The typical vengeance movie adheres to the mantra "an eye for an eye," and this adage takes a turn for the graphic in "Law Abiding Citizen." The film, directed by F. Gary Gray, follows the vigilante hero Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) as he exacts his calculated and gruesome revenge in a "Saw" (2004) meets "Se7en" (1995) action-thriller.
After Clyde's home is invaded and his wife and daughter are raped and murdered, the ambitious prosecuting attorney Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) strikes a lenient plea bargain with the guilty perpetrator in which only his accomplice is sent to death row. Rice justifies the decision, explaining that "some justice is better than none." Clyde feels as if the justice system has cheated him and waits 10 years before springing into an intricate and ferocious plot to take vengeance on those who wronged him.
Exhilarating and at times disturbing, "Law Abiding Citizen" begins in true thriller style: It pins viewers to their seats while enticing them to keep watching the screen with suspense and excellent casting.
Butler's characters from other movies shine through into his "Law Abiding Citizen" role. The seething anger Butler showed in "300" (2006) suits Clyde, as he exacts brutal revenge on the killer.
Nick's blatant ambition and neglect for his family fit the typically arrogant character Jamie Foxx plays on screen. Nick makes for a fascinating foil to Clyde, intentionally missing his daughters' cello concert to view the execution of the accomplice.
Clyde and Nick play the classic game of cat and mouse between hero and villain throughout the film. In a scene reminiscent of "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991), the two characters face off in a large metal cage. Like Lector behind bars, Clyde manages to exact justice as he moves each person like a pawn on his chessboard of vengeance. Nick becomes his primary tool as Clyde continually outsmarts, manipulates and plays him with ease, giving weight to the film's portrayal of the law as naïve and self-interested.
Any deeper or refined message about the legal system ends in the film's early scenes, for it is too distracted by blood and explosions to take time to develop themes to their fullest extent. When Clyde arbitrarily kills his cellmate, his character loses the moral righteousness with which the audience allowed his horrific killings to occur.
Both Clyde and Nick remain emotionally and intellectually hollow for most of the film, which makes it hard for the audience to care what happens. After the first few complicated killings, the ones that follow become simplistic — they're just excuses to blow things up.
Plot holes aren't enough to halt the story, but the film's increasing implausibility — as demonstrated by the easy explanation of Clyde's skills and resources as a result of his CIA training — undermine the audience's interest in the plot's progression.
The resolution for all of the film's violence unsurprisingly involves an archetypal cleansing fire and sappy character growth. The pandemonium begins and ends with a peaceful cello concert, and this is just one of the film's visually compelling elements — a positive aspect of "Law Abiding Citizen" that should not be overlooked. This film's expressive lighting could translate well to any black-and-white film noir, while the backdrop of Philadelphia completes the tough-town, rough-life feel of the film.
"Law Abiding Citizen" falls short of its Hollywood marketing hype and its initial intrigue as a psychological thriller. What remains is still an entertaining mix of explosions and vengeance that the casual moviegoer can enjoy.
