'Hardcore Henry' may have seemed an intriguing prospect with the arrival of the trailer, but it has left critics scratching their heads even after watching it - and feeling a little sick. Starring Sharlto Copley, it's uniquely shot with Go-Pro in the style of a first-person shooter video game.

Hardcore Henry posterHardcore Henry hits theaters today

If it sounds like a contrivance, many viewers of the movie will probably agree that it is. According to Entertainment Weekly, 'Hardcore Henry' is 'more like a cool gimmick than a movie - and that gimmick gets old pretty fast.' Watching it on the big screen might sound like a thrilling prospect even so, but the twists and turns and non-stop violence turns it into a 'nausea-inducing endurance test'.

Haley Bennett in Hardcore HenryHaley Bennett also stars in Hardcore Henry

For most people, the rush of being involved in such a rollercoaster doesn't last the full 90 minutes. 'An adrenaline surge with a video game body count is really all it is', said the LA Times, but the Chicago Sun Times adds that it's more like 'watching someone else play a first-person-shooter video game'. 

Watch the trailer for 'Hardcore Henry' here: 


 

However, while the New York Post agrees that it has no 'actual thrills or originality', they still concede that it's 'breathtaking', 'dazzling' and 'world-altering' in its execution. And that's been enough to convince the fans of the movie that it's unmissable. ''Hardcore Henry' looks amazing and raises the sullen art of soulless killing to new heights', said the Wall Street Journal, and The Orange County Register dubbed it 'the ultimate action ride'.

Hardcore HenryHardcore Henry divides critics

The Examiner was more hyperbolic with its praise, saying that it 'slaps you in the face and takes you on a ride like nothing before', but others were disappointed in the lack of emotional depth and story. ''Hardcore Henry''s technical wizardry is considerable', said Philly.com. 'But it's no substitute for storytelling or the filmmaker's ability to elicit an emotional reaction.' Indeed, the only emotion it seems to incite in many viewers was 'the one of relief that comes when it's over' according to The Wrap.

Whether thrilled or bored by 'Hardcore Henry' though, critics like the Chicago Sun admits that it's 'a showcase of inventive technical achievement' and Inc.com insisted it still deserves respect 'if only for the innovation and integrity with which it was made'.

'Hardcore Henry' is released in the US today (April 8th 2016).

Haley Bennett in 'Hardcore Henry'First-person shooter games meet cinema action