“Hard Target 2” Blu-ray Cover
Today’s Deal on fire is the Blu-ray for the Jean-Claude Van Damme-less sequel to 1993’s Hard Target.
Disgraced and retired mixed martial artist Wes “The Jailor” Baylor (Scott Adkins) couldn’t refuse the million dollar purse offered to fight in Myanmar. When he arrives to fight, he learns he’s been tricked into becoming the target of a human hunt. Carrying only water and a ruby-filled money belt for the last person standing, Wes must outsmart the heavily armed group who’s paid to kill him. As Wes fights for his life in the treacherous jungle terrain, the hunters become the hunted.
Hard Target 2 also stars Robert Knepper (Prison Break), Rhona Mitra (Shooter), Ann Truong (Sonnigsburg), Temuera Morrison (Green Lantern), Adam Saunders (A Heartbeat Away), Jamie Timony (The Hunter), Peter Hardy (Chopper), Sean Keenan (Lockie Leonard), Sahajak Boonthanakit (Zero Tolerance), Patrick Kazu Tang (Dragonwolf), Anteo Quintavalle (D is for Detroit) and Yanin Vismitananda (Chocolate).
Order Hard Target 2 from Amazon.com today!
Some movies need a sequel, Hard Target is not one of those movies.
I saw HD2 last night – I assure you it makes the original look like a masterpiece by comparison
I haven’t seen “Death Race 2” or “3” so perhaps I should withhold comment, but at first glance I’m surprisingly okay with this news…if (and this is a big ‘if’) director Roel Reiné can live up to his promise of delivering an ode to John Woo’s Hong Kong heyday.
It could work if they get the other Hemsworth as the lead, Liam.
If there’s no Van Damme and no John Woo, the only thing that makes it a sequel is the name. There are loads of films with a similar plot. I think of the 1994 film ‘Surviving the Game’ with Ice T, Rutgar Hauer and Gary Busey as a sort of spiritual sequel (or rip off if you prefer) to Hard Target.
There is an old Cannon film from the mid 80s with Michael Dudikoff called Avenging Force which follows a similar pattern in the second half of the film. I think it’s a bit better than Hard Target. I’m probably the only one who thinks that though.
I completely agree, and my all time favorite film is Avenging Force!
Avenging Force is better than Hard Target, in its sturdiness of plot. I like em both though.
Yes, this is a sequel in title only, but John Woo returning as producer is quite exciting. Also, Adkins is our contemporary Van Damme (and he’s been in several of his films and even took over the UniSol franchise), so it makes sense for him to be the new star of the series. Plus, he’s great and has a huge fan base so he’s better than some throwaway WWE actor like Ted DiBiase. My only worry with this sequel is Reine’s involvement. Reine can direct good action, but his films typically have low budgets and dull color schemes. His films are slightly better than Ernie Barbauchs’ films (both have drab color palettes). I have seen The Marine 2 and thought it was pretty lousy, although there is some decent action. Therefore, if Woo can amass a budget for this, than it should be good. I assume this is DTV? Prob not a theatrical release, but that’s fine by me if Adkins kicks butt. Also assuming Vinnie Jones is the villain? We’ll see.
Scott Adkins being the star changes everything. Now I’m looking forward to it. For some reason Adkins’ best films tend to be sequels (Undisputed 2 & 3, Ninja II: Shadow of a Tear). Quite frankly, I think I’d prefer it to star Adkins than have JCVD come back (sorry Jean-Claude).
I thought the first Ninja film was leagues better than it’s sequel.
I pray every night before bed that John Woo say’s screw it and takes over directing this possible beast of a movie. Call’s up Van Damme and does this shit proper. He then wraps filming and moves on to the American version of The Killer and makes a “sequel” instead of just remaking it. The 4 yrs from now we are finally given what we all have been waiting for….Hard-Boiled 2 with Chow Yun-Fat finally back with the man who made him who is today. Saving Fat from his dumpy Wong Jing crapfests. Pray with me friends together we can make it happen.
We technically *did* get a ‘Hard-Boiled Two’, but it was a shitty Hong Kong knock-off like Drunken Master 3.
You must be talking about Wong Jing’s THE LAST BLOOD. It wasn’t really a knock off until a shady distributor made its title “Hard Boiled 2″…
http://www.cityonfire.com/last-blood-the-1991-review-aka-12-hours-of-terror-hard-boiled-ii-the-last-blood/
Yeah we “technically” did get a Hard-Boiled 2 but not the movie you are thinking of. The PS3 game is to be considered a “sequel” and was highly disappointing.
Photos of the production of “Hard Target 2” with Robert Knepper in Thailand.
Robert Knepper in Thailand. Production of the new movie “Hard Target 2”
Great concept if it had a couple of stars with box office power but it’s completely ruined with a cast of ‘no name’ ‘neverwasbeens’.
Dude, this movie is filled with a number of name people. Scott Adkins right off the bat is a star, haven been in both theatrical and DTV films of great quality. Than you have Robert Knepper, who was the villain of Transporter 3, and also the slimey T-Bag from Prison Break. You also have Rhona Mitra, from Doomsday and The Descent, she’s great. And than Temeura Morrison from Attack of the Clones and The Marine 2, Sahajak Boonthanakit from Only God Forgives, and than Michael Dudikoff from American Ninja. For a direct to video sequel, this has one of the more impressive casts I have ever seen.
Wow, now that we have a trailer, this looks better than I expected. It looks to be theatrical quality, with a fine color palette, some great looking action, and a good ensemble of character actors. I cannot wait to check this one out.
He said the title of the sequel in the movie. =p
HT2 sucks. No doubt Adkins could do the duty and he looks the part but the action is lacklustre. Also it makes no sense – the first hunter he beat had a knife and a rifle – surely he’d have kept them and used them? no – that would spoil the already flimsy hole-filled plot. In the original there was a feeling that JCVD became the hunter – not here he just wanders around in a daze without even any cool lines to say. They have to get in girl in to kill another girl. Lazy film making with over use of slow motion. Sentimental plot. They can’t even do scattering doves very well. Typical Direct To DVD fodder. Go see Statham instead.
Thanks a lot for the info. That’s really disappointing news. I still have to see it for myself.
Does Van Damme make a cameo?
Yeah Great movie i did like it.
I liked HT2. Honestly think I enjoyed it a lot more than the first one. I like John Woo, but all his English language films are awful (including whichever one some puts in their reply to this saying ‘but what about……’ or ‘even……..?’ Yes, including that one.
It was just a shame the end fight of HT2 was clearly cut short (I’m guessing they ran out of time/money).