Hardcore Henry (2015)

Director: Ilya Naishuller

Writers: Ilya Naishuller, Will Stewart

Composer: Darya Charusha

Starring: Sharlto Copley, Danila Kizlovsky, Haley Bennett, Tim Roth, Andrei Dementiev, Svetlana Ustinova, Darya Charusha, Oleg Poddubnyy, Will Stewart, Ilya Naishuller

More info: IMDb

Tagline: First they made him dangerous. Then they made him mad.

Plot: A first-person action film from the eyes of Henry, who's resurrected from death with no memory. He must discover his identity and save his wife from a warlord with a plan to bio-engineer soldiers.

My rating: 7.5/10

Will I watch it again?  Yes.

I was nauseous.  But let me back up a minute.  Mrs. Scorethefilm and I had dinner at a nice seafood restaurant an hour and a half before the film started.  Halfway through our meal we were shockingly full and feeling it.  We walked it off a little before hitting the theater and we both had mild nausea that grew worse before the film but it was still manageable.  I've been aware of this film before it was going to be a movie.  The director made a short five or so minute film of one long action sequence shot entirely in first person a couple of years ago.  I saw it then and was blown away at the talent in making something like that work.  It was the best use of first person action I'd come across.  We both knew going into this already queasy wasn't going to help us and we were prepared to walk out if we needed to and leave the show for another night.  I ended up hitting the bathroom at some point in the film to get away from it and splash my face with cold water.  It helped enough to stick around to the end.  My nausea didn't completely fade for several hours later.

So how was the movie?  Great!  Loved it!  Sharlto Copley is hilarious and you're going to love him.  The action is nearly non-stop.  It's intense, fun, has great kills, energetic, inventive and original.  I loved the sci-fi aspect.  At first you're going to wonder what the hell is up with Jimmy (Copley) coming back repeatedly after being killed and in a different persona and disguise but you'll love how that's explained.  And the Henry's final action that starts the end credits will have you cheering wildly.  It really is a super fun flick that you'll either love or hate.  Why hate?  Watch the trailer.  If you can't stand shaky cam footage then you're probably going to loathe this picture.  At least with this there's a legitimate excuse for why it exists for as long as it does.  It may still mess with you to the point of feeling sick.  The one night I go to see it I just have to get food poisoning before the show.  That's my excuse, but even talking to my friends who didn't have that disadvantage, some of them were feeling a bit o' the barf.  It may play better on the smaller screen.  I'll definitely see it again and save the fully belly for after.  It's such a fun, creative film that it's easier to accept the visual convention.  STX Entertainment, the film's distributor, had a promotion with Carmike Theaters and I scored a couple of free tickets to a sneak peak showing.  Thanks, STX for the invite.  I had a great time even if my stomach has a much different story to tell.