So, the husband and I sat down to view Shoot 'Em Up this evening.
I will not outline the plot, because there was no plot. Well, a small one might have snuck in there, somewhere, but really, it didn't mean to, man. It was only trying to help. Really, it shouldn't have bothered. Because it just distracted from the action, and, Jesus, Mary, Joseph and all the saints and angels, is there some action in this movie! It was stylized to a fare-thee-well, and clever in bits, but it was repetitive and so freakin' over the top, that you wondered what they could pull off next, because they couldn't go there, could they?
Yes, Junior, they could and they would.
At one point, I didn't think it could get any more over-the-top and I was thrilled with one development and I, quite literally, began screaming at the tee vee, "Gimme More! Gimme More!" And, God bless them, they obliged me. When the movie was finished, I was worn out, and breathless, like I'd just had spectacular, knocked-the-house-off-the-foundation sex and was having a hard time coming back down to earth. It was exhilarating in a completely mindless way...and it was fan-fucking-tastic.
Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti are to be kissed full-on the lips for making this movie. I'll slip Clive some tongue, but Paul...well, ok, I'll slip Paul, tongue, too. They deserve it, because between the two of them, they manage to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. No one else could have pulled this off. They did not take themselves seriously, because if they had, they would have ruined it. And they knew it.
Anyway, the upshot is that Shoot 'Em Up is bad. So, so bad. But it's bad in a very good way. For once, the movie is as advertised. It's a shoot 'em up movie. Nothing more, nothing less. For that alone, I want to thank someone profusely. But that the movie is grand in every, way shape and form, well, that makes it even better.
Highly recommended for a couple of hours of mindless, exciting fun.
Posted by Kathy at December 21, 2007 09:43 PM | TrackBack