Hardcore Henry

Hardcore Henry

Do not see this movie. It is a kinetic orgy of ultra-violence. The movie’s shtick is filming using a GoPro Hero 3 camera strapped to Henry’s forehead. What we see are Henry’s arm and legs flaying around. This unique cinematic technique is good for about two minutes, then it gets boring (the extreme sports crowd does GoPro better). Without this gimmick this film would just be another splatter film.

Henry is a cyborg, part human part machine. The movie is nonstop battle between Henry and a telekinetic mercenary leader and his army. The whole movie rotates on the different ways of killing and maiming people. One interesting aspect of the movie is it is shot in Moscow and you see its grand old buildings and in contrast the filthy underbelly of urban decay littered with drugs and graffiti. There are scant subtitles translating Russian.

There are two actors of note. The South African actor Sharlto Copley (he was in District 9 and Elysium) who plays Jimmy a cyborg who helps Henry. There are many copies of Jimmy and when as one gets killed another pops up. The other actor is Tim Roth. Roth’s screen time is brief I think out of embarrassment.

At the theater they gave out Hardcore Henry comic books. I left mine in the bathroom, which is an apt metaphor for this film.