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Shoot 'Em Up [Blu-ray]

1 disc
Region 1 USA/CA (info)

For an action film, boasting a body count higher than its IQ isn't always a bad thing. In director and screenwriter Michael Davis's stylish SHOOT EM UP, inventive set pieces, and tongue-in-cheek humor make for fun, fast entertainment. Clive Owen (CHILDREN OF MEN) plays Smith, a man who is minding his own business and chomping on carrots when he is forced to try to save a pregnant woman in trouble. After she is killed, he takes charge, keeping her newborn child safe from a snarling villain (Paul Giamatti, THE ILLUSIONIST). Aided by a prostitute (Monica Belluci, THE BROTHERS GRIMM), Smith shoots his way through the big city as he cradles the baby in his arms.

Davis hails from the same school of thought as fellow directors Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. Like those filmmakers, Davis doesn't take the medium too seriously, as he pays homage to action classics and peppers the film with playful dialogue and set pieces. This film might not be the standard choice for an Oscar-nominated actor such as Giamatti, but he's clearly enjoying his role as the bad guy, and it's just as much fun for the audience. With SHOOT EM UP, Davis has crafted a movie full of jaw-dropping action sequences sure to please fans of high-energy films from directors such as John Woo.
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- Rating - for pervasive strong bloody violence, sexuality and some language.
Additional Info

Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): 1000035484
Credits

Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti, Monica Bellucci, Monica Belluci, Stephen McHattie
Critic Reviews

3 stars out of 5 -- "A bold, brash blast of a movie....Davis' script has a wicked glint in its eye..."
Total Film
3 stars out of 5 -- "See SHOOT 'EM UP for the affectionate sendup it is, and you won't be able to wipe the grin off your face."
Rolling Stone
"Paul Giamatti, as the villain, has just the right feral sadistic sweatiness, and he does great..." -- Grade: B+
Entertainment Weekly
4 stars out of 5 -- "[S]howcasing genuine invention and pitch-black wit, as well as two eye-catching leads..."
Empire
"[T]he best thing about the fast-edited, grittily designed SHOOT 'EM UP is probably Paul Giammati as bad guy Hertz....His lipsmacking, beard-stroking, spectacle-winking, indomitable mania is one of the great pleasures of the film..."
Sight and Sound