Film: In times of bird flu, swine fever, mad cow disease and several food scandals, vegetables are often touted as the only possible alternative for a healthy diet. What has been concealed, however, is that certain vegetables, especially carrots, can be not only harmful but even deadly.
The proof of this comes in the very first minutes of the highly entertaining action thriller "Shoot `Em Up". Watching a pregnant woman being stalked by a group of apparent professional killers, the irascible Smith rushes to the rescue - initially armed only with a carrot, but quickly swapping it for a firearm after taking out the first killer. What a murderous situation he's gotten himself into, he doesn't yet suspect. But after he is forced to play obstetrician amidst a never-ending hail of bullets and discovers that the newborn, not the mother, is the real target, the grumpy loner must take on a very unfamiliar role that he will not be able to master without help.
While Smith tries to persuade prostitute DQ (Monica Bellucci) to help him, head gangster Hertz (Paul Giamatti) and his men set out to hunt Smith down. And one thing is for sure: this hunt is going to be bloody as hell and extremely lead-filled.
There are always movies that film critics are particularly happy to see, because they make your job so damn easy. "Shoot `Em Up" is one such case. A pure fun movie with minimal story, it offers its viewers exactly what the title promises. And this is where the film's great strength lies: at no point does it try to be anything more than a pure fun movie. The violence is so over-the-top that there's never even the suspicion that the filmmakers intended to stage a serious action thriller.
So "Shoot `Em Up" can then come up with some really entertaining highlights, such as the most original childbirth, the most murderous sex scene and the most amusing air chase in recent film history. The whole thing is carried by Clive Owen, who is a really "cool sow in the best sense of the word. A little over the top, but having no less obvious fun, is Paul Giamatti as the villain who, in addition to his problems with Smith, has to deal with the constant phone calls from his wife. And Monica Bellucci is once again simply a feast for the eyes, proving herself to be perfect casting for her role at every second as well.
Whoever is looking for intellectual head-scratching, wants to combine action with pretension, or places great value on a logical story should give "Shoot `Em Up" a wide berth. But if you're looking for lots of lead-filled fun, politically incorrect bloodshed, some of the best shootouts of the year, and the coolest main character in a long time, you're in for a treat. And one thing is guaranteed: they will see Carrots with a whole different set of eyes after watching this movie!!
Picture: The picture is artificially distorted in places. So coarse grain and green-blue dominated coloration are absolutely intentional and not a drawback. Overall, the picture is very clean and pleasingly free of glitches and artefacts for a recent production from Warner, which has delivered more than just good picture quality in recent times. Very good!
Sound: The viewers fly the bullets soundtechnically proverbial around the ears. Here it crashes and bangs violently, which is why there is only one possible rating: Very good!
Extras: Other, as in the USA or in England the bonus material was packed on a second DVD. For those who can do without it, an almost bonus-free single-disc variant is offered. However, if you want to know more about the background, you can't avoid the double DVD. The first DVD starts with about 22 minutes of drawn animatics sequences, which are optionally commented by the director. The whole thing is surprisingly amusing and it's quite interesting to see which sequences Michael Davis had drawn to convince the studio of his intention later made it almost 1:1 into the finished film.
Continues with a multi-part, almost 60-minute Making of, which examines various aspects of the production in detail. This making of alone is almost worth the premium for the more expensive double DVD. It continues with nine deleted or extended scenes, which can also be viewed with an optional commentary by the director. There are a few nice moments to discover here, but it becomes clear, especially through the commentary, why these sequences have fallen victim to the scissors.
Finally, there are a few trailers for the film, whereby especially the trailer remix is worth a look.
Conclusion: "Shoot `Em Up" is not for the feint-hearted, that much is certain. But this lead orgy is fun in any case. Technically, the DVD is very well implemented, especially by Warner standards, the good extras make the purchase of the more expensive double DVD (or for credit card holders optionally the purchase of the identically equipped single disc from USA or England) absolutely recommendable!
Original title: Shoot `Em Up
Director: Michael Davis
Number of Discs:2
Languages: German (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 5.1 EX)
Subtitles:German, English
Image Format: 16:9 (2.35:1)
Extras: Audio Commentary, Making of, Animatics (From Storyboard to Finished Scene), Cut Scenes, Trailer
FSK: No Youth Rating
Length: approx. 82 min
Regional Code: 2
