Director: Kensuke Sonomura
Notable Cast: Masanori Mimoto, Miu, Ikumi Goto, Tasuku
Nagase
Just a few months ago, word about a fantastic low budget
martial arts thriller started to pop up in the social media circles that I
frequent. Hydra had the potential to be the next big thing in terms of
its star and director was what the dredges of the internet churned out. When
Well Go USA picked up the film for distribution, to be available via their
streaming service Hi Yah first before receiving a Blu Ray and DVD release, it
seemed to verify the rumors. However, for fans of martial arts films - even low
budget DIY ones like the previously reviewed Silat Warriors, temper the
expectations. Hydra is a fascinatingly artistic take on the usual tropes
of the action and martial arts genre and it’s one that intentionally defies
some tropes while actively grasping onto others with a death grip. The
combination proves to be infinitely intriguing, but not one that may appeal to
all fans of the genre.
Judging this film by its script or its narrative can be
problematic. Mainly, that is due to Hydra adhering to the classic action
formulas of characters and plot with flawed intensity. The story revolves
around an ex-assassin turned chef, played with effective nuance by Mimoto, who
works as a small sushi bar to protect the daughter of his old mentor. When his
old friends come calling, he will have to take on another elite assassin before
his newfound chosen family become unwilling pawns in the game. Sound familiar?
There are only a couple hundred films with the same characters and plot. This
is where Hydra struggles the most, attempting to hurdle the basics in a
way that sets it aside from its peers.
It’s not without its charms and bold choices in execution
though. Director Kensuke Sonomura makes some odd and bold decisions with his
approach to the action cinema blueprint. Some of it works, like the synth heavy
score and the manner that the urban streets at night juxtapose the warmth and
intimacy of the sushi bar, but other portions are baffling. The film’s
characters are muddled in its vague and rushed exposition and portions of the
secondary cast feel as though they are in a different film than its lead and
villains.
The strangest part of Hydra is how long it waits to
finally reveal its brilliant action. For a film that is marketed for its
strength in martial arts and directed by a famous action director/martial arts
choreographer, the first real action set piece doesn’t arrive until almost the
hour mark. To note, the film is only 77 minutes long. There are hints to the
action that will arrive, particularly in how the lead handles himself and the
establishment of the world of spies/assassins, but the film languishes in its
mystery thriller elements of the first two acts. It’s just too slow in getting
to the best aspect of the film.
When that action hits though, hot damn, it hits like a
semi-truck blowing through a mall. The action is all hand to hand or knife
combat, but the intricacy and speed of its intimate material arts throwdowns is
mind-blowing. It’s realistic, brutal, and impeccably choreographed. There are
essentially only two fights in Hydra, but both are contenders for action
sequence of the year, delivering cold, calculated man-made destruction in human
sized packages.
Hydra ends up as a fascinating exercise in artistic
choice than it does being the stunning action thriller it was touted as in the
word of mouth. Some of those choices work, including the atmospheric urban
touches, the score, and the lead performances, but it’s heavy reliance on
formulaic scripting and mishandled characters and narrative make it a curiosity
watch. However, the final act and the incredible fight work almost make the
rest worth the watch. If Hydra is meant to kick off a larger assassin
universe, then I hope that Sonomura and company grab some bigger budgets and
increase the sense of urgency in the pacing, because the established
foundations are solid. It’s just finding a better balance to make more Hyrda
work.
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