I am not one to look down on a hyper-violent action movie, or a movie with barely any plot to tie together a string of increasingly epic fight scenes (see: Pacific Rim and Godzilla, both of which I liked quite a bit). So, with Hardcore Henry, which promised to be a gimmicky, first-person-shooter-style movie about a voiceless robot fighting the Russian mob, I had tempered my expectations.
Oddly, this movie was exactly what I wanted it to be, and well-done to boot (which is rare for an action movie released this far from summer). Now, I fully understand and appreciate the argument some have made about the attitude the film takes towards women (which charitably could be called unenlightened). I can see why some would dislike the film for that reason. That said, it was a hell of a thing to make. Unlike Blair Witch and other "found footage" first-person narratives, the viewer was not seeing the narrative unfold through the lens of a camera, but instead experienced the film (as best as possible) as if Henry. There was a ton of action off-camera which could be detected on the periphery or when Henry (and the camera turned). The parkour scenes were fraught with tension as it felt like I was jumping from roof to roof.
Furthermore, all the actors, especially Sharlto Copley, seemed to thoroughly enjoy making the film. There were some genuinely funny, charming scenes, particularly towards the end). I found myself smiling through the whole thing. All in all, this movie (warts and all) has been the most enjoyable film experience I have had in a while.
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