6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Henry, a newly resurrected cyborg, must save his wife Estelle from the clutches of a psychotic tyrant with telekinetic powers, Akan, and his army of mercenaries. Fighting alongside Henry is Jimmy, who is Henry's only hope to make it through the day.
Starring: Sharlto Copley, Danila Kozlovsky, Haley Bennett, Ilya Naishuller, Tim RothAction | 100% |
Sci-Fi | 62% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
In the video game world, the first-person shooter genre is just about the hottest thing going, and pretty much has been since the likes of Wolfenstein and Doom splattered blood across PC screens two-plus decades ago. These are games in which the player controls a solider or some other sort of combatant from a first-person point of view, with the eye-level field of view and gun barrel usually the only things the player sees. The games span timeframes, genres, and styles, from classic warfare to modern warfare, from future warfare to otherworldly warfare, from warfare reimagined to cartoonish warfare, from survival warfare to Sci-Fi warfare. Such a perspective is usually not found in cinema, where traditional narrative structures demand a broader field of view limited only by the director's needs and the limitations of shot composition, not the viewpoint of a single character. Yet it seemed only a matter of time until the first-person POV made its way to the movies, and not only in select shots but rather as the only perspective to be seen in the entire film. Director Ilya Naishuller's debut feature Hardcore Henry offers a nonstop first-person perspective and structured around hyperkinetic, nonstop action and violence. The movie's novelty and impressive stunt and action choreography dominate, but are they enough to carry the picture to 90 minutes of unique shoot- and beat-em-up bliss?
Pokemon Go: The Hardcore Version.
Far from a traditional production with traditional (even "new traditional digital") photography, Hardcore Henry's first-person POV perspective necessitates, in 2016, at least, a lesser sort of image that's lacking the detail and color strengths that are mostly exclusive to larger, less agile photographic equipment. Universal's Blu-ray transfer reflects the movie's inherent limitations, yielding an image that's nowhere near as crisp or visually articulate as most other movies. Details are adequately sharp but finer textures almost always get lost. Basic faces, clothes, and urban elements rarely find the sort of tactile, involved texturing viewers have come to expect. Likewise, color saturation is comparatively poor. Never does the palette really pop, settling for meager, basic shades that translate basic information but hardly deliver any kind of serious punch of vibrancy. Black levels struggle to maintain depth and flesh tones lack fullness. Noise, macroblocking, and aliasing are issues, but never to any severe extent. For the movie's style and structure, this is close to a best-case scenario for the Blu-ray release.
Hardcore Henry's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is involved and exciting, easily the highlight of this release's technical package. With so much going on, and sound so important to reinforcing the movie's point-of-view structure, it's a shame that Universal settled for a basic 5.1 track rather than a 7.1 or, even better, DTS:X or Dolby Atmos track with overhead channels. As it is, there's hardly room for complaint. The track is full and detailed, with action popping from every channel and the track engineered to compliment the first-person perspective. What Henry hears, the listener hears. Gunfire erupts all over the stage. Clarity is striking as shots ring out and impact surfaces all around the listening area. The low end is practically relentless in support. Music is likewise active and widely spaced. It's a bit sharp but seemingly by nature. Bass is active and deep underneath. Mild atmospherics chime in on occasion, but the adrenaline-fueled activity dominates. Dialogue is fine, a bit shaky like the music but adequately delivered within the movie's structural parameters.
Hardcore Henry contains two commentaries, deleted scenes, and a "fan chat" supplement. A voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy is included
with purchase.
Hardcore Henry is all about motion and perspective, kinetic energy and nonstop thrills. Stunts, not story, dominate. It's hardly a narrative winner, but the film satisfies its basic supporting, structural needs. Action is fine, though one cannot help but think that, even with all its mayhem, there was room to push the envelope further. Universal's Blu-ray isn't going to set the world afire with its video transfer, but audio is excellent and the supplements are fine, even if the two commentary tracks are overkill and repetitive. Recommended.
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Unrated Edition
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3 Disc Edition
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+BD with the 3 versions
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