Shoot 'Em Up Review

"Shoot 'Em Up" sees Clive Owen playing with more guns than John Rambo does over an entire trilogy as he battles to save a new born baby from a gang of assassins lead by Paul Giamatti. We're introduced to Owen's enigmatic loner, named only as Smith, as he's sitting on a bench in a dodgy looking part of town. His peace and quiet though is soon disturbed as a heavily pregnant woman runs past pursued by a horde of equally heavily armed gangsters. Smith decides, against his better judgement, to help the woman out and, to cut a long story short, finds himself on the run with only a new born baby and a prostitute (Monica Bellucci) with a kinky specialty for company.

Totally over the top and with a higher body count than most mainstream movies, "Shoot 'Em Up" should sit well with the post pub party crowd who'll appreciate the stylish action and Monica Bellucci's buxom tart with a heart. Writer / director Michael Davis isn't going for high art here but he manages to impress with his flash visuals and inventive deaths while Owen plays it all mean and moody as Smith, a man desperately trying to keep a rein on his softer side as he threatens to bond with the baby in his charge. And while Giamatti is suitably psychotic as the family man / gangster on Smith's trail, it's still a surprise to see him quite such an action packed role.

In short, you're going to get what you expect here - think this year's "Crank" but with more guns and you can't go wrong.