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movie review - Shoot 'Em Up

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-eight years and a million words

Tokyo, 2009.08.04

Having recently seen "Children of Men" I was happily surprised to track down another Clive Owen movie at the Tsutaya. It was a .. "gun comedy"? "Bullet-gore festival"? Ah, there's no category for this one. It's a hilariously over-the-top shoot 'em up that starts when a woman in labor walks past a man waiting at a bus stop.

It ends with an astronomical body count, the man at the bus stop having taken an interest in the woman when he sees an armed goon pursuing her vowing to kill her. I mean; as you would.

Along the way there's a fine soundtrack if you like loud rock/metal and quite a few stunts and scenes, some of which I'd believe Jackie Chan would applaud.

Recommended.

rand()m quote

The point isn't revenge. It is justice. Revenge is like a wave that washes up on shore - it always washes back out again. Justice is like the shore - it's still there after the wave comes and goes.

—commenter "JP" on a Rolling Stone article about the crooks running Wall Street