Hard Target (1993) User Reviews

First American film by John Woo with a tough and athletic Van Damme

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 18 June 2007]

Jean Claude Van Damme is a seaman with no employment prowling around New Orleans,Louisian and stumbling onto mysterious and strange nasties. He spontaneously aiding a beautiful woman(Yancy Butler) when is attacked and taking on megalomaniac villains,(Lance Henriksen and Arnold Vosloo) who hunt human beings.He's only helped by a Bayou old man,(Wilford Brimley). This is a ¨Sui generis¨ version from ¨The most dangerous game¨,it's a vivid recounting of Richard Connell's famed novel ,adapted previously in the 1932 classic(Joel McCrea,Fay Wray) by Ernest B Schoedsack and by Robert Wise titled¨Game of death¨ and by Boulting titled ¨Run for the sun¨with Richard Widmark and Jane Greer.This theme has been filmed many times since and utilized as a plot for countless television and cinema argument.

The picture displays suspense,tension,thriller and non-stop action for 94 minutes .Breathtaking set pieces action well staged by John Woo with bound and leaps while are shooting.The film is set in New Orleans streets,marsh,bogs of Louisian and into abandoned factory, where is developed an overlong and incredible final duel.Special mention to pair sadist baddies,Henriksen and Vosloo,they're an excessive maniacal, exaggerated villains,they're the best of the film.John Woo direction is good ,he moves well the camera with spectacular scenes ,but doesn't match with his Hong Kong vehicles(Bullet in the head,The Killer,A better tomorrow I and II),John Woo followed with a successful American career(Broken arrow,Face off,Mission impossible II,Windtalkers).The motion picture will like to Jean Claude Van Damme fans and cinema John Woo-enthusiastic

Competent action thriller

[DaRick89 · 6/10 · 2 July 2012]

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

a "good" movie? God no. But I dare you as a guy not to have fun with it

[Quinoa1984 · 7/10 · 4 April 2009]

Hard Target is such a blast of a midnight movie that I can almost forgive it for being at times, most times, so warped and awful. It's got some dialog that will have you ripping your hair out ala Dr. Scratch'n'sniff on Animaniacs and may have you doing a MST3K even if you're just watching it by yourself. It's a surprise that a major studio would let anyone direct a movie like this, but it's a credit then that not only John Woo had the back-up from his catalog of bad-ass Hong-Kong flicks but that he had the back-up of Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert to go on and just go totally bonkers with over-stylization. It's an American debut that just flips the bird and does what it wants, and for those looking for a completely tasteless action movie that sometimes makes no sense and at best it will make any guy remotely fans of action movies giddy as hell and occasionally slack-jawed.

I should repeat it: this is NOT a good movie. Some of the dialog is just so... it's hard to say it exactly, so here's a quote: " If you understand me, just grunt." Actually, that's one of the better lines; just wait until villain Lance Henrikson is going completely bat-s*** in the last fifteen minutes of the movie and just spewing out whatever comes into his head! But hey, let's face it, if you come to John Woo's film of a Jean-Claude Van Damme vehicle you're bound to just want to get blood, lots of it, and enough explosions and intentional dove shots to make even die-hard fans of the HK flicks go nuts. But even as it gets ridiculous, and there are some REAL moments like that (punching out a snake, synchronized explosions including the French uncle's own house, any given motorcycle stunt) it's never less than totally entertaining.

Indeed, compared to a more serious effort like Windtalkers or something, John Woo is having a lot of fun as a filmmaker, finding new ways to explode and have his stunt and FX crew waste a perfectly good set to smithereens as his actors make out what is a totally bonkers live-action comic-book. Van Damme is about as bad-ass as possible throughout, whether doing an inane and illogical stunt or reciting his lines of "dialog" ("Nat, like a bug?"), and it shows signs of promise that he didn't live up to in the 90s. And there's even a small chunk of time, the sequence where the black veteran is being chased through the graveyard and through the New Orleans streets, that Woo gets a solid, non guilty pleasure scene that works totally on its terms.

The rest of the time though, Hard Target is violent in such a way that has now become something of an over-used standard with super-ultra-mega violent productions; you can see its influence most directly recently in Wanted and in Snyder's direction in 300 and Watchmen (the latter quite out of place with the Woo touch). But at the same time Woo is already such a pro at his own way of doing a super-over-mega stylized action movie, loaded with cranes and dollies in the "small" scenes alone, that it's no wonder when we see the first slow-motion dove go across the screen Van Damme comments simply, "Yeah." Hard Target is like taking three or four beer bongs in a row surrounded by hordes of drunken buddies and maybe some naked women - it's not something you would make a habit of, but you got to try it once, just once, depending on the frame of mind and age and excitement of the scene.

Don't watch what you can't enjoy!

[uds3 · 22 October 2003]

Typical of the absurd criticism comes the way of most any Van Damme film is a reviewer I noticed below, who protractedly raves on paragraph after paragraph about nothing more incidental than the credibility-challenging motor cycle sequence. Jesus wept, what the hell does it matter whether such is possible or not? Is the freeway chase in THE MATRIX or TERMINATOR 3 likely? We go to the movies primarily to be entertained....to take a step into a world where reality takes a rain-check half the time! HARD TARGET is right up there with Van Damme's best work, and yes he DOES work. Personally I consider it his best film. Being Woo's first American outing, he creatively put a lot into this. Although scaled down, I found it equally as entertaining as FACE OFF, which like BROKEN ARROW, offered insane, impossible but FUN action sequences.

HARD TARGET is a stylistic film that although admittedly ripped off from THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME (but so too was THE RUNNING MAN and DOGBOYS) delivers some superb sequencies. Van Damme is NOT wooden, he's not one half-bad Cajun with a real bad attitude. Matter of fact, HARD TARGET succeeds because it has that one vital spark necessary to any worthwhile flick - interesting characters! Vosloo (Before THE MUMMY) is absolutely great as Henriksen's right hand man. A professional killer with no shred of decency. Er, thats what a killer is SUPPOSED to be! When he utters that line "Randall, Randall, Randall!" you just know that Randall is about to have a real bad day! Henriksen chews up the film as the soul-less Fouchon....he even goes out with class... "Oops!"

Yancy Butler is not one to ignore either. Spunky little thing who took her charisma to another level in DROP ZONE! And dear old Wilf Brimley as Chance's reliable and feisty Uncle. He almost steals the film.

If you don't like this one you're really hard to please and if you wanna complain about Van Damme's acting again? for God's sake go watch THE ENGLISH PATIENT.

The Best Of Van Damme

[benqstock · 7/10 · 5 February 1999]

Hard Target is arguably Jean Claude Van Damme's best film. The action sequences, particularly the chase through the cemetery and the shootout in the Mardi-Gras warehouse are are smoothly and stylishly directed by John Woo. It stands up to repeated viewings and is worth watching along with Broken Arrow and Face/Off just to see how John Woo has progressed since coming to Hollywood. Lance Henriksen is perfect as the villain and Van Damme is a good hero. Overall quite an exciting and well done film, though not perfect.

How Does it Feel to Be Hunted?!

[LenAccording1 · 7/10 · 5 January 2024]

John Woo directs this classic actioner which is really just an extended Levi's commercial; everything is overly-stylized and New Orleans clearly has an infestation of pigeons and doves.

The plot involves homeless people hunted for sport by rich played with relish by Lance Henriksen & Arnold Vosloo. Henriksen is on career best form as Mr. Fuchon; the big bad who considers humans the ultimate "sport". When I spoke with Lance last year he discussed a scene that was cut which had Fuchon having a dream about hunting in Africa, showing that hunting is obsessively in his blood.

The slo-mo admittedly is over the top, but it's just so damn stylish that I can't hold it against it. My dad used to take me to see JCVD and Steven Seagal films in the cinema and we both loved seeing this one on the big screen. JCVD rocks the action hero mullet to perfection and also wears the mandatory white string vest for an extra taste of badassery.

Holy hell, Hard Target is one of Jean-Claude Van Damme's finest hours oozing with style, classic action scenes and memorable villains making it still hold up as one of the best actioners of the 90's.

I demande a sequel Mr. Woo!

When I Come Back Here, I Cut Me A Steak!

[LagerLagerLagerShouting · 7/10 · 6 May 2008]

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

All Brawn - No Brain

[bob_bear · 1/10 · 27 January 2006]

Sorry, but I don't accept that it is okay for action movies to be brainless simply because they are action movies and, therefore, suspension of disbelief comes with the territory. A bit more care over the script and you've got a half-decent film with action at its core. Hard Target is soft where it counts - in the head.

I have actually enjoyed other Van Damme movies - Universal Soldier, for one - otherwise I wouldn't have tuned into this one - so I didn't watch it with the intention of criticizing it. Sadly, I had expected better.

The script has more holes than Swiss cheese and the supporting cast are simply woeful. I won't go so far as to claim they make Jean-Claude look fit for Shakespeare but you get the idea. One can only wonder if they were chosen for the sole purpose of making him look good - by being as bland as possible. The lead female has done nothing of note since this outing and I, for one, am not surprised. Then again,what was she meant to do with a cartoon character like the one she was given? As for the lead bad guy when he was meant to be playing the piano??? Ham on the bone!

The action sequences themselves are the ONLY reason for watching this movie - and it's simply not enough for me. The set pieces aren't spectacular or imaginative enough, for starters. If you just want car chases, shoot outs and explosions, fine. Personally, I prefer a story to go with it. And a script that is somewhere this side of credible.

Call It What You Will, But It IS Entertaining!

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 19 March 2006]

Many people see "Jean-Claude Van Damme" in the lead and think this another stupid, no-brainer action flick and guess what? It is! BUT, it is also a very entertaining film, kind of ripoff of the old "Most Dangerous Game" storyline....and, if you can suspend belief for 90-100 minutes, you'll be vastly entertained....and that's the name of the game, folks.

Some of the action scenes are outrageous and big-time "Rambo" mentality, meaning an entire arsenal that could wipe out a small country is used against our hero and never seems to kill him! People are being shot in the streets but no is ever around in the middle of the day but the killers and victims? Usually that stuff annoys me, but I didn't seem to mind in this movie. In fact, it fits.

Despite the lack of credibility, Van Dame standing on top of a speeding motorcycle as it heads towards an onrushing car, and later dodging all kinds of pretty neat weapons as he tries to help Yancy Butler, is just fun. John Wood-directed films tend to be ridiculously exaggerated and loud, so that's what you get. I am not a fan of many of his films, but I am of this one. It's pure macho madness with a Lance Henriksen doing what he does best: be an incredibly-nasty and brutal villain. An added bonus in here - a real hoot - is old man Wilfred Brimley as Van Damme's French uncle who comes to his nephew's aid.

Add a great blues soundtrack and you have a great film to feed your male hormones with when needing to be fed some gratuitous violence.

Style over substance.

[jmbovan-47-160173 · 6/10 · 16 August 2020]

John Woo makes decidedly exciting action scenes. This film as those, a bleak story line (the thrill of hunting and killing former service men) and the standard action plotlines of a 90's action film, specialized for Jean Claude VanDamme. Added bonus of Wilford Brimley trying to have a Cajun accent.

Shocker

[andyhighton21 · 2/10 · 16 September 2019]

I'm not going into too much detail, because it would take a long time to explain why I hated it enough to give it a 2.

It was really over the top with fight scenes. Every person requires 50 bullets (from the same clip) to die, with some still standing after being turned into a human sieve only to receive a final fatal kick to the face. It was tolerable in parts, because it actually had a plot. What finished it for me, was the introduction of Wilford Brimley. As soon as I heard the shocking French accent, it was over.

Objectively Van Damme's best acting performance

[SeriousMoviesOnly · 9/10 · 21 June 2020]

This is probably the only movie of Van Damme where I dont find his acting ridiculous:) Classic

And the lady is astonishingly beautiful. It is a pity her carrier didn't work out well after this movie

A more dangerous game

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 6/10 · 17 October 2000]

John Woo's Hollywood career has been turbulent, which nothing really defining him as a great action director. Broken Arrow was bland, the overrated Face/Off was even less fun, M:I 2 was the movie equivalent of a Big Mac, Windtalkers was absolute trash, as was Paycheck. But at least he started out on the right foot with Hard Target. Unfortunately neither the studios nor the MPAA were familiar with his OTT style of bloody action, and the film was neutered before it was exposed to movie-goers.

Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as Chance Boudreaux an out of work sailor slumming it in New Orleans, and boy is it a terrible performance, the Belgian kickboxer just isn't even trying a little bit. This was also made during the 90s, when he wore his belt-line directly underneath his nipples in an effort to look taller. Chance meets a pretty girl called Natasha (Yancy Butler, who despite being gorgeous seemed to just drop off the radar completely) and helps her find her missing dad. But during the course of their investigation they discover a game of death in which rich folks hunt the homeless.

Apparently Woo wanted Kurt Russell in the lead, but with Van Damme's sub-par skills draining fun from the film the best performances come from the always brilliant Lance Henriksen and Arnold Vosloo as the main villain and right-hand man. Mr. Woo's gunfighting and action SHOULD also make the film more enjoyable, though compared to his original vision, a 116-minute epic, the final cut is butchered 97-minute could-have-been. All the John Woo trademarks are here, but it's hard to enjoy it knowing what was cut out.

No hope for the human race ... and hair dressers.

[alruin · 1/10 · 19 January 2022]

Oh common. This flick is garbage. People call it cult because it's the first Woo USA movie, blah blah blah. The story is garbage, JcVd is garbage, female protagonist has only 1 facial expression (eyes and mouth wide open), Henriksen is such an ultimate wannabe bad ass he becomes a clown. If you wanna see bullets flying around watch full metal jacket or platoon. The only interesting thing about this movie is Revell's OST.

Van Dammes best action movie ever.

[martymaster · 21 January 2002]

This is Van Dammes best action movie,and by action I mean a movie where there is shooting and acting,not just fighting. The movie is directed by John Woo which is one of the best action directors out there. The movie is entertaining from beginning to end.

Quick Reviews!!

[malkane316 · 7/10 · 6 May 2005]

Notable mainly for being John Woo's first Western film after his massive success and excellent films in China. All his trademarks are here- slow motion action, stylish violence, tough but quiet male characters, and a ruthless bad guy. It is not up the standards of his early work, or as good as Broken Arrow, but with a strong cast it remains a solid action movie and very entertaining for people who like this sort of thing.

Van Damme stars as Chance, a tough drifter looking for some work. He sees a young woman being mugged by a gang of crooks and wades in, destroys them without breaking a sweat, and leaves. The young woman, Natasha, played by Yancy Butler is in town trying to find her father who has disappeared. She decides to hire Chance as a protector and help her find her father. They find out that he was homeless and in an attempt to gain some quick cash entered himself in a deadly game run by local sadist Emil Fouchan- Lance Henricksen. He has a team of criminals who are taking advantage of the lax policing in the area, and they hunt helpless humans for sport. He gives his victim the chance to get to a certain point in the city while he chases them with a gun. This is what happened to Natasha's father, and when Chance becomes involved we know there is going to be fireworks.

Henriksen here hams everything as the bad guy but is still very good and enjoyable to watch. Van Damme tries to more cool than any of his previous roles and Woo certainly gets good results from him. Butler is excellent as Natasha and steals most scenes, and the rest of the cast is adequate. The action is not as stylish as other Woo films, and we get the sense he is easing his way onto the Western audience. There are some wonderfully over-the-top scenes though, and everything works well. The simple story is also effective, leaving room for the main draw- guns, kicks, explosions, and killings.

7.5 out of 10

Such a nostalgia fun

[ivanmessimilos · 7/10 · 24 January 2021]

Since I grew up on action movies in the nineties, and Schwarzenegger was a deity to me, films like this were something I exclusively watched and swallowed. Van Damme was not number one, but he was very close and I had to watch his every movie. Now I'm looking at this again and it's clear to me that it's too over the top, the amount of bullets is epic, some scenes border on comedy, like the scene when Damme hits a snake or when one character is first shot and hit with a high kick and continues to shot him, but still I watch this through imaginary nostalgic pink glasses, so I can't consider movies like this bad. I even think these were super hero movies of the 1990s. The film is exactly in the style of its time (action of the nineties) and director (Woo). A loud movie full of gunfire, explosions and slow motion. Add blood, dangerous and ruthless villains and one of the best action stars - Van Damme, and you get an exceptional fun cocktail. I recommend this cocktail when you are ready for a loud party.

Directors make the difference

[Coventry · 7/10 · 16 May 2023]

There certainly wasn't a shortage of action movies, and - by extension - action movie heroes, during the first half of the nineties. Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bruce Willis, Steven Seagal, Wesley Snipes, Dolph Lundgren, Sylvester Stallone, ... They all brightly colored my own personal teenage years with their action blockbusters, but only a handful of those still look top-notch and dazzling today.

One of them is "Hard Target" and, no, it's not because of Van Damme's adorable curly hair or because someone had the brilliant idea to set the story in New Orleans so that his thick French accent make sense. It's largely thanks to the man in the driver seat; - John Woo and his visionary filming style and value-adding trademarks. Woo's first Hollywood adventure isn't as great as his Hong-Kong classics starring Chow Yun-Fat (notably "The Killer") but he nonetheless brings out the best in what usually are mediocre actors, like Van Damme and Arnold Vosloo. And someone like Lance Henriksen is even more phenomenal than he usually is.

The plot certainly won't win any prizes for originality. "Hard Target" is another interpretation of the legendary 1932 milestone "The Most Dangerous Game" (see also: "Blood Camp Thatcher", "Deadly Prey", "Surviving the Game", "The Women Hunt", ...) in which hunting on human preys is turned into a sport for the elite. The film differentiates itself by the fierce and masterful action sequences, including shootouts with massive firepower, dazzling motorcycle stunts, kickboxing techniques in slow-motion, venomous snake traps, and fireworks in a Mardi Grass warehouse. Deliberate or not, John Woo also portrays a marvelous slice of biting social satire. In a grim city like New Orleans, nobody cares to help a dying homeless man, and his assailants mustn't even fear any witnesses.

Jeez.. This is bad. With a few good laughs though.

[stellan-sjolin · 2/10 · 24 January 2022]

Stuff like shoot a guy 10 times, THEN kick him in the head. Random backflips during gunfights. EVERYTHING explodes in sparkly fireworks when you shoot it. Especially papir mache dolls. What might be the most epic mullet hair cut ever, of course combined with a black coat with legendary shoulder pads. Punch a snake in the head and bite of its tail.

They don't make em like this anymore, that's certain. If that is a good or a bad thing, uncertain.

One of the greatest my personal favorite best action John Woo-Van-Damme action style movie!

[ivo-cobra8 · 10/10 · 1 January 2018]

Hard Target (1993) is one of the greatest and the best action packed movie in a John Woo-Van-Damme Style! Of all Van Damme movies this one of his, is the best of Van Damme ever and I absolutely love it to death. Like the title says Don't hunt what you can't kill. It is my John Woo's number 1 personal favorite action flick of all time, that I love to death. It is also one one of my personal favorite action films of all time.

"Don't hunt what you can't kill."

The thrill of the hunt. It's the ultimate drug, and the more intense the rush, the higher the price. International superstar Jean-Claude Van Damme teams up with world-famous action director John Woo for this electrifying thriller Van Damme is the target of an evil mercenary (Lance Henriksen) who recruits homeless combat veterans for the "amusement" of his clients - bored tycoons who will pay a half a million dollars to stalk and kill the most challenging prey of them all: Man. Laced with dark humor and slam-packed with electrifying action Hard Target is a must see for action fans.

Hard Target is not only my John Woo favorite film, it is also my Jean-Claude Van Damme favorite best action film from my favorite action star. I put this film over Die Hard, this is my Die Hard movie. I love that the stunts were realistic I think that John Woo didn't allow Van Damme to make his own stunts and it is a shame that Jean-Claude Van Damme *beep* up his chance with John Woo by making on another film. It is Van Damme's ego fault. Still they don't make movies like this.

I heard that there is Driector's cut somewhere on DVD that I have never saw, I own this film on Blu-ray in my John Woo collection and I still love it. The stunts are crazy, the action are spectacular. Van Damme catching a snake wow incredible. (at one point, a movie's typical crazy stuntman; firing the Beretta 92FS 9mm while standing on the seat of a motorcycle and crashes in to the car.) Still the motorcycle chase sequence is my favorite scene in the film.

Van Damme "launches thousands of bullets, slugs, and explosive projectiles into THIRTY of mercenary tycoons baddies." Arnold Vosloo is also underrated actor who plays Pik van Cleef he did a really pretty good job as the villain and Fouchon second mercenary henchman. Possibly best role for him. "I don't get angry. I'm a professional." I love this movie the action is delivered perfectly. Honestly I love Arnold Vosloo more in this movie than Lance Henriksen and I love his character Pik van Cleef.

The trill of the hunt. It's the ultimate drug and the more intense the rush, the higher the price. Hard target was the film is saw as a teen when I was 18, I couldn't saw it as a kid I really don't know, it was never on TV and I have never seen a VHS cover in a video store. I didn't even know that movie exists.

Hard Target is a 1993 action film that marked the US directorial debut of acclaimed Hong Kong director John Woo, who brought out his Asian style of action to Western cinema.

10/10 for me I love this movie to death, It is my number 1 favorite action film.

Check out his Mullet!!!

[damianphelps · 6/10 · 1 September 2020]

A retelling of The Most Dangerous Game.

I was excited when this movie was coming out, JCVD was doing pretty well and we were all aware of the talent of John Woo.

The action is pretty good, the acting is what you would expect.

And there is sooo much posing in this movie, its fantastic, even the bullets and shotgun shells pose as they fly across the screen in super slow motion.

Put your brain in neutral, have some drinks and a bit of fun!

Van Damme is back...and sporting a hairdo that is more of a hair don't!

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 16 November 2021]

"Hard Target" is a very enjoyable mindless film...but it's also one of the silliest Jean Claude Van Damme films you can find. This is because the stunts go beyond amazing to the point of simply being impossible...again and again and again. Add to that that the filmmakers apparently knew absolutely nothing about gun physics and you have a truly schlocky movie. You'll see things like folks being shot with a shotgun flying 10-20 feet, thousands of machine gun bullets flying at Jean Claude van Damme without hitting him and too many other ridiculous stunts to mention here. But, in an odd way it is entertainingly goofy.

The story begins with a woman looking for her missing father. When she can't get anywhere, she enlists the help of Chance Boudreaux (the Van Damme-meister). Soon he uncovers something weird (and stolen from the classic short story "The Most Dangerous Game")...a baddie (Lance Henriksen) offering rich folks the chance to hunt homeless vets! Can Chance manage to survive DOZENS of baddies armed with machine guns and other hi-tech weapons mostly on his own...with an assist from, of all people, Wilfred Brimley!!!! Yes, THAT Wilford Brimley!!

To say this film is ludicrous is an understatement. It's like saying the sky is blue...of course it is! But if you want a film with a zillion explosions (and stuff seem to explode with the least provocation) and bullets, then this film is for you.

By the way, Lance Henriksen is great as usual and I think the film could have benefitted from more of him. He's one of the mostly frighteningly cold character actors alive and I found him more enjoyable to watch than Van Damme.

Up there with Die Hard a true action classic

[richalexh · 10/10 · 20 August 2000]

John Woo's first u.s film is a hugely underrated hugely enjoyable action thriller beautiflly shot and bursting with style this is certainly Van Damme's best film and in my books is at the top of the action genre. It's a sort of updating of 1930's thriller The Most Dangerous Game. It centres around a women searching for her father in New Orleans who enlists the help of tough cajun chance boudreux i don't wanna say any more about the plot cos i don't wanna give to much away.this is the part of Van Damme's career when his acting wasn't too bad, the rest of the cast are mostly a solid bunch of unknowns who prove they've got what it takes to make this a tight well made thriller. Lance Henriksen is great as Fouchon and Arnold Vosloo equally as good as accomplice Van cleef. Even though in my opinion this is Woo's best u.s film it took him 2 more attempts to breakthrough into the Hollywood mainstream in which he finally struck gold with Face/Off. Hard Target comes out a dark action thriller packed with a superb blend of martial arts shootouts and explosions. I recommend this to any 1 weather your an action junkie, die hard van damme fan or just a general film buff. Up there with Die Hard this is a true action classic

Not Woo's best here, but it could've been worse (and better)

[twolanebl · 7/10 · 2 July 2002]

John Woo, after striking gold in action cinema in Hong Kong, came to Hollywood in the early 1990s in search of success here. His first film, Hard Target, came out in 1993, to minimal critical and popular success. Many criticized Woo, and it took him over 3 years to put out another movie, Broken Arrow (1996). It wasn't all Woo's fault. For one, during filming, Jean Claude Van Damme wouldn't listen to his directing. Yancy Butler once said: "John would tell him to use the guns, but Jean would just go back to kicking." Woo found interesting ways to counteract this, and invented a awesome combo of martial arts and gunplay. Woo finished principle photography, then the movie was edited and submitted to MPAA for rating. The movie was issued a NC-17. Woo wasn't happy, but agreed to trim down some of the violence, and that he did. The movie was reissued, but still not refused. Universal Studios then took the film, cut it themselves, not trying to fight the MPAA, and released it. Some violence was trimmed (more arrow hits in Binder's death and some people being shot more than shown), and a sex scene was removed as well. The movie is still Jean Claude's best and one of Woo's best. The martial arts scenes are excellent, as is the gunplay. Jean Claude has one of the greatest stunts in history involving a truck, a motorcycle, and a flip. As for the plot, nothing special, just a new version of "The Most Dangerous Game." Good acting from Van Damme (!), Butler, and Lance H. make it easier to swallow as well. All in all, it gets

Seven outta Ten.

P.S. Here's to hoping they release a director's cut DVD!

Watchable, but my god it's cheesy

[jimbo-53-186511 · 5/10 · 17 September 2014]

Natasha Binder (Yancy Butler)returns to New Orleans to track down her father Douglas Binder (Chuck Pfarrer). She becomes concerned for his welfare when she discovers that he has stopped writing to her. Natasha files a missing persons report on her father, but finds that she hits a brick wall because her father was of no fixed abode. Due to a combination of being unfamiliar with the area and not knowing where to start looking for her father, Natasha decides to employ the services of out of work sailor Chance Boudreaux (Jean-Claude Van Damme) who had rescued her earlier from a bunch of street punks. Chance agrees to help her, but initially the reason is only so that he can pay his debt to the boat company. However, the more that Chance and Natasha learn about her father's disappearance the more dangerous it becomes for both of them and they quickly find that there is more to his disappearance than a simple missing persons enquiry.

This is another example of a film that you will enjoy more if you just switch off your brain and don't think about it. The story isn't entirely original and the narrative is unclear and messy - once you learn who they're pursuing, why they pursue them and the money involved to participate you may well end up scratching your head. Hard Target is also predictable and isn't as gritty or tense as the premise will have you believe. Having said all that if you take it as it is and don't think about the above things too much then there is enjoyment to be found here.

That being said, where this film is at its best is in other technical areas; the martial arts scenes are well choreographed and very stylish, the direction is very crisp and for the most part the set pieces were great to watch (even though a lot of these set pieces were totally ridiculous). The film moves along at a brisk pace and I'll admit that I was never bored whilst watching this film.

One thing this film is guilty of being is Cheesy - I'm unsure whether this is the effect that Woo was striving for, but come on!!! An early scene shows Van Damme appearing in the middle of the road (as if from nowhere complete with cheesy music). Then later he appears from behind a moving vehicle again with obligatory cheesy music. I was waiting for Clint Eastwood to appear in the next scene complete with poncho, cow boy hat and Cigar. It all sounds bad and it was, but I think that it was so bad that it was good - I found it to be funny/stupid rather than annoying/stupid.

The acting was pretty shoddy (with the possible exception of Lance Henriksen). Wilford Brimley was pretty good fun as Chance's Uncle Douvee but sadly he wasn't given much screen time. Arnold Vosloo was OK as the Henchman, but he seemed to have an accent that came and went at will.

All in all, it's not a bad film and as far as entertainment goes it's great, but the reason I've given it half marks is because the story is weak, unoriginal and predictable and the acting for the most part was laughable. Worth watching if you're an action/martial arts fan or a John Woo fan, but for anyone else you may want to look elsewhere .