hard target hard target american action film directed hong_kong film director american directorial debut film stars van work merchant saves young woman named gang new_orleans chance learns searching missing father agrees aid search soon learn father died hands wealthy hunts homeless men form recreation screenplay written based film adaptation short story dangerous game hard target american film major hollywood film chinese director nervous having direct feature sent director look film production place director fail went scripts finding martial arts films interested deciding script wanted actor lead role found russell busy projects went universal initial choice having star got filming raised action film knew days filming new_orleans trouble secure rating universal wanted dozens cuts film allowed rating initial release financial success received mixed reviews film critics critics found good action scenes noted weak script poor quality acting van plot new_orleans homeless veteran named target hunt given belt containing told reach town win money life hunting hunt organizer lieutenant businessman named paid opportunity hunt human mercenaries including fails reach destination shot bolts money belt searching father long estranged daughter attacked group saw lot money earlier saved homeless man exceptional martial arts skills named van chance initially hesitant involve mission merchant union reluctantly allows hire guide bodyguard search chance homeless friend participate hunt killed discovers father distributed named secretly supplying homeless men war experience family ties questions father death discovered van van beat punish sending man interested family new_orleans detective mitchell reluctant investigate disappearance body discovered ashes derelict building death ruled accidental chance searches ruins finds dog tag pierced bolts suddenly ambush chance beat unconscious scare town recovers offers mitchell dog tag evidence murdered investigation getting closer decide relocate hunting business begin eliminating loose ends medical hiding evidence hunt executed mitchell chance arrive moments later office ambushed men shootout mitchell shot chest killed chance kills handful mercenaries escapes van assemble mercenary team paid hunters continue chase chance leads uncle house deep help defeating men chance lead hunting party warehouse old kill men finally shot death chance shoot end left holds chance bay taking hostage stabbing chest arrow chance charges attacking blows drops grenade pants attempts grenade fails dies explosion chance way warehouse cast van work united states marine_corps veteran saves hired help search missing father wealthy hunts homeless soldiers sport finding investigated chance sends gang led ambush collaborator takes sport hunting men leads crew men sent murder chance surname reference actor young woman comes new_orleans search father seen seven years old attacked saved agrees help find father mitchell police detective works office police strike mitchell helps ordering autopsy pierced dog father father moved new_orleans finds weeks passed heard father goes new_orleans find homeless murdered crew friend homeless uncle lives deep chance shelter home help film final shoot mercenaries production development making hong_kong director decided offer work united_states find filmmaker work pace working reasonable hours offered job united_states chairman seen film killer universal eager direct entire feature agreed producer called difficult period convincing universal worried having asian director set limited command english large scale project hired american director oversee film production standby able fulfill role director excited work fan hong_kong films confident directorial skills stating going blow away american action directors working arrival united_states went scripts deciding describing scripts received stated good good rest simply martial arts movies told producers interest kinds films anymore lot scripts offered period turned time turned science fiction aspect story script written director interested script ultimately turned read script simple powerful story lot feeling underneath good action film need solid structure gave stated story visual aspect wrote script originally basing film naked prey script turn worked script influenced film aliens basis comic virus final attempt script based dangerous game story place new_orleans explanation van accent pre production director attached saw film potential vehicle actor van huge fan films arranged meet hong_kong got despite difficulty english originally wanted actor lead role found russell booked years film projects working stated sure abilities know actor look good screen look like hero thought van despite early working changed action scenes film spectacular finding working stated pretty big ego professional tries good job control film casting including casting minor characters finding cinematographer actress butler cast feature film debut role led butler starring roles action films drop zone actor accepted role stating great fan noting earlier films creative incredible philosophy violence container philosophy filming hard target days production time shot location new_orleans including sequences shot french quarter hard target tight schedule universal allowed days shooting time lot pressure pressured universal tone violence body count seen hong_kong films mastered english language took time cast crew working explain wanted shot cinematographer resort simple statements sam shot message carpenter actor recalled gradual process led involved start seeing film film van film producer recalled powerful person set far concerned certainly respected weapon fire set considered dangerous led crew build new shield camera shield useful particularly sequence magazine camera camera nicknamed crew found difficulty filming huge scenes carpenter specifically noted parade warehouse lighting space like strange shapes shadows difficult john added wanting scene shot angles cameras moving producer supported style filming finding economical way shoot types action scenes post production film edited set state art editing unit allows user edit film movie shot film scored utilized japan release rating submitting film judged violent intense rating received rating edited film times indicated specific scenes found editing period went editor edit film version characters insert scenes close ups character chance asked edit replied people pay money accepted film cuts film scenes cut include opening chase sequence warehouse sequence non action scene cut film romantic scene chance release theatrical run hard target tentatively scheduled open july hard target released august united_states making film asian director released hollywood studio hard target box office second highest grossing film release week american box office initial release 49th highest grossing film united_states hard target domestic ticket sales worldwide sales home media hard target released laserdisc vhs united_states film 14th highest selling laserdisc 46th rented vhs film hard target released dvd region july region dvd film released march american dvd released dvd bundle packs include films starring van dvds included sudden death quest longer minute copy film released officially found copy poor quality dub burned time code corner indicating film meant public viewing european japanese australian dvd releases restore minutes violent footage missing region dvd cut rating making versions closest original cut reception critical reception received mixed reviews initial release praising film action scenes noting poor story van acting abilities film review television roger_ebert stated smart original technical level stunts impressive action picture competent action recommend gene gave film stating good filmmaker pretty wooden notice style film substance new_york_times wrote van broken habit blank faced films style variety wrote vigorous occasionally brilliant starring van hampered script flat standard characters subjected repeated editing violent sequences win rating doesn bear unique vision display recent killer hard boiled van director reputation ensure initial commercial kick way solid spectacular box office washington_post wrote isn english language filling mouth villainous pseudo second rate action picture like despite efforts painful listen creative presence practically flashes wild style slow motion moment chosen freeze frame introduces american audiences taste unique motorcycle stunts loud car explosions minimal received portrayal film looked stating ways troublesome movie happy way action scenes turned box office film premiered cinemas august wide release opening weekend film opened second place grossing business showing locations film fugitive came place weekend grossing hard target revenue dropped second week release earning weekend film fell place increased screening count theaters fugitive remained place grossing box office revenue final week release opened distant eleventh place revenue particular weekend striking distance starring debut opening place revenue film went domestically total ticket sales week theatrical run internationally film took additional box office business combined worldwide total film worldwide rank box office performance position sequel finished shooting sequel film december sequel star
Hard Target