"Hard Target" is one of many Jean-Claude Van Damme films Hollywood calls action-thrillers. One can think of three reasons to watch this film. None have anything to do with great plots or even very good screenplays. Nor do they relate to good acting, or interesting subject matter. The three reasons are the special effects from all the action and carnage, the far out story, and the horrendous characters whom the hero has to fight. This film has all three of those. The five stars I give the film are based mostly on the pyrotechnic special effects and the varied sets. As with most "Vandasy" films, this one starts very slowly and tries to build a case for the hero to have a cause to go after the bad guys. That's usually a drag, because everyone knows the reason for watching the film is all the wild action that will fill that last quarter or third or more of the film. And the usual obvious implausibilities are present in "Hard Target" as well. An army of bad guys guns down Elijah in the middle of a busy New Orleans street. And all the people who ducked for cover when the shooting starts all of a sudden are gone. A whole street in a commercial area is deserted in broad daylight when Randall Poe tries to leave town and Pik blasts him off. All of the bad guys are terrible shots and can't hit the side of a barn. Of course, Van Damme gets lots of exercise in as Chance Boudreaux. He especially hones his gymnastic skills in this one with his running and leaping somersaults, jumps and rings. This film has a usual dose of gruesomeness in some of the killings. But, this is the type of film that one wouldn't label as a possible influence for violent behavior of teens. That's because the fighting and battling scenes are so outlandish and unreal. As with other Van Damme films, this one has lots of fire and fireworks. And really ugly, nasty, bad guys who, one is pleased to know even before it happens, will be rubbed out by Van Damme.

Let me start by saying that this is one of my favorite films, of Van Damme I consider this a true action classic.Director John Woo was the right choice for the film, he's style of film-making is cool and unique and for his first American feature he did a hell of a good job.I'm just going to go into what I liked on the film.Where do I begin, well just about every action sequence in the picture I liked, but most notably is the warehouse at the end.Overall a cool action film that I consider a classic.I give it an 8/10. If your a fan of Van Damme and never seen this give it a look. Highly recommended.

John Woo's action direction helped lift this above the typical a B-martial arts film. Jean Claude Van Damme plays Chance Boudreaux, ex-Force Recon Marine and out of work sailor, is looking for a way to make the money he needs to pay his union dues. Natasha Binder (Yancy Butler) is an out of towner who comes to the Big Easy looking for father. Natasha makes the mistake of showing the cash she is carrying while looking for directions, leading to a local gang to try to violently rob her. Chance rescues her and she employs him as a bodyguard and guide for the search. It's not long before they run afoul of a crooked man-hunting game targeting homeless combat vets like Natasha's father operated by Emil Fuchon (Lance Henriksen) and Pik Van Cleef (Arnold Vosloo). Probably the best movie in Van Damme's filmography aside from Double Impact and Kickboxer.

Any kind of killing is wrong as everybody deserves to live. Whether it is the killing of an innocent lion Cecil by Walter Palmer or some rich human beings killing other less fortunate human beings, killing in any form is not only unethical but also highly reprehensible. In 'Hard Target', the very act of 'killing' becomes the backdrop of a story about how some ruthless human killers are brought to ruin by a clever fighter who outsmarts them in every possible manner. This is a film about intelligent people. Some intelligent villains who use all their cunning in recruiting innocent victims for their sadistic pleasure. Poverty is a curse for human society. It is evident here in full force as poor homeless people are trapped by rich people to sacrifice their lives for a handsome amount of money. The screenplay of this film has been written by former Vietnam war veteran Chuck Pfarrer. He also plays an important role in this film as a homeless tramp whose killing triggers a flurry of additional killing where evil plans of some corrupt rich denizens of New Orleans are revealed. Wild Target is a pure entertainer where free flow of adrenaline is clearly visible. Watching this film, one would feel as if a viewers is compelled to watch a high speed game of chess where moves have to be made quickly with great reflection. Wild Target would go down in history book as Hong Kong director John Woo's debut film. He doesn't disappoint as he has been successful in blending an existential theme with a contemporary topic whose relevance is of immense use to all of us.