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Bang! Kapow! BOOM! ‘Nuff said. |
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Written by MICHAEL JAMES ALLEN
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Wednesday, 12 September 2007 |
“Shoot ‘Em Up” is the type of movie that must be seen
with a crowd, preferably filled with 18-24 year old
males. The film is a very fragile thing, which seems
like an odd way to describe a movie in which at least
two people die by getting a carrot shoved into their
eyes, but it’s true. “Shoot ‘Em Up” is everything that
last January’s “Smokin’ Aces” wanted to be—a piece of
nonstop, heart attack inducing action—and it is so
over-the-top that your initial reaction might be to
roll your eyes and sneer. Lord knows mine was. But, as
I sat in the middle of a crowd that clapped at each
explosion and laughed at each bad action pun, I
realized that the film was growing on me. “Shoot ‘Em
Up” is like a big, dumb St. Bernard that you can’t
help loving despite the fact that it is drooling on
your shoes.
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"Shoot 'Em Up."
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 Entertainment
 Art
Written and Directed by Michael Davis
Starring Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti, and Monica
Bellucci
Rated R for pervasive strong bloody violence,
sexuality, and some language
Released on September 7, 2006
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The plot (ha!) is centered around the mysterious Mr.
Smith (Clive Owen), a carrot-chomping hobo who knows
how to kick ass. One night he spies a pregnant woman
being chased by some gun-wielding maniacs and decides
to intervene. Smith shoots the bad guys while helping
the woman deliver a baby. (He even cuts the umbilical
cord by shooting it in the first of MANY “What the
fu—?” moments.) The woman dies, leaving Smith with a
baby that a lot of people want to see dead, including
Hertz (Paul Giamatti), a hyperactive hitman with a
Grizzly Adams beard and a penchant for shouting. Smith
joins up with Donna (Monica Bellucci), a lactating
hooker, and they try to discover the baby’s origins
while avoiding being killed by a very high number of
bullets.
Did I mention that the plot is profoundly stupid?
Well, it is, but you don’t go see a movie called
“Shoot “Em Up” for the finely crafted storytelling.
No, you’re hungry for violence, and the film offers it
with gusto. The action here is raw and anarchic, but
it’s never confusing and is presented in an
everything-but-the-kitchen-sink-and-also-the-kitchen-sink
style. Where else are you going to see a man sky dive
and have a gun fight at the same time? Or watch a man
shoot a merry-go-round to keep it spinning in order to
keep a baby from being shot by a sniper? Or see Clive
Owen blow away a cavalcade of bad guys while having
sex with Monica Bellucci?
Clive Owen, it should be said, keeps a lot of this
from getting ridiculous; his sarcastic delivery and
knowing smile alerts the audience that he’s in on the
joke. He is aided by an absolutely insane performance
from Paul Giamatti, who devours more scenery here than
both Godzilla and King Kong combined. As for Monica
Bellucci, well… She does what she was obviously hired
to do: Look beautiful, wear tight clothing, and
strategically hide her nudity.
There’s been some controversy over the excessive
violence in the film, but I can’t say it is
particularly disturbing. The action has a low-budget,
slapstick feel to it and is played more for laughs
than for thrills. If I could compare the film to
anything, it would be a live-action Looney Tunes
cartoon in which Bugs Bunny has a VERY bad day. And,
like those old cartoons, the film is fun, slightly
exhilarating, and 100% disposable. “3:10 to Yuma” may
be #1 at the box office this weekend, but if you’re
really looking for a fun time, than “Shoot ‘Em Up” is
the way to go. Just make sure to see it in a crowd. Powered by AkoComment 2.0! |
