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5.02.2009

Shoot 'Em Up- An Action Packed Ride

Think about the title of the movie. It conveys what the genre and the film is all about. Yes! Shooting! If you don't like it then just stay home. I’m not an action movie buff and so I watched this film with NIL expectations. Michael Davis, the writer-director of Shoot 'Em Up has churned out not the best of Action movies but when it comes sans logic it accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do. This is a fast paced, finely written and if you take this film too serious, then you will not like it. Don't go expecting high art... Shoot Em Up doesn't take itself seriously enough for that. But that's exactly what makes it work. If you expect realistic events, prepare to be disappointed. The movie starts out with a bang, quite literally and doesn't settle down the entire time. There's a plot somewhere in the movie, but if you think too hard, it'll disappear in a puff of logic.


The story is negligible: lone man Smith (Clive Owen) shows up as a knight in shining armor to a lady who is about to pop a baby, being chased by baddies, then finishes off the huge gang of bad guys who are in pursuit. After the woman is killed, he takes the baby to transient safety and goes on the run with a lactating prostitute named Donna (Monica Bellucci) taking her from her business of kinky sex and makes her the baby's surrogate mother. A smarmy gangster Hertz (Paul Giamatti), connected to an illicit arms manufacturer Hammerson (Stephen McHattie), is in pursuit of both Smith and the baby for reasons that are finally disclosed. The ending is as well eye-catching; unfortunate band of robbers who attempt to rob…... Wait! Wait! Close my mouth! And you go and watch it. But it is the getting there that is all the fun.


Clive Owen as the hero (inexplicably titled Mr. Smith) quite literally never stops shooting. He shoots while having sex, he shoots while in the middle of free-fall, he shoots with his fingers broken. But he is the coolest action hero I have seen in a long time. He’d kill you as fast with a carrot as with a gun (kind of BUGS BUNNY as he has a special fondness for carrot) Paul Giammatti is witty and surprisingly enjoyable to watch as the bad guy (BOLLYWOOD AND KOLLYWOOD can take a look at him). He has just the right feral sadistic sweatiness, and he does great, exasperated takes on the words "God damn it!" Monica Bellucci makes her impossible role credible and as always is gorgeous to look at!



That being said, the gunfights, car chases are stellar and the methods of the endless killings include several (using the carrot that Smith keeps at hand as a weapon). They are lots of fun, with ridiculous things going on the entire time. I liked the part where CLIVE shoots a light board so that the alphabets in it stands FUK U and PAUL after seeing it, shoots it again and now it reads FUK U TOO. The dialog is peppered with hilarious one-liners that have a real edge and as cheesy and lame as you could ask for (FUCK ME SIDEWAYS, SIT HERE showing his MIDDLE FINGER)



Flaws: The shooting starts when the baby is born and doesn’t stop till the credits are rolled. The stunts (including a skydiving gunfight without benefit of parachutes) are over-the-top leaving you exhilarated, also exhausted. It’s hard to wipe the grin off your face when the plot is revealed that the presidential candidate who survives on bone marrow harvested from infants. The violence is very extravagant, but what else did you expect from this title? It is the sort of violence that doesn't really bother you in a film. So dump the flaws.


It is the ultimate guy movie. Shoot Em Up was made to entertain the dozen action junkie, so if you aren't one, you will no doubt hate this flick. Just suspend your reason & logic, turn your brain off for 80 minutes, grab a DVD nearby and enjoy the ride.


Mr. Critic 5-Star: ***1/2



THANKS!! KEEP VISITING!!


15 Droplets:

muthu said...

one of the best shooter movies... I have ever seen....

pure adrenaline....

if you want so much of a story in your movies.. i would advice you 2 watch 12 tzameti...

Lancelot said...

machi clive owennu ethukku avanukku peru vanthuchu??

Karthik said...

@Muthu:

Thanks fr the recommendation... Keep dropping mate!!


@Lancelot:


Theriyale machi.. oru quarter sollen :P Actually U know our friend Michael owen na?? The good luking guy who stole ur girlfriend CASSANDRA?? He was putting C in her navel.. And this guy saw it LIVE by opening the roof!!

C+LIVE+OWEN= CLIVE OWEN!!

Arc said...

Lol over Karthik's reply for Lance.

You don't like action flicks? I mean, This is SURPRISING! :-)

And forget Clive Owen.
Watch Antonio Banderas in Desperado.No explicit killing. But the way he fiddles arnd with his gun...Treat!!
And yes, the Godfather for action Flicks-Terminator Judgement day is my pick.

Will try to grab the DVD of this movie:-)
Nice review overall:-)

V. Archana said...

action?? no yaar..no in mood nw. :)

Priya Joyce said...

I hate Akshay kumar only for action :P

BTW r u on a template change spree ??

Lancelot said...

//@Lancelot:


Theriyale machi.. oru quarter sollen :P Actually U know our friend Michael owen na?? The good luking guy who stole ur girlfriend CASSANDRA?? He was putting C in her navel.. And this guy saw it LIVE by opening the roof!!

C+LIVE+OWEN= CLIVE OWEN!!//

Dai unmayaavae padathulla vantha kathaya illa nee eluthunaa scriptaa?? vara vara tamil cinema directors mathiri mattama yosikka arambichitta...appuram girls yaarum un blogukku vara maatanga Siluvai mattum thaan varuvaan... BE CAREFUL

@ Arc

unnaku moolai mangikittae varuthu...

Arv said...

saw it long back :)

bellucci is hot :)

Anonymous said...

hey,

insightful review. And I for one like Clive Owen. Perhaps still the Arthur Effect - as a lot of people tell me that he has been pretty daft and uninspiring since then.
I love his accent in King Arthur and some of the dialogues stick in mind:

"No man fears to kneel before the God whom he trusts Lancelot..."in reply to Lancelot's repartee seeing Arthur praying, "Arthur... why do you always speak to God and not to me?"
And then Lancelot goes onto say in reply to Arthur, "I hate anything that puts a man on his knees."
Arthur's reply: "My Faith is what protects me Lancelot... How do you question that?"

Elsewhere one of the Knights says, "The Romans have broken their word. But we have Arthur's word. I'll prepare." Simple but slapping.

Again elsewhere in his confrontation with Bishop Germanius, he speaks along these lines: Bishop, on this day, on this day they are to be liberated, you want to tell my men that instead of freedom you offer death... (don't remember the words exactly)
To wish (the bloody) guy replies, "(For your men to get their freedom) they must cross the entire breadth of the Roman empire. And when they return, their freedom will (await them)... Traitors will be hunted down like dogs."

And then towards the end of the film (by the narrator): "And all those men who fought that day did so for a larger cause freedom... (goosebumps here. And as for the knights who laid down their lives, (...) will be passed from father to son and mother to daughter in the tales of Arthur and his Knights!"

Sorry for an unrestrained indulgence of my memory and tangential comments of a film I simply LOVE.

You write well!

கா.கி said...

the director's "wanted" is better in my pov

Sayani said...

yeah i have seen it. umm not sure abt guy movie coz i think some gals like it too :P
its sometime we want to watch a movie without being bothered

Action movie somethong which accelerate adranil . loved it

swati said...

oopss action movie??will i ever get ur comment on some light movies Mr.critic :P
action goes hands in hands wid all u guys yaar..

Karthik said...

@Arc:

I saw all your recommendations Arc!! :) Judgment Day, the villain was robotic and amazing

@Archana:

Next is a review on animation!!


@Vinnie:

I know the reason for this comment.. yeas I'm stupid!!


@Priya:

I hate Akshay Kumar for everything.. lol!!


@Lance:

His real name s Clive owen.. the character name is Mr. Smith...


@Arv:

Malena?? Did u have a look at it?? Drooling over her!!

Karthik said...

@ Srini:

OMG!! Such a big comment.. But I could understand only at the third read.. :P Thanks!! keep visiting!!


@Kake:

Yup!! Wanted is more kinda MASS Film!! The hero and his Punch Dialogs... Hope Vijay re-makes it as the girl his lover instead of daughter


@Sayani:

Thanks Keep dropping!!

@Swathi:

Am not a action freak.. I loved this one.. i prefer more of soft, romantic, fantasy movies!!

Unknown said...

tat's a good one!