Hard Target
Wikipedia - Recent changes [en] - Tuesday, April 14, 2026Critical response
← Previous revision Revision as of 20:12, 14 April 2026 Line 109: Line 109: | style="text-align: left;" |—Janet Maslin, writing for ''The New York Times''<ref name="Maslin" /> | style="text-align: left;" |—Janet Maslin, writing for ''The New York Times''<ref name="Maslin" /> |} |} ''Hard Target'' received mixed reviews on its initial release praising the film's action scenes but noting the poor story and Jean-Claude Van Damme's acting abilities. On the film review television show ''[[At the Movies (1986 TV program)|Siskel & Ebert]]'', [[Roger Ebert]] stated that ''Hard Target'' is "not very smart and it's not very original, but it is well made on a technical level. The stunts are impressive ... as an action picture, it's well made, but it never becomes more than competent action and I just can't recommend it for that".<ref name="atthemovies">{{cite web | title=At the Movies: Hard Target | url=http://bventertainment.go.com/tv/buenavista/atm/reviews.html?sec=6&subsec=Hard+Target | work=[[At the Movies (1986 TV program)|At the Movies]] | publisher=[[Disney-ABC Domestic Television|ABC Domestic Television]] | year=1993 | access-date=27 July 2009}} {{Dead link|date=November 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> [[Gene Siskel]] also gave the film a thumbs down on the show stating that "John Woo is a good filmmaker ... Van Damme is pretty wooden ... You notice the style in the film because there is not much substance".<ref name="atthemovies" /> Janet Maslin of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote that "Van Damme has still not broken the habit of his own blank-faced posturing, although Mr. Woo films him in the most aggrandizing style imaginable".<ref name="Maslin">{{cite web |date=August 20, 1993 |first=Janet |last=Maslin |author-link=Janet Maslin |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/20/movies/hunting-to-the-death-when-the-prey-is-human.html |title=Hard Target (1993) Hunting to the Death When the Prey Is Human |work=[[The New York Times]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526093314/https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/20/movies/hunting-to-the-death-when-the-prey-is-human.html |archive-date=2015-05-26 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2 July 2021 }}</ref> In ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', [[Emanuel Levy]] wrote that ''Hard Target'' was "a briskly vigorous, occasionally brilliant actioner starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. However, hampered by a B-script with flat, standard characters, and subjected to repeated editing of the violent sequences to win an R rating, pic doesn't bear the unique vision on display in Woo's recent "''[[The Killer (1989 film)|The Killer]]''" and "''[[Hard Boiled|Hard-Boiled]]''." Van Damme and the director's reputation should ensure initial commercial kick on the way to solid if not spectacular box office".<ref name="variety">{{cite magazine |last=Levy |first=Emanuel |url=https://variety.com/1993/film/reviews/hard-target-1200432997/ |title=Hard Target |date=16 August 1993 |access-date=8 August 2020 |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] }}</ref> Desson Thompson of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' wrote that "When Van Damme isn't duking it out with the English language, scriptwriter Chuck Pfarrer is filling Henriksen's mouth with villainous pseudo-profundities. Even in a second-rate action picture like this, and despite Henriksen's commendable efforts, they're painful to listen to ... Woo's creative presence is practically stifled. There are some flashes of his deliriously wild style—a slow-motion moment here, a well-chosen freeze-frame there. He also introduces American audiences to his taste for unique motorcycle stunts and very, very loud car explosions. But these Wooisms are disappointingly minimal".<ref name="WashingtonPost">{{cite news |last=Howe |first=Desson| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/hardtargetrhowe_a0afed.htm |title='Hard Target' By Desson Howe |date=20 August 1993|access-date=27 July 2009 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> Lance Henriksen received a [[Saturn Award]] for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Emil Fouchon in the film.<ref name="saturn">{{cite web|url=http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html#filmsuportactror |title=Past Saturn Awards |work=Saturn Awards Official Website |access-date=17 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512032708/http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html |archive-date=12 May 2011 }}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.<ref name="CinemaScore">{{cite web |url= https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |title=HARD TARGET (1993) B |work= [[CinemaScore]] |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180206073531/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |archive-date= February 6, 2018 }}</ref> On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds a rating of 62% from 39 reviews and an average rating of 5.5/10. The consensus summarizes: "''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."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hard_target |title = Hard Target - Rotten Tomatoes|website = [[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref> {{Metacritic film prose|63|22|ref=yes|access-date=19 September 2025}} ''Hard Target'' received mixed reviews on its initial release praising the film's action scenes but noting the poor story and Jean-Claude Van Damme's acting abilities. On the film review television show ''[[At the Movies (1986 TV program)|Siskel & Ebert]]'', [[Roger Ebert]] stated that ''Hard Target'' is "not very smart and it's not very original, but it is well made on a technical level. The stunts are impressive ... as an action picture, it's well made, but it never becomes more than competent action and I just can't recommend it for that".<ref name="atthemovies">{{cite web | title=At the Movies: Hard Target | url=http://bventertainment.go.com/tv/buenavista/atm/reviews.html?sec=6&subsec=Hard+Target | work=[[At the Movies (1986 TV program)|At the Movies]] | publisher=[[Disney-ABC Domestic Television|ABC Domestic Television]] | year=1993 | access-date=27 July 2009}} {{Dead link|date=November 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> [[Gene Siskel]] also gave the film a thumbs down on the show stating that "John Woo is a good filmmaker ... Van Damme is pretty wooden ... You notice the style in the film because there is not much substance".<ref name="atthemovies" /> Janet Maslin of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote that "Van Damme has still not broken the habit of his own blank-faced posturing, although Mr. Woo films him in the most aggrandizing style imaginable".<ref name="Maslin">{{cite web |date=August 20, 1993 |first=Janet |last=Maslin |author-link=Janet Maslin |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/20/movies/hunting-to-the-death-when-the-prey-is-human.html |title=Hard Target (1993) Hunting to the Death When the Prey Is Human |work=[[The New York Times]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526093314/https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/20/movies/hunting-to-the-death-when-the-prey-is-human.html |archive-date=2015-05-26 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2 July 2021 }}</ref> In ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', [[Emanuel Levy]] wrote that ''Hard Target'' was "a briskly vigorous, occasionally brilliant actioner starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. However, hampered by a B-script with flat, standard characters, and subjected to repeated editing of the violent sequences to win an R rating, pic doesn't bear the unique vision on display in Woo's recent "''[[The Killer (1989 film)|The Killer]]''" and "''[[Hard Boiled|Hard-Boiled]]''." Van Damme and the director's reputation should ensure initial commercial kick on the way to solid if not spectacular box office".<ref name="variety">{{cite magazine |last=Levy |first=Emanuel |url=https://variety.com/1993/film/reviews/hard-target-1200432997/ |title=Hard Target |date=16 August 1993 |access-date=8 August 2020 |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] }}</ref> Desson Thompson of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' wrote that "When Van Damme isn't duking it out with the English language, scriptwriter Chuck Pfarrer is filling Henriksen's mouth with villainous pseudo-profundities. Even in a second-rate action picture like this, and despite Henriksen's commendable efforts, they're painful to listen to ... Woo's creative presence is practically stifled. There are some flashes of his deliriously wild style—a slow-motion moment here, a well-chosen freeze-frame there. He also introduces American audiences to his taste for unique motorcycle stunts and very, very loud car explosions. But these Wooisms are disappointingly minimal".<ref name="WashingtonPost">{{cite news |last=Howe |first=Desson| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/hardtargetrhowe_a0afed.htm |title='Hard Target' By Desson Howe |date=20 August 1993|access-date=27 July 2009 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> Lance Henriksen received a [[Saturn Award]] for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Emil Fouchon in the film.<ref name="saturn">{{cite web|url=http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html#filmsuportactror |title=Past Saturn Awards |work=Saturn Awards Official Website |access-date=17 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512032708/http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html |archive-date=12 May 2011 }}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.<ref name="CinemaScore">{{cite web |url= https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |title=HARD TARGET (1993) B |work= [[CinemaScore]] |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180206073531/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |archive-date= February 6, 2018 }}</ref> On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds a rating of 63% from 40 reviews. The consensus summarizes: "''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."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hard_target |title = Hard Target - Rotten Tomatoes|website = [[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref> {{Metacritic film prose|63|22|ref=yes|access-date=14 April 2026}}In 2013 [[Den of Geek]], included it at 4 in a list of the Top 10 Van Damme movies.<ref name="dog-ten">{{cite web |title=Top 10 greatest Jean-Claude Van Damme movies |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/top-10-greatest-jean-claude-van-damme-movies/ |website=Den of Geek |date=5 April 2013}}</ref> In 2013 [[Den of Geek]], included it at 4 in a list of the Top 10 Van Damme movies.<ref name="dog-ten">{{cite web |title=Top 10 greatest Jean-Claude Van Damme movies |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/top-10-greatest-jean-claude-van-damme-movies/ |website=Den of Geek |date=5 April 2013}}</ref>