To say that a film starts off with a bang is usually a figure of speech. Writer and director Michael Davis, however, wastes no time tiptoeing around this issue in his film “Shoot ‘Em Up.” It begins with about 20 bangs, actually, or possibly 30 or 40; it’s hard to keep track after a while. I suppose it is just the way of the action movie. I hesitate, though, to describe “Shoot ‘Em Up” in such a way, if only because the genre immediately brings to mind movies that star Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. Yet Davis’ film could hardly be described by any other word, as it consists mostly of Clive Owen racing around the city and, well, shooting people. Not a film for the faint of heart.
Owen plays a brooding, carrot-munching loner who self-identifies as “Smith” and happens to have a bit of trouble minding his own business. One evening, a very pregnant woman rushes past him, followed by a group of men who clearly intend to kill her. Out of human decency, or perhaps just pure curiosity, Smith follows the merry troupe into a warehouse and delivers the woman’s baby while dexterously taking down the bad guys one by one. The woman, however, is killed in the fray, and Smith finds himself stuck with a baby and a pack of armed men who are now, incidentally, chasing after him.
Not knowing why this baby was a marked man from birth, but knowing at least that newborn children need to be fed, Smith enlists help the only way he knows how: from a lactating prostitute at a venue he used to frequent. Donna (Monica Belluccci) reluctantly joins Smith in his quest to discover exactly who is after this baby and for what reason. As the pair searches for clues, they find that their charge was not the only baby wanted by these men; two others have already been found and killed along with their mothers. Smith and Donna must continually fight off the hordes of killers (who somehow always find them) while they race to uncover the mystery of the ill-fated baby farm.
There must be something alluring to Clive Owen about films in which the main character must save a child from an unwarranted death, as the plot of this film so closely aligns itself with that of another film Owen recently starred in: “Children of Men.” Alfonso Cuaron’s futuristic tale of a man who must protect the only pregnant woman on Earth is a far superior film conceptually than “Shoot ‘Em Up,” but it is difficult not to draw the parallel between them. Perhaps the juxtaposition of a rugged individual and a little baby is too intriguing an image to pass up; it certainly does make for some interesting viewing.
Owen has practically perfected the quiet, smoldering character that he frequently plays, which makes this film far more appealing than it would have been had he been showy and brash. He can often say more with a look than many actors can say with a monologue, which makes him fascinating to watch. Plus, if you ever wondered how one might use a carrot as a lethal weapon, Owen will show you how this can be accomplished. Paul Giamatti, too, does an excellent job as the leader of the “bad guys.” He has been choosing a number of villainous roles lately, which suit him surprisingly well when you think of his breakout role in “Sideways.” Here, he is smart and understated but also ruthless in his game of cat and mouse with Smith.
Davis’ script occasionally leaves something to be desired, sweeping explanations of certain plot points under the rug, though he does manage to avoid action movie clichés for the most part. With a strong cast and original story line, “Shoot ‘Em Up” succeeds in its goal: to entertain and nothing more.
