This movie which I understand lost a bundle at the U.S. box office -- more's the pity -- is more fun than a barrel full of monkeys. Written and directed by one Michael Davis (none of his past projects ring any bells with me), it is 80 minutes of live cartoon action that keeps the totally undiscerning viewer in all of us on the edge of our seats and provides a great number of satisfying yelps amongst the nonstop mayhem.
It is pointless hoping to make any sense out of the backstory which is something to do with breeding babies to provide bone marrow for a dying politician and how a munitions millionaire is out to thwart his plans with his army of assassins led by the unlikely Paul Giamatti. The hero here is Clive Owen who, despite being one of the dirtiest looking actors on screen, acquits himself as the upright do-gooder who is a cross between Bugs Bunny and every guncrazy action man of the past. During the first shootout he delivers a baby from a hunted pregnant gal and spends most of the film toting the newborn kid around after the mother dies -- this even outdoes Chow Yun Fat's baby antics. Assisted by an ex-lover and wetnurse, the delectable Monica Bellucci, Owen succeeds in decimating the baddies, often assisted by his weapon of choice -- a carrot! The movie boasts some excrutiating one-liners, but this is all part of the fun.
Since it was a flop, Mr. Davis is unlikely to be given a big-budget Hollywood film again -- and this is our loss as well.
1 comment:
Giamatti was a treat in this high speed romp with Owen and Bellucci providing
the good guys - though was she his ex-lover as her first appearance most
definitely shows her to be a whore.
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