Hard Target

All business in the front and a party in the back

Hard Target is maybe Jean-Claude Van Damme's cheesiest movie. He sleepwalks his way through every non-action scene and John Woo does his best with one of the weakest scripts he has ever been given. The problem with this movie is that the plot is unbelievable in almost every way possible. It seems like every homeless person in New Orleans is an ex-special forces soldier. It plays out like a more over the top version of Hostel but with less gore, shittier story, and worse acting.

The two things this movie had going for it was the fact that John Woo directed and the presence of Lance Henriksen. Woo does a great job with all of the action scenes in the movie and knows exactly how to bring real kinetic energy to each action scene. Most of the scenes are completely over the top but they are really awesome and each scene is bigger than the last. Woo might not be able to evoke great acting performances from his actors but he is able to craft engaging action scenes almost as if they come as second nature to him. Henriksen is simply a BOSS, in his role as the main bad guy in this movie. His character created this organization where they are hired by multimillionaires to organize the hunt of a skilled human being. It might seem corny, and it is, but Henriksen knows how to play a bad guy and keep the character in the realm of possibility.

This is a mediocre example of what John Woo is capable of as a director. JCVD does nothing but chew up the scenery in this movie and contributes very little to the overall movie. Henriksen does a good job with his part and is the best aspect of the movie. This is a 5/10 and is simply a very mediocre 90s action movie.