Law Abiding Citizen (DVD)

Reviews

Reviewed by Micky B - 16 April 2010

While admittedly Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) does witness the raping and killing of his wife and daughter: this nevertheless gives him no moral right to take the law into his own hands some ten years later by planning and executing the violent deaths of not only those who committed the crime... but also everybody who was involved in their trial. Of course, none of this would have come about had the prosecuting attorney Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) simply done his job properly - and not been more concerned about maintaining his 96% conviction rate than the pursuits of what is right and what is wrong. Granted, I have never in any way understood America's so-called justice system that allows "plea-bargaining" and legal "deals" in order for individuals to receive lighter sentences than their crimes deserve... and this movie goes a long way to expose this way of doing these things for what they are. And despite the violence and bloodshedding, I couldn't help starting to "like" Shelton! He might be sitting in jail, but he shows himself to be still capable of "making things happen" through his extensive advanced planning. I particularly liked the "deals" he was making with Rice that involved strict time deadlines which - if Rice failed to meet them - well... It's a great action thriller that gives one plenty to think about, even once the film is over. Some viewers might get confused in certain parts, but my only negative comment is that the ending, while almost inevitable, was rather sudden. (I still rather like the Shelton character!) Much as I have come to admire Jamie Foxx's acting ("The Soloist", etc); even he is eclipsed here by Gerard Butler's subtle but chilling portrayal of Clyde Shelton. Verdict: a great evening's viewing!