Hard Target is legendary Hong Kong action director John Woo’s American debut, and it has all of the pulse-pounding action that would suggest.
Action films have an unfortunate habit of relying on stars rather than directors, writers or stories. Moviegoers were not enthusiastic about buying tickets to the film based on its plot. They were just standing in line for the latest Schwarzenegger, Stallone or Van Damme car. John Woo is a rare exception, but even he needed star power to achieve worldwide fame. His American debut “Hard Target” shows what he can do with a JCVD in hand.
John Woo is one of the most influential action directors of all time. He pioneered the “heroic bloodshed” genre, introducing gong fu to audiences around the world. It still works.
About Hard Target:
Jean-Claude Van Damme plays Chance Boudreau, an elite soldier, former sailor and current homeless man on the mean streets of New Orleans. Chance is a martial artist with almost superhuman strength and skill. His talents will come in handy when he meets Natasha Binder. Chance saves Natasha from a gang of thugs with several roundhouse kicks. Natasha hires Chance as her guide and bodyguard in the search for her missing father. Natasha’s father Douglas had a lot in common with Chance. He was a homeless ex-soldier with no money who disappeared inexplicably.
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Natasha’s father became a victim of one of Fouchon’s hunts. While Chance and Natasha hone in on Fuchon’s man-hunting activities, he and his right-hand man plan to escape. Chance quickly becomes hopeless, but when his homeless veteran friend becomes the next victim, Chance must allow himself to be hunted in order to catch his victim. It’s a fast-paced action extravaganza that allows Van Damme to display his experience as both a confident killer and a cornered animal.
What isHard Targetbased on?
Hard Target is not a direct adaptation, but it is loosely inspired by Ernest B. Schoedsack’s 1932 film adaptation of Richard Connell’s short story “The Most Dangerous Game.” Like Hard Target, The Most Dangerous Game is about an omnicompetent superhuman being hunted for fun by a monstrously rich man. The film adaptation is the stated source material for Hard Target, but the original story has more in common with the 1993 film. The story follows big game hunter Sanger Rainsford, who finds himself in the possession of Count Zaroff.
Zaroff became bored with hunting jaguars in Africa and turned his attention to killing people. He created a ship trap island designed to cause sailors and captains to be dashed to pieces on sharp rocks. Rainsford is caught in a Trap Ship, but his mastery of stealth and simple traps allows him to survive. John Woo took the same basic concept, turned his character into a soldier rather than a hunter, and gave the lead role to Jean-Claude Van Damme.
How doesHard Targetend?
As soon as Chance and Natasha find out about the fate of Douglas Binder, Fouchon orders to execute everyone who participated in the operation. Chance becomes an empty end. When he investigates the death of the recruiter Fushon, they attack him and Binder. The people of Fuchon kill the friendly policeman working on this case, forcing Shansa and Natasha to run away. The team of hunters is in pursuit. With the help of Uncle Chance Clarence, the heroes lead the hunters to a fabulous location for the final battle.
They go to the “Mardi Gras cemetery”, where the old parade platforms are in a state of disrepair. Chance kills the people of Fushon one by one. The film ends with Chance, Natasha and Clarence leaving as winners.
Hard Target is everything he wants to become, and even more. This is a modern version of “The Most Dangerous Game”, the magnificent car of Jean-Claude Van Damme and the ideal beginning of the American era of John Woo. This is an absurd action movie that cinematographers don’t shoot anymore. Find Hard Target as soon as possible.