Hard Target (1993)

Director:

John Woo

Writer (WGA):

Chuck Pfarrer (written by)

Release Date:

20 August 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller

Tagline:

Don't hunt what you can't kill.

Plot:

A woman hires a drifter as her guide through New Orleans in search of her father, who has gone missing. They discover a deadly game of cat and mouse behind his disappearance in the process.

Plot Keywords:

New Orleans | Money | Louisiana | Missing Person | New Orleans Louisiana

Awards:

1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Jean-Claude Van Damme	...	Chance Boudreaux
Lance Henriksen	...	Emil Fouchon
Yancy Butler	...	Natasha 'Nat' Binder
Wilford Brimley	...	Uncle Douvee
Kasi Lemmons	...	Det. Marie Mitchell
Arnold Vosloo	...	Pik van Cleef
Robert Apisa	...	Mr. Lopacki
Chuck Pfarrer	...	Douglas Binder
Douglas Forsythe Rye	...	Frick
Mike Leinert	...	Frack (as Michael D. Leinert)
Lenore Banks	...	Marie
Willie C. Carpenter	...	Elijah Roper (as Willie Carpenter)
Barbara Tasker	...	Waitress
Randy Cheramie	...	Shop Steward
Eliott Keener	...	Randal Poe

Runtime:

97 min | Germany:73 min (cut version) | 116 min (Director's Cut) | 128 min (Workprint Version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:(Banned) (uncut european version) (1993-2003) (cinema release) | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Malaysia:18SG (tv rating) | Malaysia:(Banned) | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA (original rating) | Australia:R (DVD rating) | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Germany:18 | Ireland:18 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:18 (video premiere) | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

2100 Chartres St, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Kurt Russell was considered for the title role.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Chance leaps off of the motorcycle over the truck, the motorcycle disappears for a second, and then reappears right before the truck blows up.

Quotes:

Chance Boudreaux: Grab the bar!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in JCVD (2008)

Up there with Die Hard a true action classic

John Woo's first u.s film is a hugely underrated hugely enjoyable action thriller beautiflly shot and bursting with style this is certainly Van Damme's best film and in my books is at the top of the action genre. It's a sort of updating of 1930's thriller The Most Dangerous Game. It centres around a women searching for her father in New Orleans who enlists the help of tough cajun chance boudreux i don't wanna say any more about the plot cos i don't wanna give to much away.this is the part of Van Damme's career when his acting wasn't too bad, the rest of the cast are mostly a solid bunch of unknowns who prove they've got what it takes to make this a tight well made thriller. Lance Henriksen is great as Fouchon and Arnold Vosloo equally as good as accomplice Van cleef. Even though in my opinion this is Woo's best u.s film it took him 2 more attempts to breakthrough into the Hollywood mainstream in which he finally struck gold with Face/Off. Hard Target comes out a dark action thriller packed with a superb blend of martial arts shootouts and explosions. I recommend this to any 1 weather your an action junkie, die hard van damme fan or just a general film buff. Up there with Die Hard this is a true action classic