Hard As Nails DVD

 Inventive, surprising and fun
Usually, genre action movies are so by-the- numbers, you can't tell one from the other. Not so with Hard As Nails. Set in a dance club (yes...HOT GIRLS) and involving an arms deal between the rogue Japanese Yakuza leader and the Russian Mob, this film offers spectacular stunts, strong acting and a genuine attempt at character growth. The film maker obviously was working with a low-no budget and while sometimes the seams do show, the films inventivness and heart more than make up for its modest roots. Where this might have been another 10 day/$90,000.00 pipeline production from the Roger Corman factory, director Brian Katkin keeps things fresh by walking a fine line between a drop dead serious tone and and a "wink, wink... let's just have fun" irreverence. He definitely succeeds. I found myself caring a great deal about these characters (caring about characters usually takes a back seat in this genre of film, but not so here)and the fight scenes are clever and intense. This is a director to keep an eye on.
Submitted by a reviewer (Los Angeles, CA)
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 cheap movie
1. You can clearly see that the fighting (martial art) is fake. They move really slow just like they are dancing. 2. There are a few errors in the film: * when Takura talks to the striper, you can see that the stripper is topless (and with a pink thong -- after the dance), but from her back, you can see that she has bra and black thong on. (It happens many times in less than 1 minute) * when the uncover cop and Kat jump out of the car, his left hand is bandaged. But Takura cuts his right hand. 3. It does not make sense to me that, at the end of the film, the stripper (Kat) can take a sword from the female professional bodygard's hand easily, even though she is distracted, then kill her. (Review how she can fight with other bodygards at the beginning of the film.) I regreted that I spent money and time on this movie.
Submitted by a reviewer (California)
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