Nobody

Review – Hardcore Henry (2016)

Review – Hardcore Henry Directed By: Ilya Naishuller Written by: Ilya Naishuller Produced by: Ilya Naishuller & Sharlto Copley Starring: Sharlto Copley & Tim Roth Release Date: April 8th 2016 (UK) The original trailer for Hardcore Henry is one of the most intriguing trailer I have seen in the last 10 years. I was already excited to see this movie and then the reviews were released and they just made me want to see it even more. Revisiting the film, my hype levels weren’t quite as high, but Hardcore Henry still managed to exceed my expectations a second time around. I mean, this film was never going to win any Oscars, but if what you are looking for is a non-stop thrill ride full of over-the-top action, then wade right in. There are no holds barred here, this is proper action done in a unique way. The method of shooting isn’t perfect as it uses a great deal of shaky cam. So much so that it ends up obscuring some of the fast paced fight scenes and stunt choreography, which is a shame as the stunts are really spectacular and they only ramp up as the movie progresses. I loved Sharlto Copley in District 9, but he hasn’t wowed me too much since then, until I saw his performance in this movie. This performance really shows how diverse he is and there is a certain musical number involving him that is definitely one of the highlights of the movie, but I won’t spoil it here. In fact I can’t really say anything about his character without spoiling him other than his name is Jimmy and he is awesome. The villain in this movie is ripped straight out of a cheesy video game, but he is kind of so bad that he’s good. He looks like the Targaryan brother from Game Of Thrones, he sounds like someone doing a bad John Malkovich impression and he has telekinesis powers to boot. His powers are never explained, but he is basically a jedi without a lightsabre from an 80’s electronic music video. Actually, comparing this movie to a video game is probably the most accurate way to describe it. Think a modern sci fi game that plays like classic Doom and you aren’t far off, which in my opinion is one of the most epic concepts ever conceived. However the concept is only the starting blocks of a project like this one, the execution has to be great as well to stop the movie from only ever being remembered as a throwaway neat idea. Thankfully the execution is effective here both figuratively and literally. This is one of they movies where you feel like a kid again while you watch it and it is glorious to experience from start to finish. The special effects are actually pretty good for what is presumably a pretty low budget film. They are over the top and fantastically ridiculous, but they add to the madness of the piece and they are a feast for the eyes. The soundtrack is pretty spot on too. It perfectly melds with the insane, fast paced, badass tone that the filmmakers were aiming for and helps to keep that high octane feel going for the duration of the flick. Hardcore Henry is not a perfect movie by any stretch, but for what it is it delivers in a big way. It is highly entertaining and whether you enjoy this style of movie or not, it is hard to take your eyes off of the screen for the hour and a half that it is on for, this movie is going to grip you and take you for a high-stakes mental ride whether you like it or not. If you are into over the top action and ridiculous stunts and set pieces, then I could not recommend this movie more. [yasr_multiset setid=2] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=2] If you enjoyed Dan’s review of Hardcore Henry, check out his review of Nobody here, which was also directed by Ilya Naishuller. Buy tickets for BGCP Comic Con in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE

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Review – Nobody

Review – Nobody Directed By: Ilya Naishuller Written by: Derek Kolstad Produced by: Tobey Maguire & David Leitch Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Christopher Lloyd & RZA Release Date: June 9th 2021 (UK) If you’ve seen the trailers for Nobody, then you already know exactly the type of movie that you are in for. That is not a slight against the movie, it is just to say that there are no great twists here or subversion of audience expectations. The question in looking at Nobody for review is; does it fulfil its purpose and deliver on that intention? Thankfully, the answer is hell yes, it does! If like me you are a Better Call Saul fan, then you will have a pre-conceived notion of who Bob Odenkirk is as an actor at this stage in his career. That was my one main concern going into this film; can Odenkirk pull off being a believable badass at this stage in his life? Again, the answer is hell yes, he can! Odenkirk is phenomenal as Hutch Mansell in this movie, he delivers in both the role of a washed up nobody leading an unfulfilled life and as an unrelenting killing machine. He really looks the part after the two years he spent training for this role and although a stuntman was used in a few brief instances, Odenkirk does nearly all of his own stunt work in the film. After seeing some of the stunts performed in the movie, this fact is extremely impressive for a guy pushing 60. Derek Kolstad’s writing in Nobody is also huge factor in what makes this film great. Kolstad also wrote the John Wick movies, so we already know that the guy knows how to write action. What I really appreciated though was the pacing of the action and the pacing of the movie overall. There is enough set-up to the character of Hutch that we are invested in him by the time that the first punch is thrown. I also enjoyed the tongue-in-cheek nature present in a lot of the film’s scenes. The action choreography is as intense and exhilarating throughout the movie as you would expect. Something that I did really like though was how brutal and gritty the fight sequences were. In the John Wick movies, although the action is exciting to watch, it sometimes feels a bit too clean and smooth, whereas here it is a lot rougher and more visceral. As much as Hutch Mansell is a badass killing machine, he is also pretty rusty having not done it for years and this is really felt in every hit that we see him take. His fighting style is far from the fluid, ninja-like style of John Wick and closer to a brawler or a bare-knuckle boxer. I liked seeing that and appreciated that it wasn’t like he just flicked a switch in order to go from washed up dad back to total badass. The rest of the cast in the movie were also great. It was nice to see Christopher Lloyd also showing some serious badassery in his old age and I also enjoyed the brief appearances made by RZA and Colin Salmon. The film is also well shot by Pawel Pogorzelski. The cinematography choices combined with the nice use of lighting made for some really good looking shots. I also really enjoyed the soundtrack in the film and felt that each song choice really complimented the scene that it was used in, without feeling forced or distracting. Lastly, I don’t think there was any question that the director of Hardcore Henry knows how to shoot action, but just in case there was, Ilya Naishuller really shows that he is able to direct complex, fast moving action and stunt-work in Nobody. The action is all captured beautifully and really allows everyone on camera to show exactly what they are capable of doing within an intense fight scene. Overall, my thoughts after watching Nobody for review is that it’s a phenomenal geriaction dadsploitation movie. If you are fan of Better Call Saul, John Wick, or just action movies in general then you should check this one out. I had a brilliant time with it and even ended up watching it twice in one weekend because I enjoyed it so much. It does what it says on the tin and is hugely entertaining throughout. [yasr_multiset setid=2] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=2] If you enjoyed Dan’s review of Nobody, check out what he thinks of The Raid: Redemption here. Buy tickets for BGCP Comic Con in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE

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