This is a film that represents a wasted opportunity. It has a good story and features some semi big names (Dennis Hopper, Christopher Lambert and Diane Kruger). The problems were writing, direction and editing. The screenplay has too much "dead time" in it. And it's not edited very tightly either. The last half of the film takes place in a remote village and a lot of time is spent "reflecting" and just sitting around. I feel that the time could have been spent doing exposition work. There's also a problem where when Lambert's character has been knocked out by the bad guy, it's hard to tell what he was dreaming vs what was actually happening. Diane Kruger provides some eye candy, but adds very little else to the film. Hopper's a better actor than Lambert, but not much and acting Ian't this film's strong suit either. Overall, in other hands and with perhaps a more vibrant cast, this could have been a good film. By far it's strongest point is the beautiful scenery (yes, including Kruger).

I don't know what the other reviewers were expecting going into this movie. One look at the DVD case or a minute of screen time reveals that this movie was not made on a Hollywood budget.....And as far as struisenburg's review, he was obviously half asleep for the duration of the movie as each question he poses was indeed answered. Perhaps it'd be better to watch it next time with your hand not on the FF button...I was reminded of the fun b-action movies of the 1970s and 80s. The Target may be nothing ground-breaking, but as an action/crime buff I thoroughly enjoyed it. Dennis Hopper is a pleasure to watch as an aging criminal accountant forced to flee Capetown for the rural simplicity of his childhood village. All the while pursued by a crime boss with a mysterious mystical side. The first section of the film is an effective urban action/crime flick, and the remainder is part a genuinely charming rediscovery of life, and part Western. Production values are not the highest, though they were able to snag some big names. Still, all the acting was effective if not exceptional. The location is the real star of the film. Having never been to South Africa I can't address the complaints of its residents, however I thought the scenery was beautiful and the culture was an interesting twist on a story that could just as well have taken place in New York. I was reminded of the It's easy to rip apart a movie like this. But if you're a fan of action or crime movies, appreciative of exotic settings, and willing to overlook some less than stellar production values, it'll be well worth your time...

Alex Laney (Christopher Lambert), a professional killer, is hired to be the bodyguard of Robert Nile (Dennis Hopper) in the City of Cape, in South Africa. Robert Nile is the witness of prosecution of Christ, a powerful gangster and practitioner of voodoo. Alex Laney has a personal drama: when he was a child, he saw his father and mother be killed by a gunman. The cover of the Brazilian DVD has a huge spoiler: tells the reader the end of the plot. Indeed, the beginning of this movie was promising, with some action. After thirty minutes, it becomes boring, predictable and mushy. What else could I expect from a film having the decadents Christopher Lambert and Dennis Hopper acting together? My vote is four.Title (Brazil): "O Guarda-Costa" ("The Bodyguard")

I rented this film expecting it to be like The Point Men, Vercingetorix and Lambert's latest crap films. But I was surprised it wasn't that bad. It runs at less then 90 minutes...although it can be a quite boring film (feels like 2 hours). The film tells the story of a rich lawyer (Dennis Hopper) who lives in South Africa and his life is in danger, some voodo/vodoo practicing crimelord wants him dead, so he (Hopper) brings in the help of Christopher Lambert to protect him. The film has a series of flashbacks which all make sense when you see the end of the film. There are some very beautiful shots of the South African landscape. I'll give this a 5.5/10, it's better then the latest turkeys Lambert has released on video lately and if you always thought of going to South Africa...this film might convince you to go.