Today, Tuesday September 26, there is “Shoot them down“ Very nice – from 11.45 pm on Tele5. It is a crazy action fireworks display that throws all logic out the window. However, director and screenwriter Michael Davis’ film is so consistently absurd that we are happy to overlook it and enjoy the ballerina orgy. If you missed it on TV, you can of course also grab Blu-ray and the like.
“Shoot ‘Em Up” is pure action madness
When Mr. Smith (Clive Owen) protects a pregnant woman from dangerous criminals while she gives birth to her child in a hail of bullets, the adventure begins for the mysterious protagonist. Because the mother dies during childbirth and now Smith has to take care of the baby. However, the gangster Hertz (Paul Giamatti) wants the little child dead and sends more of his henchmen to track down Smith and the baby.
The plot fits on a beermat, but the execution makes “Shoot ‘Em Up” one of the craziest action movies you’ll ever see: almost from minute 1, it’s non-stop filming for all it’s worth. Just like John Wick, Mr. Smith takes on a host of enemies as a one-man army, only his methods are dozens of times crazier than those of the Keanu Reeves hero.
There is a scene where Mr. Smith kills an opponent with a carrot. Another time he has sex with Donna, played by Monica Belucci, and gives her the orgasm of her life, while also shooting a bunch of henchmen. “Shoot ‘Em Up” isn’t ashamed of sacrificing logic for entertainment – and that’s a good thing!
Our FILMSTARTS review by Björn Helbig of “Shoot ‘Em Up” gives it a strong 4 out of 5 stars. However, this ballerina won’t necessarily please everyone. Because to enjoy “Shoot ‘Em Up” you need a special skill: You have to be able to switch your brain into gear for 90 minutes. Then “Shoot ‘Em Up” is really worth it!