A deliberately excessive homage to John Woo.
Shoot 'Em Up (2007)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:157
Fresh:105
Rotten:52
Average Rating:6.2/10
Consensus: As preposterous and over-the-top as Shoot 'Em Up may be, its humor and non-stop action make for a very enjoyable film.
Theatrical Release:14-09-2007
Synopsis: 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... 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. [More]
Starring: Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti, Monica Belluci, Stephen McHattie
Starring: Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti, Monica Belluci, Stephen McHattie
Director: Michael Davis
Director: Michael Davis
Screenwriter: Michael Davis
Producer: Don Murphy, Susan Montford, Rick Benattar
Composer: Paul Haslinger
Studio: New Line Cinema
Reviews for Shoot 'Em Up
Impressively directed, frequently silly but nonetheless enjoyable thriller that delivers exactly what the title suggests – 86 minutes of non-stop shoot-'em-up fun.
It pokes fun at the American obsessions of guns, breasts and violence, says the producer. But can we have a proper storyline next time round, Mr Davis?
Thanks to its sneakily subversive tone (the plot, with heavy irony, involves gun control) and grandstand performances, the flashy result mostly hits the target.
The film is so fast it is over almost before it begins and so empty-headed it demands little but your inertia. On the way there are moments of weird charm, conjured by the movie’s velocity.
Brit writer/director Michael Davis deserves top marks for his sharp shooting.
There are laughs in Owen's loathing of various male affectations but it's ultimately wearyingly crude and calculating.
A smattering of great one-liners and a sense of its own ridiculousness make this the movie of the week by a mile.
It is utter nonsense and completely reprehensible morally. But it’s an outrageous amount of fun.
The inspired action sequences are brilliantly staged and imaginatively shot, and at 86 minutes it doesn't outstay its welcome.
A film that would be odious were it not realised with such verve and gleeful, inventive 'Looney Tunes' audacity, and only a trim 86 minutes long.
A bold, brash blast of a movie that will fade from memory like a puff of gunsmoke but still has the cordite whiff of a future cult hit about it for the leathered-at-2am crowd. Just don’t expect plot or much depth.
Bang, bang you're dead: Clive Owen romps his way through Shoot 'Em Up, an outrageously shoddy, audaciously choreographed exploitation flick that loves the smell of gunpowder in the morning.
This is seedy, morally defunct, low-IQ cinema for airheads: it’s toe-curlingly violent and mostly plain nasty, but quite fun in a debauched kind of way.
Bullets through umbilical cords, shootouts during sex and gunfights in gun factories: this is one movie that does exactly what it says on the tin.
With a thunderous pace and an outrageous level of violence and mayhem, this film blasts its way onto the screen, as the title suggests, dragging its reluctant hero into a series of increasingly ludicrous set pieces.
A depraved B(ullet) ovie that may not quite be John Woo’s wet dream, but which is good enough to make the maestro shift uncomfortably in his sleep.
By the final reel, Shoot 'Em Up's fuse manages to peter out without ever really igniting.
Latest News for Shoot 'Em Up
September 08, 2008:
Shoot 'Em Up, Bollywood Style ![]()
American audiences may have slept on "Shoot 'Em Up," but its charms were apparently not lost on the makers of what appears to be a Bollywood remake of the Clive Owen-led action... More...
October 14, 2007:
click for redband trailer and review ![]()
More...
September 16, 2007:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: Jodie Struggles But Still Hits #1
For the second straight weekend, a star-driven action drama aimed at adult audiences opened at number one with $14M in ticket sales from roughly 2,700 theaters. This time it was... More...
September 10, 2007:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: 3:10 to Yuma Speeds to #1 Spot
After struggling at the box office over the last few years, Russell Crowe scored his first number one film in more than seven years with the critically-acclaimed Western 3:10 to... More...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 67% 67% | Bruno |
| 47% 47% | My Sister's Keeper |
| 66% 66% | Is Anybody There? |
| 82% 82% | Thirst |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- Shoot 'Em Up at Rotten Tomatoes
- Shoot 'Em Up at IGN
- Shoot 'Em Up at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

