Shoot 'Em Up
No name, no past, nothing to lose.
A gritty, fast-paced action thriller, Shoot 'Em Up kicks into high gear with a memorable opening scene and never relents. Clive Owen stars as Mr. Smith, a mysterious loner who teams up with an unlikely ally (Monica Belluci) to protect a newborn baby from a determined criminal (Paul Giamatti) who hunts them throughout the bowels of the city.
Member Reviews
A remarkable achievement - Spookyfish
I don't know how a director manages to take solid stars and ridiculous, over-the-top action and make it into this charmless bore of a movie. I gave this a second chance after hating it the first time, and I fell asleep 20 minutes in. A movie with this much action shouldn't be so dull at the same time.
And I'm no elitist. I really enjoyed Punisher: War Zone and Transporter 2, two of the most ridiculous action movies in years. Somehow, this one falls completely flatStink 'em Up - CanAmerican
Is it just me or does Clive Owen have all the emotional depth of Keanu Reeves? 90 minutes of scowling and mumbling is just too much and no amount of gunplay can compensate.
I'm usually a big fan of mindless action flicks but I found the character neither interesting, humorous, or enjoyable. Heck, they didn't even bother to give him a name. If the writers cared that little about the hero why would we give a crap?
The plotline is pathetic and thin. The characters are stereotypes and cardboard cutouts. A waste of Paul Giamatti's time and talent. Owen, on the other hand, is more of a character than an actor anyhow so he really couldn't disappoint me.
Even for those "hardcore" action movie fans who can shut off their brains, this movie is probably going to disappoint. Adding insult to injury, God help us... I think there's actually a sequel.BangBangBangBangBangBangBang - ZetaC
With enough bullets flying and bodies piling up to suit the most hard-core gunfight aficionado "Shoot 'Em Up" demands that you park your brain and just hang on. The glib one liners strike with the same force as the magnum-caliber rounds and the action stretches belief beyond anything resembling even the surreal. Still, the cinematography, editing, acting and sound hold this package tightly together and allow the black, black humor to erupt with as much impact as the bullets do. I'm not sure who the director is trying to outdo (Tarantino, Woo, De Palma or Peckinpah) but Michael Davis gives it a heck of a go. Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti are excellent - Giamatti especially so as they both allow the absurd to envelope them in character and still keep their balance. Monica Belluci is distracting in all the right ways. Anyway, lock and load kiddies - as Howard Taylor, author of the webcomic "Schlock Mercenary" observes in Mercenary Rule # 37 - "There is no overkill. There is only "Open Fire!" and "Time To Reload!""
Member Reviews
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A remarkable achievement - Spookyfish
I don't know how a director manages to take solid stars and ridiculous, over-the-top action and make it into this charmless bore of a movie. I gave this a second chance after hating it the first time, and I fell asleep 20 minutes in. A movie with this much ...Stink 'em Up - CanAmerican
Is it just me or does Clive Owen have all the emotional depth of Keanu Reeves? 90 minutes of scowling and mumbling is just too much and no amount of gunplay can compensate.
I'm usually a big fan of mindless action flicks but I found the character neither ...BangBangBangBangBangBangBang - ZetaC
With enough bullets flying and bodies piling up to suit the most hard-core gunfight aficionado "Shoot 'Em Up" demands that you park your brain and just hang on. The glib one liners strike with the same force as the magnum-caliber rounds and the action stretches ...