Shoot 'Em Up

Whoa, baby, there's probably more firepower per frame here than in any other movie this year. In fact, some of this stuff is so out there you'll just have to see it to believe it. Clive Owen rules as the self-described "angriest, most hard-boiled man in the world," who suddenly finds himself with an unexpected bundle of joy when he becomes entrusted with a newborn child born in the midst of a major gun battle. For various reasons, the baby is the target of some mystery men, led by Paul Giamatti, who want to do her in before she even takes his first step. This all leads Owen, with child in tow, to some of the craziest gunfights imaginable, including shoot-outs during a sexual encounter and while jumping out of a plane. In between showdowns, he teams up with a prostitute (Monica Bellucci) to try and figure out why it seems everyone wants the little tyke dead. The director, Michael Davis, describes the film in the press notes as a "blue-collar James Bond movie"; and watching Clive kick ass with his automatics and trademark carrot, you realize what a great, edgy Bond he might have been. Having this lively, nonstop opportunity to show his action chops is the next best thing, because Shoot 'Em Up is loaded for fun, a trigger-happy assault on our senses that really seems to be winking at a whole macho-movie genre. Don't take it seriously, and you'll have a great time.