Review of Shoot 'Em Up (2007) by Luis A. H — 04 Jul 2015

Being the rare case of a critically popular action-comedy, Shoot 'Em Up absolutely demanded I view it.

It takes absolutely no time before Shoot 'Em Up establishes its full intentions as an action comedy not meant to be taken seriously at all. It takes less than two minutes before protagonist Mr. Smith executres his first enemy with a carrot through the head. For all its ridiculous value, Shoot 'Em Up does not mess around at all. It couldn't care about being realistic or having any kind of story, it just wants to be a fast paced thrill ride full of action and black comedy. With the action film industry being killed by the preposterous demands of Hollywood, it is great to see a film like Shoot 'Em Up going back to focusing on what makes action films truly great: powerful action scenes. Since our world is currently plagued by generic action films with familiar plot devices dragged down by PG-13 action scenes of crummy cinematography and choppy editing, Shoot 'Em Up returns to a form of intentionally plotless R-rated exhilaration built on a comically-oriented script, following a similar style to the 2006 Jason Statham action vehicle Crank. As a result, Shoot 'Em Up is an exercise in the technical competence of director Michael Davis who knows what fans demand and delivers.

Shoot 'Em Up is written extremely well. It neglects a story but not a script as it has plenty of deadpan humour in the action as well as genuinely ridiculous jokes in the script which are played off as natural in the film but clearly stand out for their absurdist nature. It proves hilarious, though perhaps not as funny as Crank. The two films are very similar, yet Shoot 'Em Up has higher production values and more creative action to it. The versatile nature of the action means that it reaches some incredibly over the top heights, such as Mr. Smith suspending himself from a rope lowering him down the shaft in the middle of a staircase and shooting everyone on the way down or leaping through the air and executing everyone before hitting the ground, and there is such a good consistency of it as it proves high in quantity over the course of the brief 88 minute running time. Perhaps one of the best things about this is that the blood and gore in the film is relentless. It is not gruesome to the point that it renders the film torture porn, but rather it just lights up the screen and illuminates how truly violent the entire experience is with blood being thrown everywhere. There are even occasionally uses of nudity thrown in there, and both these elements render the experience of Shoot 'Em Up a very exploitation piece in a brilliantly contemporary exploration of the style. All the action is shot and edited masterfully, and the sound effects are perfectly in tune with what is happening on screen.

Much of the time, Shoot 'Em Up feels like a music video. While there are uses of quick cuts, they hardly interfere with the quality of the action and in fact establish a stylishly quick rush to match the manic energy of the film. And considering the way that the soundtrack is used, this notion is reinforced very well. Shoot 'Em Up makes excellent use of its soundtrack, in particular the songs Ace of Spades and Joker and the Thief. These capitalise on the atmosphere of the film and illuminate it in a tenacious manner and makes the rush of everything all the more exciting and stylish. Because of this, Shoot 'Em Up is effectively entertaining on both the eyes and the ears of viewers who are willing to embrace its unapologetic and merciless passion for action.

And the main two actors in Shoot 'Em Up embrace the fun around them very well.

Clive Owen delivers a powerful effort in Shoot 'Em Up. Without showing a hint of emotion beyond aggression and deadpan humour, Jason Statham captures a Jason Statham edge for his performance in Shoot 'Em Up while retaining his natural English charm in his line delivery. Perhaps what is most impressive about Clive Owen's performance is his physical capabilities as an action hero. He previously exhibited his skills at portraying a gritty character while grasping weaponry in the 2005 neo-noir film Sin City, and this time the entire film his own vehicle. And as well as capturing gritty appeal, Clive Owen brings a deadpan comedic edge to his role. He leaps through the air and gets in on the stunts with incredible dedication, maintaining a firm grasp over both his character and his weapon without dropping either of them for a second. The characters is not one with depth, it is simply a chance to broadcast Clive Owen's abilities as an action hero and a man of comedy which proves that he is able to integrate them both into the same role while maintaining a fearless edge of grit consistently. Clive Owen branches out in Shoot 'Em Up and proves he is worthy as a leading man of action cinema.

Paul Giamatti is also a spot on villain. The man has proven on various occasions that he is able to play an antagonist well, and in Shoot 'Em Up he does this through maintaining a sense of sophistication which adds to the manipulative nature of the character while occasionally breaking that for the sake of the film's humour. Either way, his demeanour is a clever blend between manipulative and genuinely intimidating. The intense chemistry between Paul Giamatti and Clive Owen proves to be the endeavour of his performance, and so the two work alongside extremely well as hero and villain in Shoot 'Em Up.

So Shoot 'Em Up forsakes story for a non-stop barrage of bloody action coupled with deadpan humour and strong performances from Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti, effectively honouring action junkies everywhere and serving as a powerful experiment on the action film genre.