Seriously thinking of leaving Ciao now, just too many problems, too often......off by crimbo, you wi...
Seriously thinking of leaving Ciao now, just too many problems, too often......off by crimbo, you will find me on another well known site, same member name.
Member since:22.06.2004
Reviews:153
Members who trust:53
What a strange film. I bought this from HMV as a 'three for £20' offer and had not gotten round to watching it until yesterday.
It was Saturday afternoon, we had all been for a long walk, my wife suggested a movie and my 13 (nearly 14) year old said "Can we watch Shoot 'em up, Tom says it's mint".
Basic plot/premise: Clive Owen plays Mr Smith, an ex undercover special ops guy with a penchant for eating carrots, and occasionally using them for weapons and/or tools.
I will describe the opening few minutes and then not spoil any more of the plot, instead give you a kind of 'thoughts shower' about the film:
We see a heavily pregnant woman being chased into a disused warehouse by a gun weilding 'baddie', we know he is a baddie because Clive Owen/Mr Smith watches him with disdain so we assume that he is the 'goodie'......really it is as basic as that!
Clive then saves the pregnant woman after dispatching said baddie with a carrot through the skull, and killing countless other baddies with just a gun and some deft, acrobatic moves. He then delivers said womans baby, on the warehouse factory floor, whilst sporadically looking up from between her thighs to shoot other baddies.......I'm not spoiling anymore.
What follows then is sheer comic book, unbelievable, mangaesque (if that is a word) run, fight, kill, gore, B movie action. Apparently the Director worked on the A Team, you'd never guess (sarcasm). Our hero is not only resourceful when it comes to killing and ways in which to kill, but also as a fugitive, 'nanny', lover and all round nice but nasty guy.
I found myself switching constantly between thinking that this was the worst movie that I had ever seen, to maybe it was the coolest movie I had ever seen. There is a definite touch of the Tarantion about it, and I have to admit, Clive Owen is quite good.
The direction, actions scenes, fight sequences, camera angles etc are very good, some great uses of props and nice little 'vignettes', look out for the shooting of the billboard sign, very funny.
There are some lovely, funny one liners and really quite funny scenes, for instance, when Smith decides to steal a car, he steals one from someone who has parked in a disabled bay, that is not disabled, very much the anti-hero.
The main baddie is worthy of mention; Played by Paul Giamatti (never heard of him before this), he plays an intellectual baddie named Hertz, he really is quite funny, creepy and baddie in the true 'Bond' like sense.
The love interest is played by Monica Belluci, been in Dracula, Matrix etc, but mainly lots of Italian films. Very, very sexy and plays her part well which I won't spoil, but it is certainly a very 'different' role.
I have no idea how many people die in this film, hundreds certainly, lots of blood and gore, and yet it does not seem to be 'horrific', probably because of the comedic nature of it. The only 'disturbing' scene for me is when he is delivering the baby and the spent cartridge cases fall on the mothers protruding belly, dunno why, but I did not like that.
There is a story line, of sorts, though I feel that the storyline is only there to give credence to what is basically a 'shoot em up' in the PC game sort of genre, put to film.
It is certificate 18, and only lasts 82 minutes, which is just about right, any longer and it would start to get tedious.
Final verdict: It is a very 'tongue in cheek' portrayal of cinema and the way cinema portrays violence, women, guns and the distinction between good and bad, in a very post modern way, at least that is the intellectaul credence that I am giving it.
It was fun, nonsense, unbelieveable, ridiculous, crap, great, fun, fun, fun.
I am reviewing this as film only as I could not bring myself to watch the DVD extras yet, which nonetheless I will list:
Deleted/alternate scenes Commentary by Michael Davis (director) Ballet of bullets - making of 'Shoot 'em up' Animatics Theatrical trailer
Also posted on Dooyoo under same member name.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: Bharat Nalluri, Rob Bailey, Andy Wilson - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner
Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet
Advantages: Really delivers in the gunfights, Never slows down, Funny in Parts, Carrots, Smith's pet Hates Disadvantages: Weak Plot/Storyline, Too Much Action for Some
nollie99 05.02.2008 (05.02.2008)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Shoot 'Em Up (DVD)
Advantages: Perfect for the action junkie - a highly stupid movie with bags of cool. Disadvantages: Not enjoyable if you forget to switch your brain off!
clownfoot 05.01.2009 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Shoot 'EmUp (DVD)
May 25th, 2008
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