I've loved John Woo's films ever since I took a chance and bought my subtitled copy of "The Killer" for VHS (no bad dubbing jobs for me, thank you very much). The blood flew pretty close to what it probably does in real life, all actions had consequences, and nearly no one was a cardboard cutout. For years, I've been listening to folk grouse about "Hard Target" being a misfire, a mistake, or just simply not worthy of what came before (one of the most irritating examples they love to throw up is "Hard Boiled", a good, solid HK movie, but not up to the hype too many folks have given it). Curiousity finally got the better of me and I decided about four months ago to see for myself. What I came away with was the belief that this is a "doughnut" film, weak to non-existent center surrounded by strong elements all around (the original "Under Siege" is a similar such film).
But, before I go into the single biggest defect in this film, let's start with what the film got right. Chuck Pfarrar's script isn't too original (going back to that short story classic, "The Most Dangerous Game", in concept), but it carries the premise solidly and believably enough. The real New Orleans is a city of complicated and crooked political crosscurrents, which, with its surrounding bayous, makes it the ideal manhunting ground. Woo's direction captures the sense of the place very well, making it as much a character in the story as the human players (one could argue that he did the same for Hong Kong in his earlier films). Genre veteran Lance Hendrickson brings his patented smoky, suave menace to bear on the twisted "game warden" who's been organizing and making a killing, so to speak, off his inhuman enterprise. Not that he's without human qualities (his piano playing sequence and small smile of admiration for Roper's decision to take it from the front are the best examples), but definitely not a guy one invites to dinner. Arnold Vosloo, as his sociopathic second-in-command, Van Cleef, seems to relish the role, playing him as a svelte animal whose only joy in life comes from inflicting death, the messier the better. Future Witchblade Yancy Butler is a little too believably naive and helpless as the woman looking for her father and later his killers. That said, she does redeem herself with one memorable event towards the end that brings to mind a similar scene in "Hard Boiled". Finally, Wilford Brimley is a treat as the old Cajun moonshiner out to help his nephew at any cost. You gotta respect a guy who's willing to blow his own place up just to get the bad guys.
Perceptive readers may have already guessed where I've been going with this, but I'll say it anyway. The single biggest flaw in this film is its star, Jean-Claude Van Damme You All. This could have been the best film of his career...if he actually had any acting talent to begin with. It's a meaty role, a Cajun merchant marine who did time in the Marine Recon and now needs the cash of finding Butler's dad to get back to work. As written, he's tough, he's clever, he's likable. As played by Van Damme...well, let's just say that Woo did not get the Belgian equivalent of Chow Yun Fat. His accent, for once, isn't a problem, but his line readings are. He could have been reading a prescription bottle for all the emotion he put into them. Plus, he never manages to convince me that he's actually smart enough to come up with any of the very clever ways of offing the hunters that come into play. It makes his reported clashs with Woo over the film look even more petty than they already are (Woo probably found the MPAA more reasonable, by contrast). In short, he is the hole in the doughnut for this film.
It's really kind of sad that, but for one major flaw, this film could have become a classic of the action genre. Sadly, as things stand, it can only be called a missed opportunity.
But, before I go into the single biggest defect in this film, let's start with what the film got right. Chuck Pfarrar's script isn't too original (going back to that short story classic, "The Most Dangerous Game", in concept), but it carries the premise solidly and believably enough. The real New Orleans is a city of complicated and crooked political crosscurrents, which, with its surrounding bayous, makes it the ideal manhunting ground. Woo's direction captures the sense of the place very well, making it as much a character in the story as the human players (one could argue that he did the same for Hong Kong in his earlier films). Genre veteran Lance Hendrickson brings his patented smoky, suave menace to bear on the twisted "game warden" who's been organizing and making a killing, so to speak, off his inhuman enterprise. Not that he's without human qualities (his piano playing sequence and small smile of admiration for Roper's decision to take it from the front are the best examples), but definitely not a guy one invites to dinner. Arnold Vosloo, as his sociopathic second-in-command, Van Cleef, seems to relish the role, playing him as a svelte animal whose only joy in life comes from inflicting death, the messier the better. Future Witchblade Yancy Butler is a little too believably naive and helpless as the woman looking for her father and later his killers. That said, she does redeem herself with one memorable event towards the end that brings to mind a similar scene in "Hard Boiled". Finally, Wilford Brimley is a treat as the old Cajun moonshiner out to help his nephew at any cost. You gotta respect a guy who's willing to blow his own place up just to get the bad guys.
Perceptive readers may have already guessed where I've been going with this, but I'll say it anyway. The single biggest flaw in this film is its star, Jean-Claude Van Damme You All. This could have been the best film of his career...if he actually had any acting talent to begin with. It's a meaty role, a Cajun merchant marine who did time in the Marine Recon and now needs the cash of finding Butler's dad to get back to work. As written, he's tough, he's clever, he's likable. As played by Van Damme...well, let's just say that Woo did not get the Belgian equivalent of Chow Yun Fat. His accent, for once, isn't a problem, but his line readings are. He could have been reading a prescription bottle for all the emotion he put into them. Plus, he never manages to convince me that he's actually smart enough to come up with any of the very clever ways of offing the hunters that come into play. It makes his reported clashs with Woo over the film look even more petty than they already are (Woo probably found the MPAA more reasonable, by contrast). In short, he is the hole in the doughnut for this film.
It's really kind of sad that, but for one major flaw, this film could have become a classic of the action genre. Sadly, as things stand, it can only be called a missed opportunity.