Hong Kong action filmmaker John Woo, whom fans know from "The Killer" and "Hard-Boiled," is way over the top. But his films are so stylish, in terms of soap opera plotting and character emotions - as well as bloody violence - that they have been embraced even by cynical American critics.
Now comes Woo's American debut, a vehicle fashioned for "The Muscles from Brussels" himself, Jean-Claude Van Damme.And the result is without question the best film Van Damme has ever made. But it's also quite possibly the weakest in Woo's filmography.
The problem has less to do with Woo, whose sweeping camera movements, slow-motion setups and quick-edit action scenes seem fully intact, than with Van Damme's limited acting ability and the superficial screenplay by Chuck Pfarrer ("Darkman," "Navy SEALS"), a reworking of the 1932 classic "The Most Dangerous Game" (which has already been remade at least a dozen times).
"Hard Target" opens on a promising note, as we meet the villains, led by Lance Henriksen (who is deliciously evil), who have organized an unusual hunting safari for those rich enough to afford it. Human prey is arranged for their customers in New Orleans, using homeless military veterans as quarry.
Among the vagrants in the area, however, is someone more cunning than Henriksen and friends are accustomed to - Van Damme. He initially gets involved by helping out Yancy Butler, whose father has been killed in a hunt. And the first half of the film has them investigating the mystery, while Henriksen wipes out anyone who crosses him.
Eventually, Van Damme becomes Henriksen's target, leading the bad guys into the Louisiana bayous - to get them on his home turf. There, Van Damme seeks out his cagey cajun uncle, played with scene-stealing glee (not to mention an accent) by none other than Wilford Brimley.
Woo's trademark eye-popping action scenes are in full force here, with several stunts that will have audience members flabbergasted (even if they've already seen "TheFugitive").
But on the downside, there is none of the heart and soul that marked Woo's Hong Kong films, and Van Damme doesn't have the acting ability to flesh out his thinly written character.
What's more, the presence of an obvious pitch for the homeless, which indicts the way they are ignored by most Americans, seems like a cheap shot in this context.
In all, action - and Van Damme - fans will get more juice than might be expected from this one. But those who have admired Woo's work may find themselves disappointed.
"Hard Target" is rated R for considerable violence and profanity, a few vulgar remarks and a quick shot of a nude female photo.