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Steve Fearon (84 KP) rated Hardcore Henry (2016) in Movies

Sep 5, 2018 (Updated Sep 5, 2018)

Action and Free-Running bonanza (1 more)

Frenetic Pace

Lack of narrative depth (1 more)

Some people won't enjoy the shaky-cam, first person style

Horrid Henry? Far from it!

Contains spoilers, click to show

If you want action of the most octane, Hardcore Henry is the film you want.

The plot and stylings are pure first person shooter, with an anime bad guy, a re-respawning side character played by the indomitable Sharlto Copley and a mute protagonist who acts as your vehicle for some of the most insane stuntwork, free running and combat ever seen on the big screen.

Yes the movie favours style over substance, yes the plot if ridiculously derivative and 2-dimensional, but this film delivers exactly what it promises, which is a hardcore action experience through a gamer's lens.

There are in jokes a plenty too, from the wilhelm scream kill in the stairwell, to the character "wiping blood from his (our) eyes" and the soundtrack which ranges from high tempo dance to Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now", all of which adds to the light-hearted frame that surrounds the brutal violence.

Some wont like the shaky cam style, but for me it adds to the hyperactive nature of the whole film, and I enjoyed every minute, even the odd bit of body horror they threw in!

Kudos

Steve Fearon (84 KP) rated Terrifier (2017) in Movies

Oct 31, 2018

Terrifier (2017)

2017 | Horror

8.0

(13 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Intriguing new character "Art" (1 more)

Gore galore

Doesn't seem to really have any depth (1 more)

Style over substance?

Does what it promises...but little more

So I finally got around to watching Terrifier, and yeah, it was pretty good.

Art the Clown is a captivating antagonist, with the playful tendencies of pennywise combined with the raw savagery of Jason, with just a pinch of the sadistic in there too.

The kills are largely effective, and brutal, the other characters are mostly fine and bearable, and certainly this is a film worthy of a sequel.

However, there is a niggling criticism that Terrifier is just a series of largely unrelated scenes, where they try to make Art as Brutal/Weird/Unsettling as possible, without really concerning themselves with any sort of a deeper plot, lore or moral.

The rules and motivations surrounding Art are unclear, at times hinting at mother issues, him just being an ordinary lunatic, but also having some supernatural elements too.

Its enjoyable enough without the lore and background, but for Art to transcend from a one off (if you ignore the short film starring him) we need to understand more.

Still, if you like your 80's gore horror, I am sure you will find something to like here.