Shoot ‘Em Up is a film that has confused me ever since I saw it back at Comic Con. I wasn’t confused by the film itself, that wasn’t the issue; this film is so straight forward stupid that a 4-year-old could figure it out. Instead I was confused by the positive reaction it received from just about everyone that saw it. Yup, that’s right, this is going to be one of the few negative reviews you read about this balls-to-the-wall actioner that has the Internet buzzing. I say this only because you may want to take in a few other opinions before you completely write it off.
Written and directed by relative newcomer Michael Davis this is an action junky’s wet dream as it bounces around from one gun fight to the next, with so little story in between that it becomes akin to simply saying, “It’s because of the doodad that we need to put the whatsit in the one spot,” and off we go with our mission in hand. What Davis has concocted is pretty much 15 or so great action scenes that would be excellent in 15 or so great action movies. Instead, Davis gives it all to us at once and it becomes redundant and boring, especially since there is no reason for me to care a lick about anyone involved.
You guessed it, I want story in my films, and as much as I love a guilty pleasure as the rest of you I still need something more than mindless shooting for no reason other than someone is still alive to kill. Don’t get me wrong, I am not claiming any of this film is offensive, as a matter of fact the amount of fun they must have had shooting this picture is evident in its zany Bugs Bunny reverence. If you begin taking Shoot ‘Em Up seriously you are going to begin hating life, but if you somehow manage to find yourself in the theaters to watch it be sure to turn your brain completely off as you won’t be needing it for the next 80 minutes.
Clive Owen is the star of the show playing a man known only as Smith who finds himself the accidental babysitter of a recently orphaned child. Hunting down the child for reasons I will leave for you to find out is Hertz played by Paul Giamatti who adds all the timely jabs throughout the picture. You must remember, as much as Shoot ‘Em Up is a film in love with action, it isn’t afraid to make fun of it at the same time. After Smith escapes for the nth time Hertz is left to wonder, “My good do we really suck, or is this guy really that good?” At the same time Smith is seen trying to buy guns and ammo with food stamps. The comedy is there, but for me, the action, comedy and story never meshed to a point that I could say I had a good time.
With comedy and action out of the way all that is left is the sex appeal to finalize the joke and Monica Bellucci supplies every bit of it, so much so that all the fanboys will be raving on and on about the gun fight/climax saving sex scene involving Clive, Monica and a whole lotta bullets. Like I said, several great scenes that would work in their own individual movies, but all at once it is just overkill.
There is an audience for a film like Shoot ‘Em Up, unfortunately I am on the outside looking in. There are some fun aspects, but in the end I became tired of all the gun play and wanted a story to fall back on. Once the premise of the film was laid out before me I was a bit miffed that I had spent any time wondering what it was all about.
