Unfortunately, “Hard Target’s” script is too schematic, populated with standard thug villains. By now, Lance Henriksen has played so many cold-blooded heavies that just his appearance suggests all there is to know about his deviant , nefarious venture. The tale’s social subtext, pitting the rich hunters against victims willing to bet their lives against a $ 10,000 prize, also gets lost.
Ultimately, “Hard Target” is a compromised work, a stylistic hybrid of the American and Hong Kong action pix.
But compared with American action directors, Woo’s distinctiveness is still in evidence. He is a virtuoso at staging and editing intricate set pieces as seamless choreography — with precision, visual inventiveness and humor.
The pacing, in fact, is so fast that Woo manages to cover Van Damme’s usual inexpressiveness. While Van Damme’s line delivery is still stiff, Woo helps his star display his specialty — high-powered martial arts skills — with greater panache and stylization than before.
“Hard Target” is far superior to Van Damme’s last two outings, “Nowhere to Run” and “Universal Soldier,” and it may also be the first pic in which he doesn’t narcissistically bare his body.
The casting of Yancy Butler as the ingenue is inexplicable. Lacking screen presence or charm, she gives an embarrassing perf.
In contrast, character actor Wilford Brimley brings offbeat humor to his role as Van Damme’s salty Cajun uncle.
The disjointed storytelling, occasional chopped editing and uneven performances undermine what could have been a much better picture. But “Hard Target” still packs a lot of punch and, by American action standards, contains some strikingly impressive set pieces. Woo stages major action sequences in the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter and, for the climax, moves to a huge dark warehouse packed with Mardi Gras floats.
Tech credits are polished in every department. Still, what’s missing from “Hard Target” is Woo’s poetic style and hyper-kinetic force, his visceral jaw-dropping stunts that are as gracefully elegant as balletic movement.
Hard Target
- Production:A Universal release of an Alphaville/Renaissance production. Produced by James Jacks and Sean Daniel. Executive producers, Moshe Diamant, Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert. Co-producers, Chuck Pfarrer, Terence Chang. Directed by John Woo. Screenplay, Pfarrer.
- Crew:Camera (Deluxe color), Russell Carpenter; editor, Bob Murawski; music, Graeme Revell; production design, Phil Dagort; art direction, Philip Messina; set decoration, Michele Poulik; costume design, Karyn Wagner; sound (Dolby), Al Rizzo, Kenny Delbert; special effects coordinator, Dale Martin; special sound effects, John Pospisil; stunt coordinator, Billy Burton; associate producer, Eugene Van Varenberg; assistant director, Dennis Maguire. Reviewed at the Writers Guild Theater, Beverly Hills, Aug. 11, 1993. MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 94 min.
- With:Chance Boudreaux - Jean-Claude Van DammeFouchon - Lance HenriksenVan Cleaf - Arnold VoslooNatasha Binder - Yancy ButlerCarmine - Kasi LemmonsDouvee - Wilford BrimleyMr. Lopacki - Bob ApisaBinder - Chuck PfarrerFrick - Douglas Forsythe RyeFrack - Michael D. LeinertElijah Roper - Willie Carpenter
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