Review of Hardcore Henry (2015) by Douglas C — 11 Apr 2016

Going in with basically no expectations, I found myself watching Hardcore Henry with a relative go-for-broke mentality in my wanting to just see how boundary pushing a film like this could be. As the only film shot entirely in first person using the pocket size GoPro line of cameras, the movie's main jolt is in its torrent of action.

And I mean, with no overstatement, that the daredevil thrills depicted in this movie shattered the bar set by all the 1980s action films. Yes, even the one featuring Chuck Norris and Dolph Lundgren and Bruce Willis.

Hardcore Henry is wrapped around a very loose premise that has its protagonist attempt to reunite with his wife after being critically injured in an accident and rebuilt as a brainwashed, indestructible cyborg.

This is like the POV version of last year's Neil Blomkamp feature "Chappie" that co-starred Sharlto Copley who appears in this film as an Avatar inventor and weapons designer who aids Henry in his quest and provides jolts of comic relief in between the ceaseless mayhem.

I wanted to come away from the film with some more substantive thoughts and feelings but when you wind up seeing 100 versions of the same type of action, it wears thin especially since the antagonist of the film is given no dimension and looks and sounds like a poor man's Andy Warhol with autotune.

Is it really JUST enough to want the same ol' thing aka world domination? Definitely not a film I plan to see again but one that I can appreciate for catalyzing the next generation of immersive film making.