Switch your brain off and strap yourself in for this somewhat gratuitous, over the top thrill ride. Clive Owen plays Smith, a man who was in the wrong time at the wrong place and couldn’t sit back and witness a lone gunman kill a pregnant woman. But he bites off more than he can chew when he finds himself falling headfirst into the biggest, wackiest conspiracy ever, with a mildly insane Paul Giamatti on his tail, trying to kill him and the baby he delivered during the ensuing gunfight.
Sound implausible yet? It should, because this is one movie that never takes itself too seriously, with Smith’s weapon (and food) or choice, the carrot taking centre stage in this bloody gunfight that never seems to let up.
Stunning set piece battles that would give John Woo the shakes is the fuel that drives the body count sky high as Smith dispatches every gunman sent his way whilst doing all manner of things and proving for one and all, that men can multitask.
For any action fan Shoot ‘Em Up is heaven, the running gun battles with make you want to watch it over and over, and it’s in the blood and guts that Shoot “em Up succeeds. When it slows down, it becomes a little too cheesy and when it tries to push the boundaries outside of the action, it makes you start to wonder why you’re watching.
It’s this that makes Shoot ‘Em Up a hard movie to rate, I’m hesitant to slap an don’t watch rating on it, but I want to make you well aware that this movie earns it’s R18 rating with ease, and certain scenes may offend you.
Food for thought: At its heart, Shoot ‘Em Up is an action movie, but in it’s soul is the story of the good Samaritan.
Reviewed by: Jonathan Read. Rating: R18 – Contains Violence, Offensive Language & Sex Scenes. Duration: 86 mins. Genre: Action. Director: Michael Davis. Actors: Paul Giamatti, Monica Bellucci, Clive Owen, Julian Richings, Stephen McHattie, Ramona Pringle, Greg Bryk. Distributor: Roadshow. Release Date: Available now.
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