Hardcore Henry

HARDCORE HENRY

Director : Ilya Niashuller

Year : 2016

Genre : Action 

Rating : **1/2

Over the past few years, the action genre unlike any other has continued to push the boundaries of cinematic invention and adrenaline fuelled carnage. From Gareth Evan's masterful 'The Raid' series to George Miller's gasoline charged award winner 'Mad Max : Fury Road', the action movie has been transformed from a much maligned subgenre into a highly extravagant and infinetly inventive artform. Now, in the wake of this technological and more importantly, commercially successful boom, another film has valiantly attempted to join the ranks of these chaotic spectaculars.

Billed as the first action film seen entirely through a first person perspective, Ilya Niashuller's directorial debut and festival-favourite 'Hardcore Henry' is a technically astonishing yet narratively empty bloodbath that attempts to replicate the visceral thrills of a particularly violent video game but forgets to throw in character development and a coherent plot amongst the constant barrage of headshots, decapitations and dismemberments.

Seen through the eyes of the titular antihero, the film tells the "story" of the biomechanical Henry who after enduring some form of nondescript accident, is horrifically modified into a rampaging whirlwind of chaos - a vicious and ruthless killing machine who will allow nothing and no one to get in the way of his ultimate target, the telekinetic supervillain who has kidnapped his 'wife' (Haley Bennett). Guided by Sharlto Copley's multi-guised Jimmy, the mute Henry shoots his way through the streets of Russia, taking in the sights and sounds of the city - those sounds mostly being that of ribs breaking, skulls cracking and heads being mercilessly squished against brick walls. Did I mention that this movie was violent?

On a purely cinematic level, 'Hardcore Henry' is a very impressive achievement. Captured on head-mounted GoPro cameras, the stuntwork and choreography used to execute the first person perspective gimmick is undoubtedly amazing to behold and, for the first half an hour or so, it is impossible not to be enthralled by the level of technical and acrobatic expertise on show.

As is the case with every gimmick however, the novelty quickly wears off and once that happens, it becomes blindingly apparent that 'Hardcore Henry' has no story or remotely likable characters to counteract the never-ending wave of death, torture and mutilation. The plot makes barely any sense, the villain is about at boring as they get and the eponymous Henry is as uncharismatic and as forgettable as the hundreds of henchmen he murders. Even the crunchy and wince inducing violence loses its edge after a while. Yes,  it may be fun to watch an anonymous goons head explode into a million little pieces but after it happens for the twentieth time, the effect is somewhat lessened. 

On the positive side, 'District 9's Sharlto Copley gives a spirited performance as the many Jimmy's and there is even a strain of jet black comedy coursing through the veins of the movie that juxtaposes nicely with the relentlessly gruesome imagery. But for all of its technical achievements and gory giggles, 'Hardcore Henry' plays like a particularly retrograde video game that attempts to mimic the maniacal antics of 'Call Of Duty' or 'Battlefront' but instead makes you wish that you could pause or better still, turn the bloody thing off - giving your eyes, brain and soul some much needed respite.