DVD Pick of the Week: Shoot 'Em Up

Happy New Year! Welcome to the start of yet another year of DVD purchasing glory. No, I have not made the jump into the world of high definition yet. I am waiting at the edge of the pool for the wild kiddies to settle down and settle on just which game they wish to play. I have no desire to get in the middle of a format war, although I am leaning towards Blu Ray as the potential winner. Anyway, I am more content to move into the future with standard DVDs, for now.

The new year gets off to a bang with a small but sturdy collection of guilty pleasure type action flicks. There are not many titles being released this week, but most of the interesting ones pack a punch or three. That's right, the first releases of 2008 are definitely catering to the action loving crowd. None of the titles will ever be considered a classic, and your enjoyment will be linked to your ability to suspend disbelief and get down with a little zaniness.

While the sample is small, there is one title that rises above the rest. One title whose sheer insanity is almost enough to grant it action movie immortality. That title is none other than Shoot 'Em Up. You probably already knew that, having read the column title and all.

What makes this movie worthy of such an honor as this? Well, it is the wildest, craziest, most insane action film to have hit the big screen in 2007. There is almost a constant flow of bullets in just about any combination imaginable. It is non-stop from start to finish. Shoot 'Em Up is a masterfully pieced together collection of inventive set pieces. I loved every second of it.

No, it is not a terrible good film, but it will hold your attention. Believe it or not, it even has a bit of a story! In the big picture, it wants to comment on the place of firearms in our society and the violence they bring. In the smaller picture, it is the story of a man who feels a responsibility to protecting a newborn child from an endless supply of bad guys intent on separating the infant from his life.

Shoot 'Em Up is like an old Warner Brothers cartoon, with Clive Owen playing the role of Bugs Bunny (complete with ever-present carrot), and Paul Giamatti playing the role of a mash-up between Elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam. Each gunfight escalates the carnage and violence, much like in those old cartoons. When Bugs was being hunted and the first plan didn't work, each successive plan would get increasingly zany. At one point Owen even says "What's up, Doc?" after taking a nice and crunchy bite of a carrot. It as if to drive home the point of this being a hyperactive cartoon. Oh, it is glorious.

Here is a list of features included on the DVD:
• “Ballet of Bullets – Making Shoot ‘Em Up” documentary
• Feature length audio commentary from director and writer Michael Davis
• Deleted scenes with commentary from director and writer Michael Davis
• Scene animatics with commentary from director and writer Michael Davis
• Theatrical trailer
• Addictive TV remix trailer
• Red Band trailer

Also out this week:

• The Tudors: The Complete First Season. I have heard good things of this series, although I cannot claim any deep interest in seeing it, but I wouldn't mind giving it a shot.
• Resident Evil: Extinction. The third outing for the game series turned film series is fun, if flawed. It offers up plenty of action and proves to be better than the goofy second film.
• War. On some level, sure, this is fun, but it is so far below the potential. It failed to deliver the goods it promised in the form of a knock-down, drag-out between Jet Li and Jason Statham. It also telegraphs the twist way too early.
• Seaquest DSV: Season Two. I never really got into this series, but I think I never gave it the shot it deserved. The second season finally arrives on DVD.

Until next week!