Hard Target
Synopsis
Natasha Binder comes to New Orleans looking for her father, who has gone missing. In doing so, she meets a very hard man called Chance. He helps her find out that her father was killed by an organisation who sell the opportunity to hunt human prey. They are taking advantage of a police strike in New Orleans. Will the Muscles from Brussels win through?
Cast
Popular reviews
More-
"Poor people get bored too"
This is worth five stars for Van Damme's epic mullet alone.
-
Before now, I had never seen a JCVD movie, unless you count Expendables 2 which was the only thing I saw from him. I was impressed that the guy was still kicking ass past 50 and not even break a sweat so I said to myself "Damn, if this guy's a badass now, I can only imagine how awesome he was in his prime."
After seeing this film, I realized he wasn't just awesome...
he was fucking lethal.This guy not only deserves a BAMF wallet; he needs a BAMF license plate. The kicks man. Van Damme. Damn man. That guy is simply lethal. Thanks a lot to him, the action is great. It's so good that it did what…
-
My Review of Hard Target:
"Wilford Brimley holding a bow in the air, outrunning a fireball on a horse."
-
While the latter half of his Hollywood career may have petered out into utter mediocrity, it is sometimes forgotten that the first half of it started out as an understated success courtesy of the one-two punch of Broken Arrow and Hard Target.
Looking back, it was the right way for Woo to start off. Easing him in to the Hollywood system with a largely simple action film concept, an action star at the top of his game, and a reliable character actor playing the lead villain was a masterstroke. Hard Target ends up being not an interesting side-note in Woo's career as a whole, but actually one of his better films.
The main plot sees Van Damme saving Yancy Butler…
-
Knockout action flick, with skilled direction from John Woo, a good pace that never lets ups, badass Van Damme making for a likeable hero and some ultra-cool slow-mo shots (Woo trademark). Definitely one of my favourite Van Damme films, along with Sudden Death and Universal Soldier.
-
It takes awhile to get there, but the final 40 minutes or so is pure crazy fun John Woo while he was still able to bring the goods. The Woo directed Van Damage really is top notch in this and isn't that why you're watching this movie in the first place?
Recent reviews
More-
It takes awhile to get there, but the final 40 minutes or so is pure crazy fun John Woo while he was still able to bring the goods. The Woo directed Van Damage really is top notch in this and isn't that why you're watching this movie in the first place?
-
"... and tell that bitch girlfriend of yours to point her titties north and step on the gas!"
Not all Van Damme movies are created equal. This one features outrageous accents, mullets, doves, motorcycles, explosions and Wilford Brimley. It was also directed by John Woo and executive produced by Sam Raimi. Need I say more?
-
Van Damme has a Cajun mullet and punches a rattlesnake in the face. Also he kicks lots of people in the head, including a man riding toward him on a motorcycle. This pretty much sums up the entire movie, Van Damme killing people down in Nawleans.
Don't think that means this movie isn't awesome, because it certainly is just that. It has all the hallmarks of John Woo Hong Kong action film. Lots of doves, gun fights, and slow motion. It's not nearly as good as Hard Boiled or The Killer but it is a great early nineties action film, in fact it well represents everything that fans of action films love about that era. The New Orleans setting is…
-
I checked the time only once during Hard Target, when I wanted to reassure myself it wasn't close to concluding. I can't believe it took me twenty years to finally see this. The only thing more amazing than the action choreography is Van Damme's oily mullet. A half star lost only due to Wilford Brimley's terrible and annoying performance as a cajun tracker.
-
Not a lot of John Woo in this movie, other than some parts of the final action sequence that mainly serve to remind of how great HARD-BOILED (made the previous year) was and of course the ever-present and otherwise inexplicable slow-motion doves flying. Mostly it seems to me like Woo's trying his best to make a Hollywood film, rather than using Hollywood's resources to make a John Woo film.
I do see the Buster Keaton comparison with Van Damme, he really does have a great stone face. But Woo doesn't give him all that much to do as a physical actor, and humor has never been one of Woo's strengths. The scene with the snake is a highlight though. And Lance Henrikson is great as Action Movie Villain. A role he was born to play.
-
Lance Henriksen is a national treasure.
-
Lance Henriksen has a business where rich people pay him for the opportunity to hunt down and kill homeless people, but when some girl gets a mulleted Jean-Claude Van Damme involved, there’s a whole lot of slow motion hell to pay. This is a perfect action movie, with plenty of violent ass-kicking, way-over-the-top style, and Wilford Brimley with a Cajun accent. Henriksen is unbelievable. He understands what it means to be a talented actor in a John Woo movie, and he plays it perfectly, and even does his own fire stunt. He is set on fire, and continues to act, while appearing to be sopping wet due to the protective gel (a fine example of the kind of choices action…
-
My thoughts on the film, as told through tweets:
JCVD's mullet is fucking mighty. Business in the front, cajun in the back.
Van Damme just punched a rattlesnake. Wilford Brimley is his uncle. John Woo is the greatest.
-
In a world of unnecessary spin kicks, Jean Claude Van Damme is king. (Even if he does have the worst hair cut in Hard Target known to mankind). Basically Lance Henriksson is running a homeless culling scheme, when they accidentally try to cull Van Damme by mistake. Jean Claude then just has to boot his way to victory (or not...(to avoid spoilers)). Entertaining garbage.