16 September 2007

Clive Owen: Action Hero

With Shoot 'Em Up Clive Owen has cemented his status as an action star. He's got the look, he's got the humor, he's just got it. He is able to take a carrot-eating squatter named "Mr. Smith" (similar to Layer Cake's "XXXX" we never hear his true name) and turn him into a compelling character.



Shoot is simply a fun movie. It's not going to win any awards (although it may be nominated for some Razzies...but I believe that says more about the Razzies than the movie itself) but it was a well-made action-comedy. The key to this film is that it doesn't take itself seriously as an action film. Yeah, it has all the cliches that you'd expect to see in an action movie...there is an unbelievably unrealistic car chase, Mr. Smith can kill baddies at will while those same henchmen seemingly can't hit him. It even has a gunfight while freefalling from an airplane and double entendres that would make 007 himself blush. However, the movie acknowledges these cliches...at one point after Mr. Smith takes out a virtual batallion of henchies, Giamatti's top bad guy remarks, "Is he that good or are we just that bad?"

It's not a great movie, but it sure is fun. Overall, this film garners 7/10 for the lighthearted action.

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