Hardcore Henry Movie Review

Hardcore Henry (2015)

Rent Hardcore Henry on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Ilya Naishuller (screenwriter), Will Stewart (additional writing by) 
Directed by: Ilya Naishuller
Starring: Sharlto Copley, Tim Roth, Haley Bennett 
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
Shot entirely in first person, Henry is resurrected from death and takes revenge on everyone.

Verdict
This looks and feels like a video game due to the perspective. It's a gimmick that while entertaining, should never be used again. Shot traditionally would probably make this a boring B movie. With that in mind, it's worth watching once because they got it right. This is an adrenaline pumping, kinetic movie that makes Crank (2006) look low key. It relishes in blood, gore, and violence.
Watch It.

Review
The entire movie is shot in first person point of view, utilizing GoPro Hero cameras almost entirely. It's part part video game, part movie, and the opening credits are close ups of guns and knives as they tear through flesh. We know what we're getting almost instantly.

Henry wakes up with no memory and missing part of his arm and leg. He's then fitted with prosthetics, in what feels exactly like a video game tutorial. A telepathic bad guy shows up and the adrenaline thrill ride begins. This cranks action movies up to eleven. Just like a video game, Henry gets messages that tell him, in essence, "Go here."

Henry is aided by Jimmy, who despite dying keeps coming back. You'll see the reason coming from a mile away, even if you don't know why.

A first person shooter amplified to the maximum.

This is a technical achievement to be sure. Some of the parkour stuff is just insane. It may be a gimmick, but it's engrossing. With the number of injuries Henry sustains, I began to wonder what he looks like. While we do finally see him towards the end, his face does not bear the numerous injuries sustained throughout the movie.
There's a neat shot where each half of the screen has a different perspective, before you realize his eye popped out of the socket. It was such a great concept they used it twice, though the second time wasn't nearly as neat.

The movie just keeps going big; bigger guns, bigger scenarios. It relishes in blood, gore, and violence. The perspective makes this one of the most viscerally violent movies I've ever seen. Any movie that copies this style will feel like a knock off.  Unless you get motion sickness, see this novelty. The ending is insane and the body count reaches 211. This isn't necessarily good, but it does the one thing it set out to do very well.