Review of Hard Target (1993) by Luke P — 17 Jul 2009
Few can pull off the mullet hairstyle and not end up looking like some kind of in-bred gypsy. Pat Sharp (of "Fun House" fame) did it. Michael Bolton did it. But few did it better or with as much aplomb as Jean Claude Van Damme in his greatest film, Hard Target.
It is also the US debut of Hong Kong's finest export John Woo. It's full of his stylistic flourishes; lots and lots of slow motion, balletic shoot-outs and, of course, doves. Van Damme plays Chance Boudreaux (I may name my child that) and is given plenty of opportunity to kick ass, often in slow motion.
He defies gravity with some awesome spin kicks and even punches out a rattlesnake! You know your a badass when you can punch out a rattlesnake! Lance "Bishop" Henriksen and Arnold "Imhotep" Vosloo make for excellent villains, and Van Damme even has an eccentric French hillbilly uncle! It all leads to a typically Woo-like final shootout in a warehouse full of disused Mardi Gras floats.
Arrows are fired, people get shot, things explode, Van Damme flips through the air. Basically, this movie is great. The most fun i've had in ages while watching a film. Woo's a action poet and Van Damme can kick ass with the best of them.
Combine those two elements and you've got yourself a chunk of action heaven. Don't hunt what you can't kill!
This review of Hard Target (1993) was written by Luke P on 17 Jul 2009.
Hard Target has generally received positive reviews.
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