John Woo is a director who seems to be taking a bit of a break from the American movie spotlight. Most critics agree that his particular brand of directing action films was growing a bit stale. From an over abundance of slow motion shots, to the tiring usage of doves, John Woo's signature tricks aren't quite getting the job done these days. John Woo believes doves to be very spiritual and their appearance in the majority of his films stands for heart, soul, and purity. Whatever the intended meaning, the doves are the most glaring example of John Woo’s directorial style and why it’s grown old over the years. However, for something to become overused and tired, it first has to be new. John Woo’s first American film was called Hard Target. It starred Jean Claude Van Damme, who at the time was still a pretty big action star.
Hard Target is, in my mind, one of the best and most entertaining action movies of all time.

Hard Target tells the story of Chance Boudreaux, a homeless ex soldier living on the streets of New Orleans. He’s desperately trying to get work when he’s approached by a woman who is searching for her father. She and Chance discover that her father, an ex soldier himself, had gotten himself involved with some dangerous men. A group of men, led by Lance Henrikson, are setting up hunts in and around the city of New Orleans. Their clients pay a huge amount of money to participate in these hunts. The catch is, the hunts are for humans, usually ex soldiers. As Chance Boudreaux investigates the missing father, he finds that the man was the victim of one of these hunts. However, Chance finds himself on the radar of these evil men and has to fight for his life as they turn their sinister sights to him.

No, it’s not Citizen Kane. It’s a pretty generic action movie script but there are some things that make it really stand out from other action movies. First up is the acting of Jean Claude Van Damme. Yes, I said the words “acting” and “Jean Claude Van Damme” in the same sentence. Even though I’m a huge fan, even I can’t argue with the fact that in most of his movies Van Damme is an awful, unconvincing actor. However, something about him in this film feels authentic. From the mullet to the trench coat, he just seems real. His character has a convincing back story and an endearing hick uncle that really helps us care about him. Another thing that helps this movie go from good to great is the incredible acting of Lance Henrikson. An action movie is only as good as its main villain, and Lance Henrikson is a great villain. His character is cold, calculating, snobby, and totally convinced that he’s not really doing anything wrong. My favorite type of villain is the one who believes through and through in his cause, and Henrikson does just that in this film. Finally, and most importantly, is the great action. John Woo is one of the most ripped off directors of our time and if you watch Hard Target you’ll see why. I could spend five pages detailing the awesome moments in this movie, from the fight in a graveyard to the whole motorcycle sequence this movie is full of top notch action.

Hard Target is the type of movie that a lot of people pass over simply because it stars Jean Claude Van Damme. I can’t blame anyone for that, as his string of 90’s action films certainly weren’t everyone’s cup of tea. However, Hard Target is much more than that. It’s an action classic that deserves a place on every movie lover’s shelf right beside action classics such as Terminator 2 and Die Hard.