Shoot'em Up - Bang, Bang! We've got a hit!

Oh it has been a long time since I saw a good action flick that didn't try to be bigger and better than itself. Clive Owen came to America too late, he could have been a movie superstar by now if he had just crossed the ocean a little sooner. I don't really feel the need to tell you the gimmick of Shoot'em Up although I'm sure many sites have already done so, I will tell you the plot though which is something I'm sure others have not done. Basically Owen's character (Mr. Smith) can't help but stop a fleeing pregnant woman's would be attacker. Stopping this attack lands him with a dead mother and a newly delivered baby. Now the same people that were trying to kill the mother are trying to kill the baby. That's it! That simple, no big surprises, yes theres a bit more to the plot but they practically give it to you before they spell it out. None of that matters because this movie is just a vessel for great gun fights and witty dialog. Clive basically is Buggs Bunny with a gun and frankly it's hilarious. Giamatti plays Fudd to our Clive's Buggs, and does a brilliant job (as always) playing a character that he's really has no business playing.

Really there's nothing more to say about this movie. I'm sure there will be nah sayers on how there's too much action or that the story wasn't believable and I would say that they are wrong because this movie knows what it is... a simple action flick that delivers the action. I can't stress enough the great dialog between Clive and Paul. They basically finish each other's sentences, which yes I know isn't possible but damn isn't it funny! While I was watching the movie I couldn't help but think of Crank and how disappointing it turned out to be and wondered just how someone could screw up such a simple formula... but thankfully Shoot'em Up came out and I think it was a breath of fresh air and a good step towards revitalizing the action genre. Yeah there's a lot of good movies out right now (thankfully) but if you've got the chance and you're feeling like a laugh and some action then check it out, you won't be disappointed.