Hard Target

Hard Target (1993)

  • 50% of critics liked it
    (30 reviews)

  • 50% of users liked it
    (35,116 ratings)

John Woo's first Hollywood feature stars Jean-Claude Van Damme as Chance Boudreaux, a down-and-out Cajun merchant seaman, who, after saving a young woman, Natasha Binder (Yancy Butler), from a gang of thugs on the streets of New Orleans, agrees to help her search for her father (Chuck Pfarrer),… More

Play Trailer

R,
Directed By
Genres
Action & Adventure
In Theaters
Jan 1, 1993 Wide
MCA Universal Home Video

Critic Reviews

  • Emanuel Levy, Variety

    A disappointing American debut of the Hong Kong cult director John Woo is a decent action vehicle by standards of its star Jean-Claude Van Damme but, hampered by a B script and flat characters, it doesn't bear Woo's auteurist signature and unique vision

  • Derek Adams, Time Out

    It's what Hollywood wanted Woo for: bigger, brighter explosions.

  • Janet Maslin, New York Times

    Presenting Mr. Van Damme as reverentially as Sergio Leone did the young Clint Eastwood, Mr. Woo displays a real aptitude for malignant mischief, which is this story's stock in trade.

  • Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

    Even when the acting is hammy, notably Wilford Brimley's turn as Chance's Cajun uncle, Woo stages every fight with hypnotic grace.

  • Richard Harrington, Washington Post

    Woo, a master of stylized violence and explosive action, has had to buy into America's fascination with explosive effects and reaction. Something gets lost in the transition.

Read all 14 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Al S


    Director, John Woo's first American film is an action masterpiece. A fun, explosive and adrenaline-charged edge of your seat action-packed thriller. It's loaded with dark humor, bone-crunching fights and enough explosive gun-battles to keep any action fan entertained. Van… More

  • Phil H


    Haha this is really silly and really tacky but again the over the top violence and ultra cool gun fights really rock ass LOL! Henriksen gives it a touch of class and really hams it up beautiully haha and Woo really loves his slow mo leaps n gun pan shots LOL!. Predictable but great… More

  • Martin S


    Van Damme has one Badass haircut...but otherwise...a pretty average movie

  • Conner R


    Cheesy and an odd way to incorporate the western genre with Jean-Claude's style, but it's certainly memorable and fun. The way John Woo shoots the movie is completely crazy, I don't know what he was thinking. The Most Dangerous Game remake aspect is by far the most… More

  • Tsubaki S


    Van Damme's legendary mullet, Woo in full over-the-top mode, Lance Henriksen as the bad guy. This should be a lot better, but the script, the ham-fisted acting and other crap going on relegates it to the late-night cable arena.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

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