The Ultimate 90s Action Flick: Jean-Claude Van Damme's Unmatched Masterpiece
Experience the thrill of being the hunted in this 90s action masterpiece, as Jean-Claude Van Damme stars in Hard Target Brace yourself for an adrenaline-fueled ride that will leave you on the edge of your seat!
Action cinema often prioritizes stars rather than directors, writers, or stories. Moviegoers would eagerly buy tickets for a film solely based on a star's involvement, such as Schwarzenegger, Stallone, or Van Damme. However, there are exceptions to this trend, like John Woo, who achieved worldwide fame with the help of star power. In his American debut, Hard Target, Woo demonstrates his talent alongside JCVD.
John Woo holds a significant influence over the action genre and has greatly impacted films like The Matrix and John Wick. He is credited with pioneering the "heroic bloodshed" genre and introducing gun fu to audiences worldwide. Despite his success, Woo continues to work and has a silent action film currently in post-production, set to release this year. While his Hong Kong classics are highly recommended, Woo's decision to immigrate to America in the early-90s marked a new era in his career.
What is Hard Target about?
Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as Chance Boudreaux, a highly skilled martial artist and former elite soldier who finds himself living on the dangerous streets of New Orleans. When Chance saves Natasha Binder from a gang of thugs, she hires him to be her guide and bodyguard as she searches for her missing father. As they dig deeper, they uncover a disturbing pattern of homeless veterans disappearing.
Their investigation leads them to Emil Fouchon, a reclusive billionaire who takes pleasure in hunting homeless veterans for sport. With the help of a shady recruiter named Poe, Fouchon lures these vulnerable individuals with meager sums of money. Natasha's father was one of Fouchon's victims.
As Chance and Natasha get closer to exposing Fouchon's operation, he and his right-hand man plan to escape. To eliminate Chance as a threat, they target his homeless veteran friend. In order to catch them, Chance must allow himself to become the hunted. The film is a thrilling action-packed spectacle that showcases Van Damme's talents as both a confident killer and a desperate survivor.
What is Hard Target based on?
Hard Target is not a direct adaptation, but rather draws heavy inspiration from Ernest B. Shoedsack's 1932 adaptation of Richard Connell's short story "The Most Dangerous Game." Like Hard Target, "The Most Dangerous Game" tells the story of an exceptionally skilled and powerful individual who becomes the prey of a wealthy and monstrous man, hunted for sport. While the film adaptation of Hard Target is based on this source material, it actually shares more similarities with the 1993 film than the original short story. The original narrative revolves around Sanger Rainsford, a skilled big-game hunter who unknowingly enters the domain of Count Zaroff.
Having grown tired of hunting jaguars in Africa, Zaroff shifts his focus to hunting humans for pleasure. He constructs Ship-Trap Island, a treacherous location designed to lure sailors and captains into crashing against hazardous rocks. Rainsford ends up on this island, but his remarkable stealth and resourcefulness allow him to survive. He ultimately deceives Zaroff into believing he has taken his own life by leaping off a cliff. Rainsford then covertly infiltrates Zaroff's quarters, challenges him to a fair fight, and ultimately feeds the wealthy hunter to his own dogs. "The Most Dangerous Game" remains a significant cultural reference for the notion of a wealthy monster hunting humans for sport. John Woo, however, took this fundamental concept and transformed his protagonist into a soldier instead of a hunter, with Jean-Claude Van Damme assuming the lead role.
How does Hard Target end?
Once Douglas Binder's fate is revealed to Chance and Natasha, Fouchon takes action by ordering the execution of everyone involved in the operation. Chance becomes a liability as he begins to investigate the death of Fouchon's recruiter, resulting in an attack on him and Binder. Fouchon's men go as far as killing a friendly cop who was working on the case, forcing Chance and Natasha to flee. A group of hunters begins to pursue them relentlessly. With the assistance of Chance's uncle Clarence, the courageous duo leads the hunters to an extraordinary location for their final battle. They make their way to the "Mardi Gras graveyard" where aging parade floats are left in disrepair. One by one, Chance skillfully eliminates Fouchon's men. However, Fouchon manages to injure Clarence with an arrow and holds Natasha hostage. Chance defeats Fouchon using a rapid series of strikes and ultimately destroys him by using a hand grenade. To everyone's relief, Clarence survives the attack, revealing that Fouchon's arrow only hit his flask. Finally, the film concludes with Chance, Natasha, and Clarence emerging triumphant as they depart from the scene.
Hard Target surpasses all expectations. It effortlessly revitalizes the classic story of "The Most Dangerous Game" while showcasing Jean-Claude Van Damme's undeniable talent. Additionally, it marks the remarkable beginning of John Woo's successful American career. Fans of Woo or Van Damme will undoubtedly adore Hard Target. This film stands out as an extraordinary and outrageous action masterpiece - a masterpiece that is seldom created by filmmakers nowadays. Without delay, make it a priority to watch Hard Target.
