Shoot 'Em Up (DVD)

SHOOT 'EM UP

There is a sequence at the beginning of Shoot 'Em Up that easily sums up the movie in question and answers whether one will enjoy the silly, hollow action-fest that follows. Having already despatched one goon with a carrot though the throat (yes, you read that correctly - a carrot, through the throat) and dropped many more gunmen in the rather spectacular pre-credits shoot out (accompanied by Nirvana's rousing rock-anthem ...
...lap up the content of Shoot 'Em Up.

Dragged into a high octane shoot-out in order to protect a pregnant mother, mystery man Smith soon finds himself on the run from a variety of hired gunmen, led by the notorious Hertz (a wonderful scenery chewing Paul Giamatti), charged with the termination of newborn baby Oliver. The problem is they didn't count on this British nobody to become the child's saviour or be so adept with a gun! Locating ... more

SHOOT 'EM UP

There is a sequence at the beginning of Shoot 'Em Up that easily sums up the movie in question and answers whether one will enjoy the silly, hollow action-fest that follows. Having already despatched one goon with a carrot though the throat (yes, you read that correctly - a carrot, through the throat) and dropped many more gunmen in the rather spectacular pre-credits shoot out (accompanied by Nirvana's rousing rock-anthem Breed), it is only when Smith (Clive Owen) helps to deliver a child from a pregnant women mid-battle and removes the umbilical cord with a gunshot, spraying blood all over the mothers face, that you finally recognise where you're likely to stand with this movie. The mother's cry of "what the f***?" speaks words. If you're wearing a big wide grin at this point, and are the type of person happy to leave their brain in neutral, accepting contrived plot conveniences at the expense of stupid action scenes, well, you will surely lap up the content of Shoot 'Em Up.

Dragged into a high octane shoot-out in order to protect a pregnant mother, mystery man Smith soon finds himself on the run from a variety of hired gunmen, led by the notorious Hertz (a wonderful scenery chewing Paul Giamatti), charged with the termination of newborn baby Oliver. The problem is they didn't count on this British nobody to become the child's saviour or be so adept with a gun! Locating the help of a lactating prostitute (Monica Belluici) as surrogate mother, a hectic game of cat and mouse and serious gunmanship follows, as Smith attempts to uncover why Hertz wants the child killed, who's paying him to do so, and what's being covered up by sinister government agents, all whilst placating the viewer with as many corpses and different ways to kill a person with a handgun as possible.

Shoot 'Em Up is, in all honesty, a delightfully insane film. Devoid of any compromising morals and sacrificing standards in taste in order to satisfy evermore elaborate and over-the-top action sequences, it revels in the archaic mania of its rather slender plot. From a physics defying parachute jump shoot-out that is indeed bonkers, to a fantastic set-piece where Smith rigs up a number of weapons on a pulley system to create mass carnage, Shoot 'Em Up's sole reason for existing is to put a big smile on any action-junkies face. That the film consolidates this purpose with an action sex scene (yes, you read that correctly as well - an action sex scene) where the fabulously buxom Belluici is glued to Owen mid-orgasm whilst he happens to be blowing away a platoon of masked assassins, is simply the icing on a rather delirious cake.

Clive Owen isn't the type of actor you'd immediately imagine as a dealer of mass destruction, yet his archetypal portrayal of the man with no name is a breath of fresh air from another Jason Statham action-fest. Owen's deadpan delivery of poorly conceived, cheesy one-liners and a natural ruggedness easily convince he is a man thoroughly angry at the world (Smith's road rage at someone for not indicating is hilarious stuff) and he seems to be having way too much fun with the silliness that director Michael Davis throws his way. The same can be said of Giamatti. Shoot 'Em Up is a world away from the likes of the more subtle and serene Sideways, but it gives him the opportunity to play a snarling, intelligent bad-guy with maximum bravado. Even the poor dialogue fails to prove a sufficient hurdle as Giamatti delivers lines such as "Do we really suck or this guy really that good?" with absolute aplomb. He is simply a delight in this change of skin!

With the pace cranked up to eleven for maximum enjoyment, it's a shame that moments of plot and character development that do interject the ridiculous action scenes tend to grate ever so slightly. Indeed, the plot of a baby factory providing a certain blood group as donor to a high-ranking government official is completely daft, and the exposition surrounding it is, frankly, rubbish. Likewise, Smith's questioning of the second amendment and the anti-gun sentiments that are espoused later on seem slightly contradictory to the nature of the film, what with all the glamourisation of stylish action scenes involving lots of running gun battles it endures. Maybe it's a hidden satirical comment, but it seems rather misplaced in its message and ultimately fails. But, as already stated, you're not really here for anything barring on the intelligible.

As long as Owen's delivering more deathblows with carrots, asking "what's up doc" and shooting neon signs so that it spells out rather rude content then all is well in the action fans world. When you add cool, yet ludicrous scenes such as Smith jumping off a bridge, shooting out the sunroof of a car below and landing exquisitely in the driving seat, you have a film that easily out cranks Crank by not suffering from stilted or derivative action scenes. There's plenty of blood and gore from the outset and the number of fatalities must be close to surpassing those from Arnie's sublimely awesome Commando. Indeed, with a rocking soundtrack, some darkly delicious humour (a final gunfight featuring broken fingers is quality) and not the slightest iota of seriousness, Shoot 'Em Up is nigh on perfect Friday night post-pub fodder.

Overall - One purely for the action junkie. If you're not a fan of low-brow, high concept, action daftness you'll be better off avoiding this. However, if you rate the likes of Crank, Drive, Hard Boiled and Ong-Bak very highly on your favourites list, you'll find very little wrong with this over-the-top, anarchic slice of carnage!

Director: Michael Davis

Screenplay: Michael Davis

Cast:

Clive Owen... Smith
Paul Giamatti... Hertz
Monica Bellucci... Donna Quintano
Stephen McHattie... Hammerson
Greg Bryk... Lone Man
Daniel Pilon... Senator Rutledge

Rating: 18

Running Time: 86 minutes

Genre: Action/Adventure/Thriller

© clownfoot, January 2009. 

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