Imagine yourself helplessly looking on as the ones you love are brutally murdered; for Clyde Shelton, that was reality. Gagged and bound during a home invasion, Shelton looked on as both his wife and daughter were brutally raped and murdered. When the guys were caught, he was relieved that justice would finally be served. However, Nick Rice was assigned the case, and with the majority of his decisions being made to keep his conviction percentage high, he struck a deal with one of the murderers in order to ensure the other would go straight to death row. Ten years later, Shelton reappears out of nowhere to wreak havoc on Nick and fix the flawed justice system that failed his family during their own eleventh hour.
Carrying the always heavy vengeance card, F. Gary Gray's Law Abiding Citizen had my heart from the second I walked into the theater. Gerard Butler does an impressive job at appealing to his audience, making us all route for the bad guy during his time of trouble. You long for him to succeed, and for each 'justice seeking' individual, you applaud their unruly take-down. He is on top of his game here -the first time since his role in 300, and boy is it a welcoming sight. Jamie Foxx is a better-than-expected arch nemesis for the true bright star in the film; however, I have never really cared for the man, and therefore focused on his role as little as possible. As a result, my opinion on his work is quite biased to say the least.
The witty and sarcastic undertone used throughout the feature is impressive, especially given Butler's lack of comedic showings over the past few years. His delivery and demeanor is of a psycho sells; yet his father-figure performance is realistic, giving you healthy balance worth rooting for up until the final moment. He reaches his peak during a court room scene, when a self-made argument is called into question after the judge sides with him and his request. It is the first real comical moment in the film, brightening the tone and letting us all know that Law Abiding Citizen cannot be taken too seriously.
The violence that comes with this type of premise is always unknown; but I am here to inform you that blood and gore are definitely key players in the overall story. Deaths are explicitly illustrated on the big screen (some expected, some that will surely catch you off guard), and while not everything is visually created, it is all clear in the aftermath. A bullet to the head, a dagger to the throat and a box-cutter to the male reproductive organ are just a few of the many explicit 'crimes' that you will get to feast on during your fast-paced viewing experience.
The unusual styles of deaths as well as the character analysis of Shelton make up the harsh unrealistic edge to the otherwise complete story. Even though the ending solidified the idea that all of the events could have never occurred in reality, Law Abiding Citizen is intense and entertaining and deserves to be seen. Don't miss this enthralling experience.
