Action cinema has an unfortunate habit of relying on stars over directors, writers, or stories. Moviegoers didn’t excitedly buy tickets for a film based on its premise. They just queued up for the latest Schwarzenegger, Stallone, or Van Damme vehicle. John Woo is a rare exception, but even he needed star power to push him into worldwide fame. His American debut,Hard Target, shows what he can do with JCVD in tow.
John Woo is one of the most influential action directors of all time. Fans of everything fromThe MatrixtoJohn Wickhave him to thank. He pioneered the “heroic bloodshed” genre introducing gun fu to audiences worldwide. He’s still working today.He has a silent action film in post-productionset to release this year. His Hong Kong classics are well worth seeking out, but Woo immigrated to America in the early-90s, leading to a new era in his career.
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What isHard Targetabout?
Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as Chance Boudreaux, an elite soldier, former sailor, and current homeless man on the meanstreets of New Orleans. Chance is a martial artist with near-superhuman strength and skill. His talents come in handy when he meets Natasha Binder. Chance saves Natasha from a gang of thugs with a few spin kicks. Natasha hires Chance as her guide and bodyguard as she looks for her missing father. Natasha’s dad Douglas had a lot in common with Chance. He was a homeless former soldier with no money who disappeared inexplicably. As Chance and Natasha investigate, they discover that many people matching that description are vanishing recently.
Chance and Natasha discover Emil Fouchon, a reclusive billionaire sportsman with a despicable hobby. With the help of a seedy recruiter named Poe, Fouchon offers homeless veterans paltry sums of money to be consensually hunted for sport. Natasha’s dad was a victim of one of Fouchon’s hunts. As Chance and Natasha hone in on Fouchon’s human hunting operation, he and his right-hand man plan to cut and run. Chance swiftly becomes a loose end, but as a fellow homeless veteran friend of his becomes the next victim, Chance has to let himself be hunted to catch his prey. It’s a fast-paced action extravaganzathat allows Van Dammeto flex his expertise as both the confident killer and the cornered animal.
What isHard Targetbased on?
Hard Targetis not a direct adaptation, but it is heavily inspired by Ernest B. Shoedsack’s 1932 adaptation of Richard Connell’s short story “The Most Dangerous Game.” LikeHard Target, “The Most Dangerous Game” follows an omnicompetent superhuman being hunted for sport by a monstrous rich man. The film adaptation is the stated source material forHard Target, but the original short story has more in common with the 1993 film. The story follows big-game hunter Sanger Rainsford, who finds himself in the domain of Count Zaroff.
Zaroff grew bored with hunting jaguars in Africa and turned hisattention to killing humans. He created Ship-Trap Island, designed to trick sailors and captains into crashing against the sharp rocks. Rainsford winds up on Ship-Trap, but his mastery of stealth and simple traps allows him to survive. He’s forced to dive from a cliff, convincing Zaroff that Rainsford has committed suicide. Rainsford sneaks into Zaroff’s quarters, challenges him to a fair fight, and feeds the wealthy hunter to his own dogs.“The Most Dangerous Game” remains the cultural touchpoint for the idea of a rich monster hunting humans for sport.John Woo took thesame basic concept, turned his hero into a soldier instead of a hunter, and gave the lead role to Jean-Claude Van Damme.
How doesHard Targetend?
Once Chance and Natasha learn the fate of Douglas Binder, Fouchon starts having everyone involved in the operation executed. Chance becomes a loose end. As he investigates the death of Fouchon’s recruiter, he and Binder are attacked. Fouchon’s men kill a friendly cop working the case, forcing Chance and Natasha to flee. A team of hunters gives chase. With the help of Chance’s uncle Clarence, the heroes lead the hunters to a fabulous location for the final battle. They travel to the “Mardi Gras graveyard,” where old parade floats sit in disrepair. Chance kills Fouchon’s men one by one. Fouchon stabs Clarence with an arrow and takes Natasha hostage. Chance bests Fouchon with a flurry of blows and destroyshim with a hand grenade. Clarence survives, revealing that Fouchon’s arrow only hit his flask. The film ends as Chance, Natasha, and Clarence leave victorious.
Hard Targetis everything it sets out to be and more. It’s a modernupdate of “The Most Dangerous Game,“a great Jean-Claude Van Damme vehicle, and the perfect start to John Woo’s American era. Fans of Woo or Van Damme will loveHard Target. It’s an absurd action masterpiece of a kind that filmmakers don’t make anymore. Hunt downHard Targetas soon as possible.
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