Character Spotlight- Estelle- Hardcore Henry

 

**This post contains spoilers**

Henry wakes up in a strange high-tech laboratory, that happens to be hovering high in the sky. He’s missing an arm and a leg. His memories and his past? One big blur. And Henry’s being reborn as a super soldier! That’s a lot to deal with, after being unconscious, or frozen in a form cryostasis for a presumably long time.

Luckily, a scientist named Estelle (Haley Bennett) is tasked with Henry’s rehabilitation. She’s going to guide him through this strange journey, and Estelle is also Henry’s wife! 

Henry’s on the road to recovery and a new life, but Akan (Danila Kozlovsky) has other plans. Akan, an evil and powerful telepath, terrorizes and pursues Henry, with some help from his mercenaries. To make matters worse, Akan kidnaps Estelle.

Henry teams up with Jimmy (Sharlto Copley) to storm Akan’s headquarters. It’s a risky mission to stop Akan’s evil plans and rescue Estelle……but Estelle is not Henry’s wife? And she’s actually married to Akan? Imagine risking your life to save someone, because you believed she was your wife, someone, who actually cared about helping you. 

Turns out, not only is she a liar, but she’s married to the enemy. And Estelle is the one, who came up with idea to convince Henry he was her husband. For Estelle, Henry was nothing more than a lab rat for Akan’s field test, because he wanted to see how one of his super soldiers handled  deadly scenarios, testing his true potential.

Haley Bennett deserves a round of applause for her performance. When we’re introduced to Estelle during the opening moments of the movie, it’s easy to buy into her as the innocent scientist, who’s a soothing presence for a scared and confused Henry. She’s the loving and soft-spoken wife, a believable damsel in distress, complete with crocodile tears, and next to Jimmy, she’s supposed to be one of only two people filling the roles for Henry’s support system. 

But things change, when Estelle shows her true colors. Picture this, Henry is on the ground after Akan brutally manhandles him. He’s out of it, broken and beaten down. Guess what Estelle does? She gloats about how her plan was a success, brags about how smart she is, and how she knew Henry was the chosen one, after he pulled her into the escape pod at the laboratory. And Estelle shows absolutely no concern whatsoever for Henry, who’s lying on the ground right in front of her. Man that’s cold. 

Estelle and Akan got a little bit too cocky. They were sure they outsmarted Henry, got the best of him, and they used him for their experiment. Henry served his purpose, so it was time to throw him out like yesterday’s trash. But they didn’t expect Henry to make one last push, and fiercely fight back. All things considered, that’s kind of a weird mindset to have, because Henry killed A LOT of people, with Jimmy popping in to help every now and then. 

Henry took care of Akan, and Estelle had the audacity to beg for mercy? Estelle pleads for Henry’s help, as she’s hanging on by her fingertips outside of the helicopter, urging Henry to listen to his heart. Henry’s response? He slams the door shut on Estelle’s fingers, causing her to fall to her death. A delusional mindset, and insane levels of arrogance from Estelle. Did Estelle really believe Henry would just forgive her after everything she did? And she tried to murder him inside of the helicopter, repeatedly blasting away, one bullet at a time. 

Henry triumphs, and Estelle’s anger and her ego got the best of her. A fitting ending for one half of a husband and wife duo, working together as two diabolical masterminds, who wanted to take over the world.

Character Spotlight- Akan- Hardcore Henry

 

**This post contains spoilers**

A strong telepath, he’s rich, and he’s a sociopathic jerk! Similar to so many evildoers before him, Akan (Danila Kozlovsky) has dreams of world domination. Assisted by his wife, Estelle (Haley Bennett), and his army of super soldiers, a power-hungry Akan is determined to eradicate anyone, who tries to stop him.

Akan is all-powerful. He’s seemingly unstoppable, but Akan has two big problems to worry about: Henry and Jimmy (Sharlto Copley). Henry, Akan’s new and promising star super soldier, impressively passed his field test. Jimmy? Akan’s ex-scientist is motivated by revenge, after Akan crippled him for his failures. Akan should’ve had any easy path to ruling the world, but things didn’t work out that way. 

Akan convincingly thrashed and brutalized Henry during the final battle on the rooftop. But Akan celebrated a little bit too early, giving a rejuvenated Henry an opening to defeat him. Akan was an asshole bully, who enjoyed toying with and pushing Henry around throughout the movie. His ego wouldn’t allow him to believe Henry had a realistic shot at defeating him. Akan FINALLY decided it was time to take things seriously during the fight with Henry, but it was too late. Henry, using the wires connected to one of his eyeballs, to slice off half of Akan’s head? Yikes! Now that’s a gory ending for someone, who truly deserved his comeuppance, in the worst possible ways imaginable. 

You have to give a lot of credit to Danila Kozlovsky, because Akan doesn’t work without his performance. Akan is clearly nuts, a madman with a dark sense of humor, but Kozlovsky never comes off as being too silly. On the surface, you might take one look at Akan, and you’ll think this guy is way too goofy to be the main villain. But Kozlovsky will quickly remind you Akan is an extremely dangerous man, who’s willing to do horrible things to get what he wants. 

Akan should’ve been invincible. Jimmy and his gang of avatars caused a few problems, some inconveniences along the way. But Henry, a super soldier, slowly learning his abilities during a field test, shouldn’t have been a real challenge for him. Henry didn’t just kill Akan, he literally tore him to shreds (with an assist from the rotor blades on the helicopter). Why? Because Akan was too full of himself, and that kind of cocky mindset ultimately led to his downfall.

Character Spotlight- Jimmy- Hardcore Henry

 

**This post contains spoilers**

Jimmy (Sharlto Copley) is a masterful scientist, who specializes in making super soldiers! But there’s one big problem: Akan (Danila Kozlovsky) is his boss. Imagine having a demanding nutcase constantly breathing down your neck, if you’re not meeting his ridiculously high standards. That’s a lot of stress, knowing you’re one mistake away from suffering the most severe punishments imaginable. 

During the early stages of the process, one particular batch of Jimmy’s super soldiers spectacularly failed. They were nothing more than a group of malfunctioning klutzes. Akan’s response? Not only did Akan lock Jimmy in the room with the broken super soldiers, giving them the chance to viciously attack him, Akan used his powers to paralyze Jimmy.

So what does Jimmy do next? Does he simply allow Akan to execute his plans for world domination? No! Jimmy, motivated by revenge, dedicates his life to stopping and killing Akan. Supported by Henry and his unique avatars, Jimmy fiercely goes after Akan, determined to put an end to his devious plans.

Jimmy’s avatars? You’ll see a variety of different characters, including a distinguished soldier, a coked-out party animal, a punk rock rebel, complete with a Mohawk and a leather jacket, and an eccentric homeless man.

Sharlto Copley’s energetic and versatile performance brings the laughs, and a handful of wildly entertaining scenes, but things change towards the end. When Henry removes the headset on his motorized wheelchair, you’ll see the real Jimmy, a broken and bitter man consumed by his hatred for Akan.

There’s a flashback that shows a different version of Jimmy before Akan crippled him. Jimmy was this harmless and nerdy guy, with a soft voice. Pay close attention to the scene, where Henry tries to get Jimmy to come to his senses, and you can hear the anger in Jimmy’s voice, rage coming from a man, who’s stuck in an immobile body for the rest of his life.

The avatars gave Jimmy a chance to be normal, to live life freely, and of course, the chance to destroy Akan’s empire. Jimmy had a chance to enjoy a lot of freedom and happiness through his avatars, and you can see it throughout the movie.

So what about Henry? Jimmy completely snapped, when he believed Henry was working as a spy for Akan. Jimmy had to spend a lot of time alone. Henry was supposed to be his friend, so Jimmy couldn’t handle the thought of someone he trusted possibly betraying him. He actually tried to kill Henry! 

Towards the end of the movie, Henry and Jimmy share an emotional moment in the elevator, as Henry prepares to fight Akan and his army of super soldiers alone. It’s a big scene and a full circle moment for Jimmy, because he finally realizes Henry was always a true friend. You’ll also see an admission of guilt from Jimmy, when he unlocks Henry’s real memories. Jimmy wanted a friend, but he was also using Henry as a tool to fulfill his quest for vengeance against Akan. So Jimmy did not want Henry to clearly remember his past, because Henry might’ve asked (through hand gestures, or maybe written notes) one too many questions. 

Henry killed Akan, and Jimmy had a chance to say his goodbyes before he died. Is it a bittersweet ending? Bleeding to death in an elevator? Not entirely. Akan is gone, a determined Jimmy gave it everything he had, fighting his way through pesky waves of enemies, and Jimmy didn’t die alone. Henry was right there by his side, as Jimmy took his last breath. Jimmy’s only possible regret is, he didn’t live long enough to witness Akan’s brutal demise with his own eyes, because I’m sure Jimmy would’ve loved to keep Akan’s severed head as a souvenir.

Character Spotlight- Henry- Hardcore Henry

 

**This post contains spoilers**

Half man, half machine, equipped with state-of-the-art technology, Henry is the future of super soldiers! But Henry doesn’t have flashy superpowers? He can’t fly? He doesn’t have any catchy one-liners, or a big spirited monologue? So what’s so special about him? 

There’s something mysterious about this particular voiceless super soldier, because we don’t know a lot about Henry. Sure, they give us bits and pieces of Henry’s story and his past. His dad was a mechanic. Henry was obviously picked on a lot as a kid, and if we’re going by his grisly injuries, it’s safe to assume Henry was in the military. Maybe he was the victim of a catastrophic attack, or is there a chance he worked in law enforcement? So many different possibilities, including Henry being a soldier for an organized crime family. 

No, Henry is not as smooth, crisp, and brutal as John Wick, and he’s not a Terminator. Henry struggles during the chase and the fight with Slick Dimitry (Andrei Dementiev). Akan (Danila Kozlovsky) EASILY swats Henry away like a fly for the vast majority of the movie, and Henry literally can’t lay a finger on Akan, because he’s just too powerful. 

Henry is learning as he goes. The fights are sloppy, rough, and Henry struggles every now and then. But during Henry’s journey, you can see flashes of confidence. Little by little, he truly becomes Hardcore Henry. That’s what I’ve always loved about Henry’s character development: it’s messy, because he’s not simply tearing through all the bad guys with ease. Henry looks like a klutz at times, but in the end, he puts all of the pieces together to become a resilient and scrappy ass-kicking machine.

There’s a reoccurring flashback throughout the movie that shows a group of bullies picking on Henry, and breaking one of his toys. Needing that one last motivational push to defeat Akan, Henry remembers the “you little pussy” pep talk from his father (Tim Roth), after he chased the bullies away. Henry’s mind was clogged up with fake memories centered around his “wife,” Estelle (Haley Bennett), so he needed a spark from someone, who actually cared about him. Truly a wild series of events for the big final battle. That one memory from his father encouraging him to stand up for himself, so he can fight back against the bullies is what he needed to jump over that last hurdle to take out Akan.

And let’s not forget about Jimmy (Sharlto Copley), the man of many avatars, a clever scientist, and the brains behind Henry’s rebirth! Jimmy was seconds away from pulling the plug on Henry, but after some stern hand gestures and a good hard slap across the face from Henry, Jimmy came to his senses. Jimmy and Henry formed a bond as friends, united in their disdain for Akan. 

Trust was a big issue for Jimmy, after he was betrayed and crippled by Akan. That’s why Jimmy’s farewell speeches (as himself and using the military soldier avatar) for Henry in the elevator sticks out as the big emotional moments, because Jimmy found a friend, who was willing to risk his life to help him. On top of that, Henry was one of Jimmy’s creations, who wasn’t corrupted or poisoned by Akan.

You’ll see the entire movie through Henry’s eyes, and he doesn’t speak one word from start to finish. And we only see a brief glimpse of his face through a reflection on a shard of glass, but we still know a lot about Henry. He’s tough, he doesn’t quit, and Henry’s got a big heart. 

It was supposed to be over for Henry. He finds out Estelle is actually married to Akan. She worked together with Akan to use Henry as a test subject during a crazy field test, and Akan pummeled Henry to the point, where he was seemingly dead. 

But Henry fought back, killed Akan, and he made sure to rub it in Estelle’s face. Showing Estelle her husband’s mangled head wasn’t enough for Henry. When a distraught Estelle demanded answers from Henry, he had one simple response: using his own blood, Henry wrote the letters “EZ” together on the inside of the helicopter. Ouch, that’s gotta sting for Estelle. 

Henry defeated Akan, the deranged and powerful telepath. He stopped Akan’s army of super soldiers from destroying the world, and he helped Jimmy find peace and closure before his death. Not bad for a guy, who was previously nothing more than a mutilated and dismembered corpse, without the capability to speak, huh?

Hardcore Henry (2016)

 

**This post contains spoilers**

The Story- In Russia, a severely injured and confused Henry awakes in an airborne laboratory. Tasked with his rehabilitation, Henry’s wife, Estelle (Haley Bennett) finishes installing the mechanical upgrades and equipment, including replacing Henry’s severed limbs with a robotic leg and a robotic arm.

Henry’s resurrection is quickly interrupted by Akan (Danila Kozlovsky), a powerful and wealthy telepath, and the man responsible for financing Henry’s rebirth. Estelle and Henry briefly escape Akan, but Akan’s mercenaries kidnap Estelle.

Henry tries to piece together broken memories from his past, while receiving help from a scientist named Jimmy (Sharlto Copley). Henry and Jimmy team up to rescue Estelle, tearing through Akan’s forces to get to her. Akan is close to fulfilling his plans for world domination with an army of super soldiers, and a seemingly airtight plan. Will the duo of Henry and Jimmy be enough to stop Akan?

My Thoughts- Henry is an unusual super soldier. Sure, he has an extremely high tolerance for pain and punishment. His stamina is off the charts, but he’s not completely invincible. Half man, half machine, Henry struggles to hold his own during the early stages of the movie. He truly doesn’t become Hardcore Henry until the tail end of the movie, namely during the big final battle with Akan.

The approach to humanize him as a somewhat ordinary guy, who has to figure things out on the fly adds a bit of normalcy to Henry as a grounded character in a preposterous and over the top movie. He’s the scrappy underdog you want to root for. Henry doesn’t speak one word, including the flashbacks with Henry as a kid. He doesn’t have a speech module, but we still know a lot about Henry. He’s compassionate, fearless, and he has a big heart. Henry was willing to risk everything to save Estelle. Jimmy has serious trust issues, and he’s justifiably paranoid. Towards the end, Jimmy tries to kill Henry, when he suspects Henry is a spy for Akan. Jimmy stubbornly pushes Henry away, but Henry never gave up on the friendship. 

He’s a bit too goofy at times, but Danila Kozlovsky’s performance as Akan still works. Akan is an unhinged and eccentric villain, narcissistic to the core with an obvious god complex. He’s delightfully cruel and cold, the kind of evildoer, who deserves his comeuppance. 

Sharlto Copley proves he’s a man of many talents here. All of Jimmy’s avatars have their own unique personalities: the coked-up and unhinged party animal, the philosophical stoner hippie, or the gentlemanly military man. Copley shows off his versatility, bringing a specific brand of comedy to match each avatar’s personality, but Copley also proves he can be serious when it’s necessary. There’s an emotional scene towards the end, where the real Jimmy, paralyzed and bound to an electric wheelchair, is dying. The somber transition from Jimmy’s military avatar to his actual human body gives Jimmy the chance to say goodbye to Henry as himself, while Jimmy also acknowledges Henry as a real friend.

Hardcore Henry’s presentation and style is reminiscent of a video game, specifically a first person shooter. You’ll see the entire story through Henry’s eyes, and the video game parallels are undeniable. Henry fighting his way through hordes of henchmen, while battling mid level bosses, with increasing levels of difficulty along the way, including Slick Dmitry (Andrei Dementiev), the man with a shiny sliver jacket and the flamethrower, and the big burly super soldier at Akan’s headquarters. 

Special power-ups? Henry takes the bigger battery from the husky super soldier, and he uses shots of adrenaline to fight off Akan’s army. Easy to draw connections to a video game, when your back is against the wall, your health is too low, and you desperately need that Hail Mary boost. Weapon upgrades as the story progresses, and of course there’s the agonizing struggle before the big final boss battle with Akan. 

Wait a minute. Estelle is not married to Henry? She’s actually Akan’s wife! That’s right. Estelle was never kidnapped, and Henry’s mission to rescue her was actually an elaborate field operation, because Akan wanted to see one of his super soldiers in action. Henry exceeded expectations as his first big success story. The ultimate test for Akan to confidently carry out his plans for world domination. 

It’s a good and genuinely surprising twist. They don’t give away any clues or hints to possibly expose Akan and Estelle’s plan, because everything feels real. The close calls and innocent people are killed throughout the movie during Henry’s quest to save Estelle. MAYBE you could point to the fact that Akan could’ve easily killed Henry whenever he wanted. But Akan has a massive ego, so it’s easy to buy into Akan having fun and just playing around with Henry, knowing he could eliminate him, if he believed Henry was any kind of threat.

The big final showdown between Akan and Henry raises a few questions for logic and continuity. We’re lead to believe Henry is no match for Akan. He’s just too powerful, and during every encounter with Akan leading up to the finale, Henry can’t even lay a finger on him. Henry using the memory of a motivational pep talk from his father (Tim Roth) to give him that extra push to kill Akan is a good scene. Tim Roth is barely in the movie, but he absolutely nails the flashback, where tells a young Henry about the importance of fighting back and standing up for himself. 

Akan bleeds from the mouth, whenever he pushes things too hard with his powers. But Henry still couldn’t touch Akan, when he was supposedly weakened? So reliving a fond memory was the key to defeating Akan? It’s a feel good ending, because Akan gets what he deserves, but the lapse in logic is hard to ignore. 

The soundtrack is great. Each song in Hardcore Henry perfectly fits and compliments the scenes they’re used in. One of my top picks is, when Henry enters the brothel/strip club, and My Girl is playing in the club. 

Hardcore Henry is an inventive, fun, and completely bonkers action film for the super soldier sub genre. Hardcore Henry maintains a high level of energy, while moving at a frenetic pace, featuring brutal violence and bloody gore. There’s a good mix of humor and thrills, because Hardcore Henry is a movie that never takes itself too seriously. Sharlto Copley carries the load for a film that’s full of lively characters, also including Katya (Dasha Charusha) and  Olga (Svetlana Ustinova) as The Dominatrixes. And Hardcore Henry wraps up the movie with a satisfying ending after Akan and Estelle’s deaths.

There’s a voicemail from Jimmy during the credits. Jimmy asks Henry to do one more thing for him, but we’re closing in on ten years since the release of Hardcore Henry. Jimmy, Akan, and Estelle are dead, but there’s always more new adventures for Henry. Still, I think Jimmy’s voicemail was more of a way to slightly crack the door open for a possible sequel in the future, without having any concrete plans in place.

Rating- 8/10