Hard Target (Widescreen)

I recommend this film only to action fans, particularly those who enjoy the bullet-ballet genre, mostly associated with John Woo. There isn't much here for people who enjoy a splendid Jane Austen film.

Furthermore, if anyone is a fan of this film and you haven't already done so, check out the classic Dolph Lundgren film "Joshua Tree", AKA "Army of One" (released by Artisan Entertainment, and a terrible DVD by the way). It is directed by veteran hollywood stuntman Vic Armstrong. It contains one of the best shoot-outs ever and a great car chase. The shoot-out is very reminisent of John Woo.

For the die-hard fans, purchase the Uncut Pal version from Amazon.co.uk or even Region 4 (Australia), it's absolutely rockin! The 3 minutes of extended action raise the film to the ludicrous heights set by Commando in the 80's. Do yourself a favour and get it on Region 2 or Region 4, you won't be dissapointed. I'm fairly certain the 116 minute version will never see the light of day on anything other than a crappy bootleg VCD, but suppossedly most of the extra 20 minutes is an ear-slicing scene and sex and conversations.

By the way, Lance Henriksen and Arnold Vosloo are two of the best villians ever! Right up there with Vernon Wells from both Mad Max 2 the Road Warrior and Commando.

After getting fired as the monster in "Predator," Van Damme broke into cinema with his star turn in "Kickboxer." Or maybe it was "Bloodsport." Big difference. Somehow, Hollywood deemed him "successful," and he graduated to big-budget fare like "Universal Soldier" and that one flick with Patricia Arquette on a farm, where Ted Levine played a bad guy (shocker).

Around the same time, John Woo got sick of working with Chow Yun-Fat, and decided to quit making Hong-Kong-style action flicks in Hong Kong, and make Hong-Kong-style action flicks in America instead.

The two men joined forces, and with Yancy (hic) Butler as the heroine, perpetrated "Hard Target" upon us all.

In a casting/dialogue-coaching stroke of genius, Van Damme is enlisted to play a Cajun named Chance. When asked about the origin of his moniker, he cryptically replies "Mi'mamma Too Kwan." Exactly who this Kwan character is supposed to be, we never learn. Maybe it's a deleted scene with a martial arts master, or something (I'm guessing James Hong played him. James Hong ALWAYS plays guys named "Kwan").

Rounding out the cast is Lance Henriksen, who can check off another entry in his "the movie stunk, but Lance Henriksen was cool" list.

"Hard Target" is basically an urbanized re-telling of "the Most Dangerous Game," where bad guys hunt the good guy. "Surviving the Game," the one with Ice-T, is better. Sort of.

At least "Hard Target" treats us to a scene where two characters shoot at each other from opposite sides of a row of windows...with nary a scratch. It's even funnier than Chance's mullet. On second thought, NOTHING is funnier than Chance's mullet.

The staggering box-office results from "Hard Target" paved the way for such Van Damme classics as "Sudden Death" and...uh..."Friends" -- while Woo busted blocks with "Windtalkers" and "Paycheck."

And I saw this in the THEATER.