Hitting And Missing
Do not see this film if you are looking to relax, Shoot 'Em Up (2007) puts the pedal to the metal action-wise from start to finish. This, of course, does not mean that there are no reasons to skip this film altogether or that there are no reasons for you to run out and view it as soon as possible.... There are definitely both pluses and minuses to this gun-blazer.
Unfortunately for the film, its number one starring actor cannot act his way out of a five-sided box. Clive Owen hardly acts at all when you think about it, he just hams everything up into oblivion - and it is painful to watch. However, as surprising as it may seem, Owen is far from the absolute worst thing about the film.
But what really makes you shake your head at this film is how much of a hypocritical mess it is. While glorifying violence with every abnormal and gruesome death scene, the film tries to pass a message of gun control through the undertow. Who do they think they are fooling?
On the sunnier side of things, Paul Giamatti is clearly having a ball with his funny yet evil to the core supporting bad guy role and Monica Bellucci is hotter than any imagination could possibly conjure up which is, let's face it, the only reason for her character's existence in the film in the first place.
Shoot 'Em Up has more than enough over-the-top action but it does not feel out of place or cheesy since the whole point of the film is being over-the-top, until its self-righteous counter theme stumbles into the picture that is. Oh, and the film features plenty of head-banging and mind-numbing heavy metal throughout. Take this as either a warning or a reason to get excited, depending on your musical taste.
Despite its better points, Shoot 'Em Up is not exactly a riveting viewing experience. So if you end up disliking this film, you cannot say that I did not warn you....
CBC Rating: 5/10
No comments:
Post a Comment