A unique concept, filled with almost non-stop action, that overstays its welcome halfway through. As many others have described this film, it is an attempt to replicate first-person action games as a feature-length film. While there are some great action sequences and a few other moments that make good use of this format, there’s not much else to make this movie interesting. There are plenty of first person video games that start of like this film, but the big difference is that you begin to own your character and make choices that allow you to own the role. In “Hardcore Henry,” you can only sit back and watch. The biggest problem is that by having a silent protagonist that the audience doesn’t see is that it’s almost impossible the root for him. After a few brushes with death and a bit of expanding on the plot this begins to change, but only slightly. The acting gets the job done, with Sharlto Copley doing the bulk of the work. His character makes the plot incredibly confusing until a bit later in the movie. The plot really doesn’t make much sense, and is just barely enough to move from one action sequence to the next. There are many moments that it’s almost too boring to sit through. There is some great action that is bloody and sometimes cringe-worthy. The weapons play works out best, as the hand-to-hand isn’t as interesting to watch from a POV perspective.
** out of *****