Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Hard Target

Play trailer Poster for Hard Target R 1993 1h 34m Action Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
61% Tomatometer 38 Reviews 50% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Chance Boudreaux (Jean-Claude Van Damme), a sailor skilled in martial arts, is employed to guard Natasha Binder (Yancy Butler) as she tracks down her father, an itinerant Vietnam veteran living in New Orleans named Douglas (Chuck Pfarrer). They soon uncover a sinister group of wealthy men who hunt the homeless for sport, paying them $10,000 if they can survive a crosstown journey. When Chance discovers that Natasha's father was one of their victims, he decides to destroy the evil hunters.
Watch on Fandango at Home Stream Now

Where to Watch

Hard Target

Hard Target

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Hard Target gets a boost from John Woo's stylish direction, but at heart, it's still another silly, explosion-dependent action thriller in the Jean-Claude Van Damme oeuvre.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More (38)
Duane Byrge The Hollywood Reporter The combo is an incendiary mix: Woo unleashes all barrels in vintage Hong Kong action style while Van Damme delivers not only his martial-arts prowess but some well-developed acting skills as well. Sep 3, 2020 Full Review Kim Newman Empire Magazine Though it lacks the epic feel and melodramatic sincerity of Woo's Oriental movies, this is nevertheless first-rate action. Rated: 3/5 Nov 13, 2017 Full Review 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 Rated: C+ Oct 10, 2006 Full Review Yasser Medina Cinefilia An action film from Woo that delivers high doses of testosterone, but it frequents commonplaces and, ultimately, never hits the mark with all the clichés that adorn its plot of violence, gunfights and kicking. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 5/10 Jan 12, 2025 Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews ...the movie improves considerably once it progresses into an increasingly enthralling second half... Rated: 3/4 Aug 20, 2022 Full Review Chris Knight Calgary Herald Don't expect too much from Hard Target, and you won't be disappointed. Shoot-em-up action films have a limited range, but John Woo and company take this one to the limit. Rated: 2.5/4 Aug 12, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More (1000+)
thiago s Filme mais ou menos, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são mais ou menos, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom Rated 1 out of 5 stars 08/30/25 Full Review Leprechaun K John Woo's action sequences are only bound by his imagination, and he let this one run wild, with Van Damme at the peak of his game. A fantastic performance by Henriksen. It is fun and entertaining. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/28/25 Full Review Blu B For better or worse this is almost a poster child Van Damme movie. Over the top action, wooden performance by Van Damme, ridiculous plot, and more style than substance. Acting wise it's probably the weakest thing. It isn't good. It moves back and forth between stilted performances and over the top ridiculous ones. The dialouge can be cheesy at times too. Everything else is alright I guess. The best thing here is John Woo's direction for better or worse. The action scenes are defintely unique and not cookie cutter or repetitive. They are all so over the top ridiculous that it's kind of impressive. Slow motion, weird camera angles, everythign explodes, the poses everyone has at times, not being able to hit open people out in the open for the sake of style and explosions, it's all here. The plot itself feels like it gets lost at times though because of so much borderline oversaturation of action. The daughter who we start out with? I completely forget about her by the second half despite being the main focus because there is so much action. It does get a bit boring in the first half during slower parts and it is muddled and jumpy a bit how it handles the mystery. This feels like it's idea is cut from the same cloth as something like Frist Blood but misses the opportunity for any intelligent commentary on the needs of desperate vets. But as a tradeoff....it's a poster child for a mindless 90's action movie. If your a hardcore Woo or Van Damme fan than you'll probably like this for what it is. But most could skip this. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 06/23/25 Full Review Michael D L Decent at times action movie with a decent plot and action scenes Rated 3 out of 5 stars 06/07/25 Full Review David W One of Van Dammes best in my opinion. He's very good in it from both a martial arts and an acting perspective. As you'd expect from director Woo it's got plenty of stylish action and it all takes place at a fair old clip. There's also some good acting support from Vosloo and Henrikson as the primary antagonists and Brimley as Van Dammes uncle. Obviously the plot of rich psychos hunting people for sport is a retread but being an action movie fan I thoroughly enjoyed this very 90's take on 'The most dangerous game'. Check out Michael Dudikoff in the 80's, also 'The most Dangerous Game' inspired, 'Avenging Force' if you enjoyed this movie. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/03/25 Full Review Split I So Bad It’s Good Action Fun Hard Target is the kind of gloriously over-the-top action movie that’s impossible not to enjoy, flaws and all. Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as Chance Boudreaux, a drifter with a Cajun accent so thick it could cut through steel, and he delivers exactly the kind of charismatic, high-kicking performance you’d expect from an action icon of the era. Directed by John Woo in his American debut, the film is packed with the director's signature Hong Kong-inspired action sequences. From slow-motion explosions to gravity-defying stunts, Woo’s flair elevates the film from standard action fare to a visually thrilling spectacle. The plot, involving human hunters preying on the homeless, is pure 90s action cheese, but it’s executed with enough energy and style to keep you entertained. Lance Henriksen and Arnold Vosloo make memorable villains, adding just the right amount of menace to the chaotic proceedings. Sure, it’s campy, ridiculous, and often nonsensical, but that’s what makes Hard Target so much fun. It’s a must-watch for fans of old-school action movies, especially those who appreciate a bit of unintentional humor with their high-octane thrills. Final Thoughts: How can you not love Jean-Claude Van Damme with a Cajun accent and mullet, kicking his way through a barrage of bad guys? Hard Target may not be high art, but it’s an absolute blast and a testament to the wild spirit of 90s action cinema. Rating: 6/10 A so-bad-it’s-good gem with fantastic action sequences and unforgettable Van Damme moments. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/02/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Hard Target

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Hard Target

Hard Target: Official Clip - Gas Can to the Face Hard Target: Official Clip - Gas Can to the Face 2:12 Hard Target: Official Clip - Hunter Becomes the Hunted Hard Target: Official Clip - Hunter Becomes the Hunted 3:31 Hard Target: Official Clip - Fighting Crime in Style Hard Target: Official Clip - Fighting Crime in Style 2:53 Hard Target: Official Clip - Uncle Douvee Hard Target: Official Clip - Uncle Douvee 2:26 Hard Target: Official Clip - Missed the Party Hard Target: Official Clip - Missed the Party 2:21 Hard Target: Official Clip - Motorcycle Chase Hard Target: Official Clip - Motorcycle Chase 2:59 Hard Target: Official Clip - Warehouse Shootout Hard Target: Official Clip - Warehouse Shootout 2:26 Hard Target: Official Clip - Rattlesnake Trap Hard Target: Official Clip - Rattlesnake Trap 2:30 Hard Target: Official Clip - He's All Ears Hard Target: Official Clip - He's All Ears 2:22 Hard Target: Official Clip - Hunting Season is Over Hard Target: Official Clip - Hunting Season is Over 3:13 View more videos
The Getaway 33% 29% The Getaway Watchlist Trespass 70% 48% Trespass Watchlist The Hunted 8% 54% The Hunted Watchlist Bulletproof 8% 44% Bulletproof Watchlist Sudden Death 51% 40% Sudden Death Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Chance Boudreaux (Jean-Claude Van Damme), a sailor skilled in martial arts, is employed to guard Natasha Binder (Yancy Butler) as she tracks down her father, an itinerant Vietnam veteran living in New Orleans named Douglas (Chuck Pfarrer). They soon uncover a sinister group of wealthy men who hunt the homeless for sport, paying them $10,000 if they can survive a crosstown journey. When Chance discovers that Natasha's father was one of their victims, he decides to destroy the evil hunters.
Director
John Woo
Producer
James Jacks, Sean Daniel
Screenwriter
Chuck Pfarrer
Production Co
Alphaville Films, Renaissance Pictures, Universal Pictures
Rating
R
Genre
Action
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 10, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$31.5M
Runtime
1h 34m
Sound Mix
Surround
Most Popular at Home Now