Bullet Time

Most films these days are at least 2 hours long so when I saw Shoot ‘Em Up would be less then an hour and a half I felt a little bit cheated. Adding this to the fact that the film appealed to my gamer side more than my movie side I felt unsure if I would enjoy it.

I needn’t have worried, Shoot ‘Em Up doesn’t disappoint. It lives up to its name, perhaps surprisingly delivers a descent story and has some great characters convincingly played by Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti and Monica Bellucci. It’s explosive, gritty, dirty, lavish and glossy. Gorgeous too, when Monica Bellucci is commanding your attention. That’s almost worth the entry fee and price of a hot dog and a drink alone. Well, perhaps not the drink.

There’s the obvious connection with John Woo’s now infamous choreographed gun ballets and detractors will certainly site this as a reason to say that Shoot ‘Em Up is crap or that it’s just a Woo rip off. It’s neither. The film stands on it’s own two feet needing no John Woo-esque crutch.

The movie is a lot of fun and perfect for gamers with a penchant for wielding firearms, wanting to be Max Payne or those that always wanted to have their very own BFG.

Shoot Em Up has put me in the mood for some blasting action. No Jack I’m not going to go out and shoot someone but I might go and try that demo of Stranglehold.

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