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For an action film, boasting a body count higher than its IQ isn't always a bad thing. In director and screenwriter Michael Davis's stylish SHOOT 'EM UP, inventive set pieces, and tongue-in-cheek humor make for fun, fast entertainment. Clive Owen (CHILDREN OF MEN) plays Smith, a man who is minding his own business and chomping on carrots when he is forced to try to save a pregnant woman in trouble. After she is killed, he takes charge, keeping her newborn child safe from a snarling villain (Paul Giamatti, THE ILLUSIONIST). Aided by a prostitute (Monica Belluci, THE BROTHERS GRIMM), Smith shoots his way through the big city as he cradles the baby in his arms.
Davis hails from the same school of thought as fellow directors Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. Like those filmmakers, Davis doesn't take the medium too seriously, as he pays homage to action classics and peppers the film with playful dialogue and set pieces. This film might not be the standard choice for an Oscar-nominated actor such as Giamatti, but he's clearly enjoying his role as the bad guy, and it's just as much fun for the audience. With SHOOT 'EM UP, Davis has crafted a movie full of jaw-dropping action sequences sure to please fans of high-energy films from directors such as John Woo.
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