Shoot ‘Em Up
Starring: Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti, Monica Bellucci
Director: Michael Davis
Genre: Action/Adventure and Thriller
Rated: R
Duration: 1 hr. 33 min.
Plot: Mr. Smith, the angriest, most hardboiled man in the world, finds himself entrusted to protect the most innocent thing of all–a newborn child. When Smith delivers the baby in the middle of a gunfight, he soon discovers that the infant is the target of a shadowy force that has sent a team of mysterious and endless assailants, led by Hertz, to erase all traces of the baby.

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My Review: Shoot ‘Em Up could have carried a variety of titles like “KaBoom!”, “Over The Top!”, or “Everyone Must Die!”. If you haven’t seen the trailer or don’t know what you’re getting into then take a moment and check out the details first. Shoot ‘Em is quite simply a non-stop, absurd action thriller that has little foundation in reality. If you’re looking for a serious action drama then look elsewhere, but if you’re more interested in just having a good time and watch 90 mins of stunts and shoot out scenes then Shoot ‘Em Up is the movie for you.

I was well prepared for this movie and that kept me enjoying it the entire time. Within 60 seconds of the movie starting we have our first death, by a carrot jammed through the back of the bad guy’s head, and within 90 seconds we have our first gun battle blazing to all the glory of a Nirvana track hosting the background. Awesome. Don’t worry though, that won’t be the last death by carrot either. Mr. Smith, our protagonist, is the self-billed “angriest man in the world” and is likely also the most deadly. With easily 1000 bullets fired I don’t think he missed a single target or left anyone breathing. We follow Smith as he fights to protect the life of a newborn who someone really, really wants dead. Along the way he’ll fight off Hertz, the hired assassin, and join up with Donna, the nursing prostitute. Forget about deep storylines or dull moments as Shoot ‘Em wastes no time with any of them, which explains the short run time. This movie is pure action, no filler.

Shoot ‘Em Up’s cast is great and perfectly fit their roles. Clive Owen continues to be one of my favorite action movie heroes and reminds me a bit of his role in Sin City. I’d never been much of a fan of Paul Giamatti, despite his recent rise with several big roles, but as the hired gun he does a great job. Monica Bellucci adds the right dose of sex appeal while keeping within the bordered theme of over the top.

The action is absurd but hilarious and completely entertaining. It was like watching Elmer Fudd chase after Bugs Bunny, only Bugs Bunny is heavily armed and fully lethal. Considering Mr. Smith’s preference for carrots and Hertz cell ringtone of The Ride of the Valkyries, more commonly known to children as “Kill Da Wabbit, Kill Da Wabbit”, I think this was exactly the feel they were going for. Careful though, this may be video game like and cartoonish in realism, but it’s definitely not a kid’s movie. The gore is constant and the violence is brutal though the nudity is limited (and it’s not Bellucci, sorry). So if you’re in the mood for some real action fun and won’t mind the absence of reality for 90 minutes then Shoot ‘Em Up is worth the ticket price.

Rating: 4/5 stars
High Point: Skydiving shoot-out scene
Low Point: Too short!

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Shoot ‘Em Up Movie Trailer:

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