Split Decision on Shoot'em Up

We take a break from the current crop of new releases and take a look at a movie that was released a few weeks ago that managed to slip through the cracks. Shoot'em Up stars Clive Owen as a hitman(?) who during a wild shoot out delivers a baby. He incorporates the help of a harlot (Monica Bellucci) and the three of them seek refuge from an army of goons (led by Paul Giamatti) that are in hot pursuit of them.

Andy: I've got to be honest; the best thing about this movie this week is that it kept me from watching Good Luck Chuck. While that helped Shoot'em up some, the movie was unable to stand up on its own merits too well. The concept is pretty good, actually. You've got the gun-slinging action movie stripped down to its bare bones. As little time as possible is wasted on plot or background, we just need action. The film runs mercifully short (1 hour, 20 minutes), as a longer movie this crammed with gunfights would have been unbearable. As it is, Shoot'em Up is more than bearable, it's actually pretty entertaining. But I still felt something was missing, and apparently audiences felt the same, as they've been staying away from this one in droves.

Ryan: In some moviegoers eyes, there are going to be good reasons why Shoot'em Up fell through the cracks at the cineplexes. The movie is completely out-of-control. It's absurd and very ridiculous. But I really liked it. It's definitely not a movie for everybody. But as a stylized action set piece that doesn't take itself seriously, Shoot'em Up is a wild thrill ride of pure escapism. I can completely see that some moviegoers are not going to be into what this movie is but for those moviegoers looking for a testosterone-driven action flick, Shoot'em Up is that movie.

Andy: It's definitely intended to be read as escapism and it doesn't really attempt to be anything other than an all out action thrill-fest. The problem is that was so comfortably in the mold of the action
film that it seemed like it was bordering on satire. It didn't ever quite make the jump to satire, and I think that writer / director Michael Davis was going more for a tribute to action movies than a satire. The problem is that several things were just kind of stupid. At one point early in the movie Clive Owen's character (who inexplicably is always eating carrots) actually sticks a half eaten carrot through a bad-guy's skull. He then quips, “Eat your vegetables” It's almost funny, but not quite funny enough to work.

Ryan: Much of Shoot'em Up's entertainment value lies with the two leads Clive Owen, who is a fine actor that I really like, gives another enjoyable performance. Obviously this isn't his best work or anything new to his catalog, but he always puts forth a noteworthy performance. Paul Giamatti, who is as solid as they come, takes on the part as the villain. Playing the heel is somewhat new to Giamatti's resume but nevertheless one can tell that he greatly relished this opportunity to play such a vicious character.

Andy: There is no question that this movie is sporting some A-list talent. Giamatti and Owen are two of the best and certainly most consistent actors in Hollywood. And in the absence of a detailed story,
talented actors can often create depth with their performances. That just didn't quite happen here, and I imagine that's what the filmmakers were banking on. Owen is stoic and humorless as the mysterious lead. He does it well, but this movie needed a little more. It's not a bad performance, but it did not prop the movie up any, either. And I'll say this about Giamatti; he looked like he was having a lot of fun being the bad guy.
Shoot'em Up took a nice shot at being a pure action flick, but things didn't quite click for me. Final grade: C.


Ryan: Granted Shoot'em Up by design is supposed to be a film that doesn't take itself seriously. But even with that expectation the movie has to work with the framework that it sets up for itself. More often than not the film works. Not every James Bond-esque one-liner is a winner but most are. The action scenes are absurd but no more absurd than what one would see in a regular action flick. Shoot'em Up is basically a big budget B-movie that straddles the line of satire and straight ahead in-your-face action. The movie achieves what it sets out to do so I give it a B+.