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HARD
TARGET
AKA:
N/A
Year:
1993 Reviewer: Phil
Mills
Chance
Boudreaux (Van Damme) is an ex-army Cajun hired by Natasha
Binder (Butler) to help her locate her father. After
asking around they discover that he was in fact homeless and
employed by a local escort service to hand out flyers.
When they begin investigating the firm a secret organisation
is uncovered in which vagrants are used as hunting sporting
for the rich and famous. Unfortunately, Boudreaux is
soon exposed and becomes the next target but he is more than a
match for any man and the hunter becomes the hunted.
After
scoring another underground international hit with 'Hard
Boiled', Woo finally opened his Hollywood account with this
highly underrated action movie. Some say the minute that
he entered the American system of film making, the executive
expectations and money obsessed attitude forced him to make
predictable and glamorised rubbish. Perhaps this is true
of recent outings (see 'Mission
Impossible 2') but for me, 'Hard Target' remains his best
attempt at bringing a little old-school heroic bloodshed to a
mainstream audience.
Van
Damme was an unpopular choice as the lead for hardcore fans
expecting another Chow Yun Fat style collaboration but at the
time he was a booming star and had an established following so
he seemed like a wise selection. His performance,
although not Oscar-winning, is fun to watch and Woo's
directorial style gives his physical ability such a refreshing
outlook that even his biggest critics will be impressed.
Yancy Butler is placed alongside him and wins the award for
"biggest piece of wood" as, despite her limited
lines, only succeeds in looking like she has been placed in
front of the camera for the first time. Lance
Henrikson and Arnold Vosloo are the real show stealers,
providing genuine acting talent whilst delivering memorable
moments of evil as well as some of the winning lines.
For
the action sequences in this film it is immediately apparent
that Woo decided to create a sort of greatest hits selection
from his previous productions as he repeats numerous stunts
and ideas. However, this is certainly not a bad thing as
the increase in budget allows for more props to blow up with
the use of bigger explosions. Amongst the highlights
here are familiar dual gun sequences, high speed motorcycle
chases, a few fist fights and the introduction of a
crossbow-type gun that obviously made such an impression it
was even used in the logo and promotional material.
'Hard
Target' really was the film that introduced John Woo to a much
wider audience and allowed for countless imitation film makers
to learn from the works of a master. It's never going to
live up to the dizzy heights set by films like 'A
Better Tomorrow' or 'The
Killer' but as an action movie it was streets ahead of all
the competition and does exactly what it says on the box.
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