Day 27: "Hard Target" (1993)

 30 Damme Movies in 30 Damme Days!

The 27th Damme Day:




"Hard Target" (1993)


I remember watching this one in the theater when it originally released in '93.
What a spectacular film.

I watched it this evening on a 4K disc. Beautiful picture quality.
This film is amazing. I think it is probably the most polished, biggest budgeted, star studded film of JCVD's career. When I say star studded, it had JCVD, Lance Henriksen, Yancy Butler, Arnold Vosloo, and even Wilford Brimley.

This film made a badass out of Wilford Brimley. Lol. It takes place in New Orleans and features the famous above ground graveyards, swamps, and even a final showdown in a Mardi Gras float boneyard. It really is a love letter to that city.
It was directed by Hong Kong action film director John Woo which gave it over the top awesome stunts and fights. I read something that said that because John Woo spoke little English, the studio hired Sam Raimi to oversee the entire production and if things didn't work out with Woo, he was to take over as director. But Woo did a fabulous job.

The movie has the classic story of man hunting man, like in the old book "The Most Dangerous Game" written in the '20s by Richard Connell. There's a group of elite rich "hunters" who target homeless vets with no family and they hunt them in New Orleans for sport. When one of the vets that had been killed has an estranged daughter that comes to New Orleans looking for her long lost dad, things heat up.
JCVD helps the woman in the search and the hunters decide to hunt him in one final "game." Big mistake! JCVD is the ultimate badass.
This film is incredible. It has so many classic JCVD fighting moves like flying kicks, spinning jump kicks, in the air split kicks, and more. Thanks to John Woo, much of these spectacular kicks are in slow motion. Many of the stunts are in slow motion. JCVD cocking a shotgun or a pistol are in slow motion. Even JCVD just walking down the street in a long black coat is in slow motion. Lol. That's sort of John Woo's signature style.
I super-duper highly recommend this JCVD film. I love it so much that I'm giving it a 9 1/2 out of 10 of all JCVD movies I've seen. Give it a watch and let me know what you think about it.
I'll catch you on my next Damme review!

- Patrick



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