aspect of it can be a little off-setting at times,head shakes, laying down, spinning are all filmed just as a person would view them so they can be a little disorienting, and take some getting used to.(Watch the Trailer on you-tube or whatever first if you're unsure about liking a POV movie)If you're debating letting your teen watch this,watch it first yourself and decide.The blood and guts is beyond intense and graphic,but none of it lasts more than a moment or two at a time.^on par with some of the more intense games, just non-stop.There is some sexual stuff, and about a million f-bombs.I won't be letting my 13 year old watch it,tho he'd would proabably love it.Script was actually much better than I thought it would be,and stands up even without the POV "gimmick"(gimmick may be too harsh of a word here, but not sure how else to put it).The 4 main characters are all very interesting,most of the questions raised during the movie are answered, and most (not all) of the sci-fi stuff is explained and washes out.Worth a watch, and worth the $9.99 I paid for the Blu-ray & UV digital.Some might hate the first person aspect of the film but I thought it was well executed.Summary:Recommended,if an hour and a half of action, blood & violence delivered in POV format with a fairly interesting story line and decent (tho comic book "realistic") characters is what you are looking for.

WHAT I LIKEDWhen I first saw this movie, I LOVED it. As I do spend a lot of time playing video games, I instantly fell in love with the creator's choice in the Point of View camera, and a silent protagonist. The action sequences feel marvelously paced, but sometimes it can also show the faults of the strictly point of view angle. The actor who played the villain had just enough charisma for me to hate him, and overall it felt like the film had some excellent direction in the chair. The setup for the film is quick, and you learn everything you need to know in about a minute or two regarding the hero, Henry.WHAT I DIDN'T LIKESo this is a nit-pick but it's my review. The point of view camera is both a strength and a weakness. It fails to completely grasp the full scope of a situation where more context would be cooler to see, or provide maybe a little more tension beyond what the music and sound effects give. The plot was also weak after I thought it through critically. So if you're watching this, expecting some kind of enriching, thought-provoking experience, you got the wrong movie.This is a cocaine-laiden highway to hell if I've ever seen one. Technically a con, but measure your expectations.OTHER THOUGHTS:I have seen a short film using the exact setup that Hardcore Henry used, and they were able to build a LOT of tension, and I feel like the POV camera would be AMAZING in Horror. (Similar to those 'documentary styles' but maybe a little more 'involved')

Yes, it’s true, when historians look back at the finest works of art ever committed to celluloid, ‘Hardcore Henry’ will trump Citizen Cane, Empire Strikes Back and the Godfather. Just kidding. However, just because it won’t sweep the Oscars doesn’t mean that it’s not a blast.First of all, before you decide whether or not to see it, let me ask you a question… do you know what an ‘FPS’ is? If the answer is ‘no’ then you probably won’t agree with my – slightly flippant – opening comment about ‘Hardcore Henry’ being the greatest film ever. If you do know that ‘FPS’ is a computer-gaming term referring to ‘first person shooters’ then you’ll probably be aware that the entire film is shot through the eyes of the titular ‘Henry’ – a genetically-enhanced human who has the skills (and firepower) to shoot, blast and kick his way through hordes of faceless enemy goons (oh, and one telekinetic ‘end-of-level’ boss).Basically, this ‘film’ (and I put ‘film’ deliberately in quotes) plays out like one long computer game (or ‘FPS’ I should say). It has minimal story and character development, simply moving from one breath-taking set-piece to the next. So, if you’re looking for deep and meaningful story-telling, then best you look somewhere else. This plays out like one long music video, relaying on special effects and awesome stunts to wow the audience – as long as you’re aware of this (and possibly have a healthy appreciation for the FPS genre) then you should be entertained. Oh, and just because Henry stays mute throughout the whole film, doesn’t mean that there isn’t some pretty snappy and hilarious dialogue courtesy of the (ever reliable) Sharlto Copely.And ‘entertained’ is the word. This film’s selling points is its stunts, not its story. And it is a landmark achievement in film-making, if not storytelling. It really is well-done when you consider that it’s trying to tell a story using a silent main character and shot entirely from his point of view. Basically, ‘Hardcore Henry’ isn’t Shakespeare, it’s just good, daft, action-packed fun. And, if you’re aware of this, you should enjoy its pure over-the-top silliness, shooting and stunts.

When he is resurrected with no memory and new robotic limbs Henry must save his kidnapped wife from a telekinetic psychopath that has plans to weaponise a robo-army. From the opening credits (graphic, but blackly comic violence) you can tell this isn’t your usual action film - most of the movie is shot from a ‘First Person’ perspective, from the point-of-view of ‘Henry’ using a chest-cam.Hardcore Henry is basically 90 minutes of running/jumping/shooting/punching through a long line of obstacles; with some awesome freerunning/parkour with seemingly no wires (and no brains!), and high intensity and very high quality stuntwork: the elements combine to create a truly unique action spectacle. There’s also a great anarchic/punk sensibility to the movie; anything goes, and there’s a lot of crazy & zany elements… it even using things like subtitles to make a few jokes with. The biggest problem is that when everything is up at 150% the whole time, you end up becoming numb to it by about the half way point. Another downside of the FPS style is that the head-cam is very shaky and has a warped fish-eye lens which distorts a lot of the frame.Hardcore Henry is a film that’s truly cutting edge, in that it couldn't have been made even a couple of years ago - the only remotely close comparison you could draw would be a less offensive, but higher-octane version of crank. It’s fun, impressive, and completely mental, but overall struggles to engage after a while. Best viewed after consuming a twelve pack of Red Bull.

This whole movie felt like a video game! Being a fan of first person shooters I really wanted to see this! Was really fun and different from the usual action movies. I loved the first person perceptive and the explosive action scenes, they were exciting! I wasn't keen on one of the characters Jimmy, I found him genuinely annoying and wanted him to p*ss off most of the time, but he served a purpose I guess, just kind of dragged the movie down for me a little, but I can't really say anything else to negative as I did find this film enjoyable. It's gory, has decent plot, SCI-FI element, plenty of entertaining shoot outs and has amazing humour. Not one to be taken to seriously, just something original and fun for an evening viewing. May not be for everyone mind, I can certainly see that this won't appeal to everyone. I think this movie falls more to the left where game fans are standing.

An odd one this. Concept is basically let’s make a first person movie that resembles a video game. That bit worked hilariously well. So did Sharlto Copley who seems to be having such a huge time playing multiple characters.The stunts are insane, the body count off the clock and the travel sickness I had to choke down now and then wa a bit of a concern as the movie gives you no time to really take a break. The camera is constantly on the move in some very jerky whip pans.The only major trouble is the story has plot holes big enough to drive several very large vehicles through. But, then again, I didn’t really pick them up until I’d had time to process what I’d actually witnessed, so as a piece of completely brainless entertainment this movie works exceedingly well. Sound track is pretty pumping too.

Hardcore Henry is, at the least, the first person shooter videogame distilled into movie format. A flight of bombast, gore and explosive violence all from the silent protagonist Henry's point of view.It's a straight forward plot that has just enough in it to keep the viewer interested yet keeps the action coming at a steady and explosive pace to ensure that blinking isn't an option. It feels fresh and new but still has enough structure to be more than a series of action scenes spliced together.There are some decent performances as well, Haley Bennett plays the love interest well and Sharlto Copley gives a variety of great performances which I won't delve into too much for fear of spoilers. He's well worth the price of entry though. Danila Kozlovsky also does a great job camping it up as Akan, the main villain of the piece, delighting in his sadistic role.There is plenty of humour packed in here too, often camp and ridiculous along with some laughable death moments spliced into the tight choreography and air-punch inspiring scenes. It certainly doesn't take itself seriously and really knows how to; not just nod at videogame storytelling, but take a bow to it. Boss fights, scenes that feel like levels, Copley's place as waypoint giver, even a nod to health upgrades all come together to make the whole film feel like an homage to gaming and at the same time a new take on the action film genre.There are only really two main downsides to the whole experience. Firstly, some scenes feel disconnected and whilst there is a sense of space for Henry's movement, often the enemies seem to either pop out of nowhere or take too long to physically reach him that makes them feel like they're all queueing up to get punched... which at some points they clearly are. Secondly I watched this on a 49" screen and whilst I experiemented with different settings the first person view and cuts are pretty heavy on the eyes and hard to watch on a large screen. I watched the same scenes on a smaller screen on Youtube and they seemed to fare better there. This may be due to my own set up as I found similar issues with The Raid on a larger screen.All told though this is a recommended purchase for action fans and gamers alike (pretty sure that's a large crossover on the venn diagram) and I had a lot of fun watching it. It's a solid thumbs up and is going to be a unique experience for anyone who thinks they've seen it all.