Clive Owen and Monica Bellucci star in this intentionally over-the-top action/comedy that proves that no scene is exempt from inserting guns and violence! Deliciously funny cat-and-mouse chase movie where our hero becomes the cliché character who has some sort of mysterious training in the past. Michael Davis, director of '100 Girls' is clearly having fun with the genre, and so should the audience! The best part for me was Owen's character in Smith taking out a bunch of SWAT team guys whilst making love to Bellucci's character. So ridiculous, it's funny!
Davis has managed to take the action movie, and make it absurdly inventive. Whether it is through and elaborate gun booby-trap in a warehouse, or being able to fire guns whilst skydiving. The basic plot is, bad guys are after innocent baby, and Owen must protect that baby for some unknown reason. A reason that would obviously come later in the films equally absurd plot. Paul Giamatti works as the villain, because no matter how downright ruthless Clive Owen can be, you still can't bring yourself to see Giamatti win. Clive Owen is one of the few actors who can get away playing a mean callous character and still make him likable- partly because it is hard to take the movie seriously on any level! Smith's carrot-chewing hero is referencing Bugs Bunny to a certain extent, which not only displays the cartoon-like qualities of 'Shoot Em Up', but the ability of the main character to get away with just about anything!
Slickly produced, and with inventive action scenes that never get boring, 'Shoot 'Em Up' is a funny commentary on violent action movies, though I don't believe the film was trying to make any profound statements. Some action films work with tongue and cheek qualities, and if you liked films like 'Crank' or 'The Big Hit', then you might enjoy 'Shoot 'Em Up'. Certainly not a misfire by any means, as every bullet seems to hit the target eventually! A film that has cult following written all over it!
***½ out of *****!
Davis has managed to take the action movie, and make it absurdly inventive. Whether it is through and elaborate gun booby-trap in a warehouse, or being able to fire guns whilst skydiving. The basic plot is, bad guys are after innocent baby, and Owen must protect that baby for some unknown reason. A reason that would obviously come later in the films equally absurd plot. Paul Giamatti works as the villain, because no matter how downright ruthless Clive Owen can be, you still can't bring yourself to see Giamatti win. Clive Owen is one of the few actors who can get away playing a mean callous character and still make him likable- partly because it is hard to take the movie seriously on any level! Smith's carrot-chewing hero is referencing Bugs Bunny to a certain extent, which not only displays the cartoon-like qualities of 'Shoot Em Up', but the ability of the main character to get away with just about anything!
Slickly produced, and with inventive action scenes that never get boring, 'Shoot 'Em Up' is a funny commentary on violent action movies, though I don't believe the film was trying to make any profound statements. Some action films work with tongue and cheek qualities, and if you liked films like 'Crank' or 'The Big Hit', then you might enjoy 'Shoot 'Em Up'. Certainly not a misfire by any means, as every bullet seems to hit the target eventually! A film that has cult following written all over it!
***½ out of *****!