
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, August 21, 1993                   TAG: 9308240181
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: B10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

VAN DAMME IS RIGHT ON 'TARGET'

Moviegoers have seen a bumper crop of fine thrillers this summer, from "In the Line of Fire" to "Rising Sun" to "The Fugitive." There hardly seems room for one more, but John Woo's "Hard Target" is the most energetic and, in its own way, the most entertaining of the bunch.

Essentially, the film is an updated version of "The Most Dangerous Game," with a plot based on wealthy hunters stalking human beings. It becomes a fine vehicle for Hong Kong director John Woo's full-bore style. Though this isn't his best movie, it's more than good enough to show that there's still life in the action genre.

Chance Boudreaux (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is a Cajun merchant seaman down on his luck in the New Orleans French Quarter. When an acquaintance, a Vietnam vet, disappears, Boudreaux agrees to help the man's daughter Natasha (Yancy Butler) find him.

Viewers already know that the man has been killed by Fouchon (Lance Henriksen) and his evil henchman Pik Van Cleaf (Arnold Vosloo). For the right price, they arrange for their rich clients to hunt down worthy prey, i.e. combat veterans.

The first part of Chuck Pfarrer's story clips along at a quick, steady pace, setting up a second half that's virtually non-stop action. Within the limits of the form, the characters have a fair amount of depth and, with one exception, the acting is well above average, too.

Though Van Damme may never compete with Dustin Hoffman for an Oscar, he's gotten better with virtually every film, and he's still one of the most athletic and graceful of the screen's martial artists. Unfortunately, neither Pfarrer nor Woo knew quite what to do with Yancy Butler. She mostly stares in wide- eyed wonderment as the guys do their stuff.

As the charismatic villains, Henriksen and Vosloo steal the film. Vosloo's reaction after his big shotgun sequence is impossible to describe, and Henriksen's infamous "Load me" scene - improvised on the set - is the most twisted moment in the film.

But characters and performances don't count for much in this kind of movie if the action doesn't measure up, and it does. The film contains dozens of inventive and exciting bits of stunt work, one really scary mechanical rattlesnake, and a terrific finish in a warehouse filled with Mardi Gras floats.

Throughout, director Woo gives the action an outlandish quality with unexpected visual flourishes - people dodge crossbow bolts and leap over speeding 4x4s in a single bound. He uses various speeds of slow motion as well as any director since Sam Peckinpah. The spiritual, almost mystical side of his work has been toned down here, reduced to a few strong images.

That's a shame, but perhaps he'll be able to re-emphasize that religious element in future films. For now, though, "Hard Target" is a fitting cap to a fine summer.

Hard Target: ***1/2

A Universal release playing at the Salem Valley 8 and Valley View Mall 6. 92 min. Rated R for graphic violence, strong language.

by CNB