The Hard Way (1991 Film) - Reception

Reception

Based on 19 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, the film received a 74% approval rating from critics, with an average score of 5.6/10. Vincent Canby of The New York Times commented that it is not "a perfect comedy by any means, but it is a very entertaining one" and commended its "pure Hollywood" sensibility, writing that it is "sometimes slapdash in execution and sloppy in coherence, but it's written, directed and performed with a redeeming, self-mocking zest." Time Out called it a "light, bright comedy" that "counterbalances Hollywood convention with some very funny swipes at the film industry" and stated, "Badham handles the numerous action sequences with confidence, but the real enjoyment comes from the interplay between the two leads, who revel in the opportunity to send up their images." Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave it three-and-a-half out of four stars and praised its "comic energy", calling the film "funny, fun, exciting, and an example of professionals who know their crafts and enjoy doing them well." Ebert found the stunts, special effects, and second unit work "all seamless and exciting", and viewed that the actors elevate the film's plot with their performances:

he film makers crank up the energy until the movie takes on a life of its own. There is a certain exhilarating, high-altitude buzz you get from actors who are working well at the limits of their ability. Faced with a plot that was potentially predictable, Woods and Fox seem to have agreed to crank up the voltage, to take the chance of playing every scene flat-out.

However, Ty Burr of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a C rating and criticized its "coyly self-conscious high concept", writing that it "takes the to such a numbing dead end." Burr panned its chase scenes and editing as "visual nonsense" and called its plot "all guns and gag lines", although he found Fox "secure enough to goof on his own image and inventive enough to do it well".