Hard Target (1993)

Hard Target is my favourite Van Damme movie and along with Face/Off, is John Woo's best Hollywood movie to date (none though come close to his earlier Hong Kong efforts). Inspired by "The Most Dangerous Game', Hard Taget helps introduce Western audiences to the stylised visuals and balletic violence that is the Cornerstone of a John Woo film, and he certainly doesn't disappoint in that category. Although the plot is run-of-the-mill and does somewhat disappointingly dissect the action sequences, it does not really matter because it is the action that is worth waiting for. It is ridiculously over-the-top, in a good way though, violent, entertaining and at times hilarious.

Van Damme is actually pretty good in this film, playing a really hard bastard. He is perhaps helped by some decent characterisation, but this perhaps favours the two villains most of all with Henriksen excellent as usual, playing the snarling, evil villain and Vosloo pretty amusing as his cocky, over-exuberant right-hand-man. It helps they are given some decent lines even if the script isn't the most polished in the world but no doubt is it set instead on catering for the action. Although convincingly handled, the action scenes do however, require some suspension of disbelief and a view that doesn't hint towards gritty realism. So what if no one never reloads, so what if the police and public are never around, so what if it takes Van Damme thirty bullets to kill one man, this is simply an action film and nothing can be taken for granted in this genre. Besides if the action is as greatly entertaining and stylistically done as this then you can easily forget the films mishaps and general lack of narrative qualities.

7/10

Fmovies: As with many action movies, Hard Target's strengths and weaknesses are fairly simple to analyse. It's a competent action thriller, notable for some stylish action scenes that have John Woo's touch; one particularly memorable example is when Chance Boudreaux (Jean-Claude Van Damme) quite literally blasts a bikie thug out a window with a shotgun and a petrol can! These moments pretty much make the film worth seeing by themselves, despite the usual weaknesses in the plotting and JCVD's ever wooden countenance. As JCVD himself noted however, viewers paid the money to see him waste bad guys and he does plenty of this - sometimes in more inventive ways than expected (using snake traps). It very much makes the film worth seeing for action buffs, even though I'm reluctant to give a really high rating based on this alone.

The plot is not too extraordinary: a homeless veteran gets murdered by a team of mercenaries led by Emil Fouchoud (Henriksen) and Van Cleaf (Vosloo), after which his daughter Nat (Butler) comes looking for him and commissions Boudreaux, a homeless Cajun merchant marine (!) to help her out after he rescues her from marauding thugs, raising the ire of the mercenary team. A few plot holes are obvious (shouldn't this mercenary team have been dealt with a while ago, police strike or not? Why is JCVD made a CAJUN?), but it works well as a vehicle for blowing stuff up and killing people.

The dialogue is pretty standard stuff: some profanity, some hilariously cringeworthy lines ("don't worry about Randall; he's all ears!) and some macho stuff.

As for the acting, the villains are better than the heroes. Of course, when JCVD is your hero, that's bound to be the case, with his unconvincing delivery. He has recently shown that he is capable of acting, but he was a long off that in 1993. Still, English is probably his third language (after French and Dutch); Yancy Butler has no such excuses, being quite wooden in a role that doesn't demand that much. Vosloo and Henriksen are much better though. Vosloo has that quiet menace that always makes him a good villain, while Henriksen goes from menacing and purposeful to merrily nuts as Boudreaux causes him more difficulties than expected. Even Wilford Brimley is amusing as Chance's crazy uncle, reeling off some zany lines.

In the end, Hard Target is not a great movie, but it's a competent action thriller with some nice stylistic touches from John Woo during the action scenes. Henriksen, Vosloo and Brimley compensate somewhat for JCVD and Butler, but you still shouldn't watch this film for the acting and especially not for the plotting. Action fans generally don't really look for either that much though, so that's alright. Movie- goers looking for a bit more will probably like some of the style, but won't find that much else.

3/5 stars

Action master John Woo's first (and best) American movie is somewhat of a disappointment to his Hong Kong movie fans--see "Hard Boiled" and "The Killer" for comparison--but still miles better than most Hollywood action fare. A good introduction to Woo's directing style with plenty of show-stopping action sequences, incredible stunt work and a solid performance by Van Damme. Despite a very impressive ending set piece and lots of awesome slow motion gun play, the movie (as released) seems to be missing something. Seek out the unrated, uncut version if at all possible--you won't regret it!

Hard Target fmovies. Right here and now I'll say this is Van Damme best movie and he picked the right director for it. It an action adventure about a team of killers are who paid to hunt by rich people. The movie is not action filled as the video box may tell you. But it does have enough to make your mouth water. If you know John Woo than you know that his films spread out the action and put space of acting between them. The acting is not top notch but it is believable. But what makes this movie is the action sequences. They have remnants of Woo's other movies like Broken Arrow, Hard Boiled, The Killer and the final scene looks like it was plucked straight out of Face/Off. You have to see it to believe it. Van Damme does his normal tough guy not talking much thing but it is great to see him with two pistols in his hands. It's a 7 for total movie but gets a 10 for action. Action movie junkies will love Hard Target. John Woo and Van Damme makes for great action.

Jean Claude Van Damme has many, many and many action films all in all...but none of them comes close to the art, fast-pace, intensity and entertainment of Hard Target. And the factor behind these? John Woo! John Woo has proven himself the answer on providing greatness to Van Damme, and it's obvious that Van Damme's films that followed, simply lacked goodness.

With Woo on the helm, we get to see Van Damme doing those Woo signature-action like double-gun firing, action slow-mo, dangerous stunts, revealing views, and the back-to-back 2 side camera view...you name it. Van Damme himself said that this was the most creative action film he's ever done, and you'll see why.

Regarding the story, the plot seemed simple on paper but John Woo added twists and gimmicks to transform the simplicity into interest. The cast is highlighted by Lance Henriksen's role as the bad boss, and he adds quality acting and voice to this film. Yancy Butler however, does not make a good lead lady here, and I always thought of other actresses replacing her.

John Woo's action scenes are very defined here, and thanks to those slow-mo scenes, you get to see Van Damme REALLY HIT HIS ENEMIES...as opposed to seeing him move too fast in other films, which made you wonder if his kicks were real or not. In addition, he did some dangerous stunts on his own, which adds authencity to his action figurre.

Van Damme needs to team up again with Woo. The films that followed this were simply lacking of quality (The Quest) or lousy (Double Team). It's easy to realize that Hard Target is more of a John Woo-film than a Van Damme-film. Van Damme, in my opinion, is better-off with Woo as director simply because his best is brought out. Since this film is Woo's US debut, this film is like a preview of things to come...meaning Broken Arrow, Face/Off and the ongoing blockbuster Mission Impossible II! You'll really see how far Woo went from this debut.

Definitely worth watching! Hard Target is not John Woo's best, but it's Van Damme's best film ever! This is where you see Van Damme in his greatest action, and thank Woo for that!

Many people say that this film could be marked down as a cobweb in John Woo's closet. It is far from this, but only if you see the full uncencored version, which is available in the UK for people who own PAL video machines. I think that this is John Woo's best American made work. Better than Face / Off, which was well filmed but lacked the Woo stylised violence to keep your interest up. But Hard Target has plenty. Certain people believe that the end gunfight in the Mardi Gras graveyard is among Woo's best visually. The flurry of quick bloody violence is overwhelmingly adrenaline pumping, Van Damme pumps the bad guys with more bullets in 15 minutes than Desperado did in two hours! The American Version is quite mediocre compared to the UK version, the US version contains less violence and if you look in the goofs section most of the stuff ups are due to the violence being edited out. I do know where you can get your hands on a rough cut of the 116 minute version but it is a bit of a waste of time, due to the fact that there is no colour (except a greeny tone) and most of the 20 minutes extra are just talking.

If you think Van Damme is a bit of a let down, he isn't really. He may not be able to act, but Woo has made him look as cool as ever, seing Van Damme run around with two hand guns is cool, This movie runs on Van Dammes precence.

Give this film a chance, get the UK version for a better time.

I give this 5 outta 5.

John Woo rules the earth.