From Description:

From Amazon.com:

The legal thriller meets the serial-killer shocker in Law Abiding Citizen. The story begins when home invaders kill Clyde Shelton's wife and daughter. The bereaved father (played by a thoroughly unsympathetic Gerard Butler) looks to slick Philly prosecutor Nick Rice (a low-key Jamie Foxx) to see that they receive the maximum sentence. Instead, the murderer, Ames, testifies against his accomplice, Darby, who gets the chair, while he gets 10 years. Upon his release, Ames' mutilated body turns up in an abandoned warehouse, and all roads lead to Shelton. Rice attempts to defend him, but his client makes it impossible--Shelton wants to go to prison--so he does time, but then members of Rice’s legal team start to die. The attorney suspects Shelton, but can't connect him to the crimes, so he races against the clock to save the lives of his assistant, Sarah (Leslie Bibb), D.A. Jonas (Bruce McGill), and his own wife and child. The movie may sound like a Yank reboot of the Japanese chiller Cure, in which an inmate kills from inside institutional walls, but plays more like a mash-up between The Silence of the Lambs, without the psychological complexity, and The Devil's Advocate, without the cynical giggles. F. Gary Gray got his start with hip-hop videos and urban action flicks, like Set It Off, until he hit the big time with his remake of The Italian Job. Law Abiding Citizen is a disappointing muddle from a director who's done better in the past and will surely do better in the future. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Stills from Law Abiding Citizen (Click for larger image)

02/16/2010

Colm Meaney, Bruce Mcgill, Regina Hall, Viola Davis, Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler, Leslie Bibb.

Director, F. Gary Gray.

DVD.

English audio.

After his family was murdered ten years earlier, a man takes out his revenge on not only the killers but everyone involved, including the District Attorney who was assigned to the case. Includes commentary, behind the scenes, trailer, and featurettes.

"...a thought-provoking movie."--USA Today

"...able to generate considerable suspense and a sense of dread."--Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

"...entertaining..."--MSNBC

1

As soon as I saw this on DirecTV, I knew I had to have this. A very original, well thought out story line, very well executed! <br />Law Abiding Citizen

When I saw this film advertised for theatres, I thought it was an action film. I don't think it was marketed well. Law Abiding Citizen goes way beyond action, though it does have some explosive sequences. It's actually more of a noir thriller, with many plot twists and unexpected diversions. It had many elements that reminded me of films like Phone Booth, Die Hard With a Vengeance and even Speed. The trailer made it out as a simple criminal versus a virtuous DA, but it's much deeper than that. Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler are playing a deadly game against one another, and there is no black and white. Butler's character is supposedly "the villain," but one that is so easy to sympathize with, even justified in his actions. The film really highlights many of the problems in our criminal justice system, lending the story credibility and realism. The plot kept me guessing as to just how Butler was accomplishing his objectives. However, I do think the ending could have been better. After so much clever cat and mouse, the climax was too simple and didn't live up to what came before. Overall though, it was an exciting film that kept me paying close attention and on the edge of my seat. Also, the acting from the two leads was top notch, and even the supporting cast was noticeably superb. <br /> <br />The DVD has some well done extras, including featurettes on special effects shots and behind the scenes. However, the best featurette discusses the law behind the film. Experts explain the actual statutes that impact the characters in the film and how they are realistically played out in the story. It added a lot to the film, basing the plot on more than than just getting off on "a technicality." The extras add to the film experience. Well worth the money; I'll definitely watch this again.

Both Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx give really good performances here but I was most impressed with Gerard. He gives a really fierce performance that I enjoy watching a lot. The ending was a bit of a let down but it still held some subtle strengths with the things we see in the scene. This movie is filled with shocks, suspense and thrills. It's an underrated film in my opinion.

The movie starts with a cliché home break-in with the bag guys loading the proverbial brass candlesticks off the mantle into a classic robber's bag. The wife and child are killed in the attempt. We later find out that the man (Clyde) whose family was murdered ( because dad never installed a peep hole in the door) was some kind of government black ops killer. In a plea bargain where the guy who did the killings fingers the guy who didn't, gets a light sentence. DNA evidence was not admissible etc. etc. in the city of Philadelphia, which is known to plant evidence to achieve a conviction. Clyde plans his revenge and ten years later (only Jamie Foxx's daughter has aged in that time) he decides to give the entire criminal justice system a lesson as he turns vigilante using ingenious ways to kill.

The movie is full of suspense and surprises. I liked it very much - except for the last five minutes. The end is typically American: The »good« one has to win. Except that in my opinion he is NOT the good one. That left a bitter taste.