So...I watched Shoot 'Em Up today, and really enjoyed it. The action was wayyyyy over the top, and that's just fine by me. As the kind of movie that the title implies, it was Grade A bang bang stuff.The reason I'm writing about it here, though, is because of the none-too-subtle anti-gun message we get from the plot (or what there is of one; it has something to do with a politician and bone marrow and trying to kill a baby, but that's not really important...or comprehensible, really).
Given that, I'm nominating Shoot 'Em Up for the Tom Laughlin "I...go...berserk!!!" Award for most gratuitous violence in a film espousing non-violence. This award is named, of course, for
Tom's portrayal of Billy Jack, the pacifist who turns the other cheek by kicking people through windows and giving them fatal karate chops to the neck.In the case of Clive Owen's Smith character in Shoot 'Em Up, he assaults the 2nd Amendment and assuages his own guilt (there's some plot point in there about him selling a criminal the gun that was then used to kill his own wife and son...or something) by shooting, oh, I'd guess about 100 men. Jim and Sarah Brady salute you, my good man!
Maybe next we can give Chuck Norris the "Hugs for Thugs" award...
3 comments:
I think the title (and spirit) of this post also applies to every episode of the old TV show Kung Fu.
I liked "Shoot 'Em Up" too. When you laugh at an action movie, you know they've gone over the top. But it was fun. Just as fun as killing bad people who deserve it.
There is something very Zen about a crushing kick to the windpipe....
Save it for our honeymoon, baby...
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