Listen… everything about this film is ludicrous and implausible. It is also an angry film that seems to promote vigilante justice to the nth degree. It is often gruesome and hardly has a shred of hope or goodness in any scene. It is a blueprint for a film that I should hate with every fiber of my being. I cannot think of a film description that bodes worse for my recommendation. And yet…
“Law Abiding Citizen” somehow managed to convince me that it had a point… that the anger was justified. It is a destruction of the American criminal justice system — often touted as the best in the world (mostly by American lawyers and politicians). It is a hate-filled rant against the corruption, the stupidity, the red tape, the injustice, the legalese and the greed. And I appreciated the argument. I may not agree with vigilantism, but I understand the frustration that comes with the lack of true justice.
Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx are both convincing and intense in their roles. The events that transpire, although absurd in every way, are riveting to watch and had me glued to the screen. It is definitely a film where you have to turn the brain, not off, but down to level 1. That is not to say it is a mindless film. The ideas behind the narrative are profound… But the delivery is totally over the top.
