Hydra

When I saw the title, I thought we were in for another Marvel origin movie - this time about the evil organization the Agents of S. H. I. E. L. D. spend their lives fighting. Not the case. This one's a subtitled Japanese crime flick that's long on action and short on everything else. The fight scenes will justify the time for any martial arts junkies who remember to set the rest of their expectations on low.

First-time director Kensuke Sonomura, who also appears in a substantial role, has 75 stunt gigs under his (presumably) black belt. That history allowed him to choreograph a couple of the most exciting, unique fight scenes in the genre. No wires or CGI pyrotechnics. Just a couple of foes squaring off in gritty matches of speed and agility with normal-people weapons. These scenes are akin to the cherished chase scene in Steve McQueen's Bullitt - exciting for their atypically bare-bones staging.

The plot centers around a disenchanted hitman who has secretly dedicated himself to protecting the daughter of a deceased colleague. When trouble arises from some local gangs, it's time to get back in the saddle. The details matter little, and, frankly, could have used the hand of a skilled editor to bring them into a more cohesive narrative. As it plays out now, timelines, characters and motivations are rather muddled, isolating the fights as the main, if not only, attraction.

Stunt men can ripen into outstanding directors. Clint Eastwood and Hal Needham come quickly to mind in that regard. Sonomura might get there. He's still young. If he surrounds himself with skilled storytellers to balance his wealth of action knowledge, he could be a contendah.

Hydra Is a Small Film That Packs a Big Punch. Hydra is a Japanese martial arts action action drama released by Well Go USA this week. The film marks Kensuke Sonomura's directorial debut and stars Masanori Mimoto as Takashi, the lead role. It is surprisingly good. After retiring as an assassin, Takashi leads a quiet life as a chef at a sushi bar, where he secretly watches over the daughter of a former associate. His peace is short-lived: soon, he is recruited for a final job that he simply can't refuse. Unlike some of the high profile martial arts action film releases of recent days, like Mortal Kombat, Hydra is not a sensational film saturated with special effects and "larger than life" action scenes. Hydra is a tightly compact, low key thriller whose characters are compelling. Mimoto is a character of few words; however, there is great depth to his performance and, as a viewer, you can't help but feel empathy for his pointless struggle to leave his violent past behind him. While this is an age old theme in the action genre, it resonates well in this film. While the film is well scripted and well acted, it is the martial arts direction and choreography that really stands out in this one. Kensuke Sonomura joins a growing list of action and stunt directors that have transitioned from second unit to the film's main Director. Like Jesse V. John and John Wick's, Chad Stahelski, Sonomura demonstrates that a martial arts action film can fully integrate a solid story with great fight and stunt choreography. This film does just that. Hydra is not just a movie with great fight choreography, it is a great movie. Like 2019's masterful Korean film, Revenger, Sonomura employs a gritty, realistic approach to the interesting, engaging, violent, and satisfying fight scenes in this film. The lack of "shaky-cam", the lack of high wire acrobatics, and the lack of sequences that look good on film but would never occur in a real fight combine to make some hypnotic and memorable fight sequences. It helps that Mansori Mimoto is a gifted martial artist with a subtle, but strong, screen presence. I look forward to more from Sonomura, and from Mimoto.

I watched "Hydra" after a fellow fan of martial arts films recommended it to me based on the strength of the fight scenes. While the sparse action scenes are indeed much better than the garbage that passes for fight scenes in the John Wick series, they are pretty lackluster and amateurish compared to classic Hong Kong cinema or more contemporary film like The Raid.

Unfortunately, the weak action scenes are still more interesting than the hackneyed, generic plot.

As far as low budget independent Japanese action films go, it doesn't get much better than this. This little gem is the directorial debut of stuntman/actor Kensuke Sonomura. Sure it wasn't perfect, but rookie filmmaker mistakes aside, it was a really well put together film. The mere 77 min runtime flew by even with the slow pacing, mostly due to the fact that each scene was relevant to the narrative, and just the right length to fill in the necessary back, current and upcoming sub-plots. I actually would've wanted more runtime to fill in some backstories more, and better character development in some of the characters. As an action film, there's really only two action scenes, but man are they choreographed and filmed exceptionally well, and are executed lightning-fast. I sure hope this little gem has some sequels in the works, because I do want more.

Brisk and straightforward flick about a retired killer trying to make amends for his past deeds being forced back into the game. You won't find huge set pieces, slow-mo/ fast forward bs or shaky-hand footage cut endlessly; just very well choreographed, very kinetic fights, shot wide so you can actually see what's happening and where it's happening. The combatants are so skilled with the blade that it makes you feel that the slightest mistake can and actually becomes lethal, raising the stakes. That aspect reminded me of the last fight in The Raid part 2.

Give this smaller flick a try, at 72 minutes you'll be glad you did.