Hardcore Henry

There was always something going on and there were so many ideas, but I still got bored, and quite a lot, unfortunately. It’s basically like the first or second Machete, nothing would have been lost if it had remained as a short. Regardless, the form is interesting and it was the only reason I stuck with it until the end. (25/06/2016)

In terms of innovation of the action genre, it’s only an appetiser, because Hardcore Henry is far from a full-fledged cinematic experience. There’s no plot and the frantic sequence of action scenes can’t disguise the feeling that this farce is merely a consumer piece with a short shelf-life. Original, technically very accomplished, but also exhausting almost to the max. And this time there was no need for a second or third part, 90 minutes of the first one was enough. (14/07/2016)

Rated R for non-stop bloody brutal violence and mayhem, language throughout, sexual content/nudity, and drug use. ___ It's only been five years since Henry was in theaters, and I already feel the need to retrospectively appreciate it as a throwback to the trend of the GoPro videos which YT was fed up with in their day, before they started being replaced by passive YouTubers in the quiet of their homes, and also the end of the era of big video game titles driven by the promise of technological advancement before that market shifted and games started being developed on social platforms. Here we find the usual climbing over buildings (Assassin's Creed, Mirror's Edge), sniper missions (Call of Duty), escaping from unknown snipers (Half-Life), augmentations (Deus Ex, even with a very blatant rip-off of the soundtrack of Human Revolution at the beginning), obstacles you can shoot through, or papers flying around during the gunfights (FEAR). Add to all that the familiar nightmare of falling somewhere you don't actually fall. Hardcore Henry is actually a fan film in the best way imaginable. It's incoherent (tied together, thankfully, by the FP format), doesn't know when to calm down, and just tosses in one idea after another, whereas it carries the film's tricky and thorough choreography all the way through with tremendous effort just for the sheer spectacle of it. Besides, despite his muteness and anonymity, the protagonist is somehow actually quite likeable, and that's only through the way he occasionally gesticulates with his hand, turns his head, and when he knocks a girl down on the stairs waits to see if she's okay, despite having a bunch of evildoers at his back. The shenanigans he comes up with during the action sequences is actually his way of expressing and building character. But I recognize that this may be because I'm a pretty die-hard gamer who would ideally live his entire alternate life somewhere in a fictional universe, and I can tune into that kind of storytelling much more easily. "Take down the proto-baby!" (23/04/2016)

Hardcore Henry, or how to use a shaky camera to create a stylish piece from the first person point of view, which draws you in and most importantly, and I feel obliged to say this, you see everything clearly, transparently and without any difficulties. Add in the fact that they did not bother at all with any age restrictions, which makes it a clear R rated film. The only thing that is missing to make this film perfect are some cool lines, as Henry during the whole film does not speak at all. Luckily, the acting is saved by Sharlto Copley, who has multiple roles here and moves between them in the blink of an eye. (03/06/2019)

The Russian Tarantino made all men's dreams come true! Hardcore Henry is a wild and thrilling ride that keeps the throttle on for 90 minutes and doesn't let up until the extreme finale. If anyone remembers the excellent church scene from Kingsman, imagine it in a 90 minute package and you get Hardcore Henry. For a mere two million dollars, the director serves up everything guys crave. Lots of cool action that will make you reminisce about the games like “Counter Strike”, “Modern Warfare”, “Half- Life 2”, “Portal” and “Mirrors Edge”, countless dirty jokes that will put a smile on your face. The scene in the brothel will please our eyes, the amazing soundtrack will please our ears and the breathtaking intensity of the violence and countless gore scenes surpass anything I've seen so far (broken spines, ripped out hearts, open chests, shot up heads and brains, and numerous fractures on every part of the body). On top of all that, the story is not at all naive and infantile, on the contrary, it even pulls out a nice ace in the form of a solid twist at the end. It is quite clear that Hardcore Henry is completely out of reality and at times it really feels like you are playing and watching a very rough action game – I don't even blame the few hysterical ladies who left the cinema. If I were at a Barbie movie, I wouldn’t stay in the cinema long either. If you are a high octane alpha male craving proper entertainment and lots of violence like me, you will not be disappointed. Story 7/10, Atmosphere 8/10, Gore 10/10, Visuals 7/10, Action 10/10, Suspense 8/10,Humor 7/10. Entertainment 10/10. 95%. (03/05/2016)