NOTE - Though I tried to avoid spoilers, I do discuss specifics in this review, you have been warned.
The Rule of Awesome (paraphrased)- Anything is totally allowed if it's awesome enough, no matter how absurd, ridiculous or unlikley.
Law Abiding Citizen is a film about personal protest taken to its most illogical extreme. When Gerard Butler's character, Clyde Shelton an inventor and engineer (among other things) who loses his wife and daughter during a brutal home invasion. When Jamie Foxx, playing DA Nick Rice, cuts a deal and lets one of the men responsible go in favour of getting the death penalty for the other, Clyde is disgusted with the imperfections and negotiable state of the Justice system.
So he does what any of us would do after losing everything. He spends the next decade plotting an exceptionally intricate and complex production with the sole purpose of showing the brokenness of the system. He murders his family's killer in a method so graphic, so visceral and so awesome that Saw movies should take note. That's just the start though. After allowing himself to be arrested, Shelton takes the entire justice system (and indeed the city of Philadelphia) on a crazed (and murderous) joyride of his own design, he step showing the useless state of how we deal with criminals.
Shelton cuts deals with the District Attorney's office for as little as a mattress, kills men by predicting the petty bureaucracy of the system and yes, drives a motorized machinegun-bot and destroys a heavily-defended motorcade.
In one of the most poignant scenes, Shelton talks his way out of being held without bail by quoting a ton of legalese during his hearing. When the judge agrees he can't be held, he proceeds to let fly a massive tirade at how easy that was, how completely ignorant the judge is and that she likes it, and I quote "up the ass".
Those who don't watch carefully might assume that the movie is about the "mystery" of how Shelton continues to kill people from within prison. That's really not pressing, despite what the ad campaign might have you believe. The real puzzle is who the audience should root for. There is an man doing evil things, motivated by a sense of injustice and a need for progressive social change, and there is a man doing noble and heroic things, motivated by personal gains and pride.
Jamie Foxx is completely detestable for the majority of the movie. He's a neglectful workaholic father, a DA who will do anything to win and generally a prideful jerk. He also represents the law, the people behind it and society in general. Foxx deserves credit for a solid performance.
Gerard Butler on the other hand, might be considered for an award. His character is undoubtedly well-written which helps, but Butler constantly finds ways to express the "movement" within Clay Shelton's mind. Butler's eyes are constantly shifting and unfocusing and he always seems distracted by his own thoughts, giving real credibility to the genius of this character.
Law Abiding Citizen is a movie that, no matter how well acted, needs a willing suspension of disbelief. Because two men sitting in an interrogation room and arguing about the justice system is a pretty boring movie, there are elegant murders in place that would make Rune Goldberg green with envy. To give you an idea of the destruction possible without spoiling to cool stuff, there is a sequential destruction of an entire parking lot of government employees via about 15 car bombs. The sequences are well-shot, well-considered and awesome. Totally awesome. They are also often absurd. Any of these murders could conceivably be a point where some jerk stands up in the theater and shouts "C'mon!"
But that guy is totally missing the point. The murders are a means to an end. The real point of the movie is where do our sympathies lie? The bureaucracy of the imperfect system fueled by the hardwork of noble men and women? Or with the radical political protestor willing to break all the rules, commit any sin and sacrifice their own soul if it means they bring about a change?
Recommendation This is an easy "Buy it" decision because it takes all the absurdity of a Hollywood action flick and uses it to disguise a moral quandary, instead of the usual method of using a moral quandary as a thinly veiled premise for tons of explosions and gunfights.
The Rule of Awesome (paraphrased)- Anything is totally allowed if it's awesome enough, no matter how absurd, ridiculous or unlikley.
Law Abiding Citizen is a film about personal protest taken to its most illogical extreme. When Gerard Butler's character, Clyde Shelton an inventor and engineer (among other things) who loses his wife and daughter during a brutal home invasion. When Jamie Foxx, playing DA Nick Rice, cuts a deal and lets one of the men responsible go in favour of getting the death penalty for the other, Clyde is disgusted with the imperfections and negotiable state of the Justice system.
So he does what any of us would do after losing everything. He spends the next decade plotting an exceptionally intricate and complex production with the sole purpose of showing the brokenness of the system. He murders his family's killer in a method so graphic, so visceral and so awesome that Saw movies should take note. That's just the start though. After allowing himself to be arrested, Shelton takes the entire justice system (and indeed the city of Philadelphia) on a crazed (and murderous) joyride of his own design, he step showing the useless state of how we deal with criminals.
Shelton cuts deals with the District Attorney's office for as little as a mattress, kills men by predicting the petty bureaucracy of the system and yes, drives a motorized machinegun-bot and destroys a heavily-defended motorcade.
In one of the most poignant scenes, Shelton talks his way out of being held without bail by quoting a ton of legalese during his hearing. When the judge agrees he can't be held, he proceeds to let fly a massive tirade at how easy that was, how completely ignorant the judge is and that she likes it, and I quote "up the ass".
Those who don't watch carefully might assume that the movie is about the "mystery" of how Shelton continues to kill people from within prison. That's really not pressing, despite what the ad campaign might have you believe. The real puzzle is who the audience should root for. There is an man doing evil things, motivated by a sense of injustice and a need for progressive social change, and there is a man doing noble and heroic things, motivated by personal gains and pride.
Jamie Foxx is completely detestable for the majority of the movie. He's a neglectful workaholic father, a DA who will do anything to win and generally a prideful jerk. He also represents the law, the people behind it and society in general. Foxx deserves credit for a solid performance.
Gerard Butler on the other hand, might be considered for an award. His character is undoubtedly well-written which helps, but Butler constantly finds ways to express the "movement" within Clay Shelton's mind. Butler's eyes are constantly shifting and unfocusing and he always seems distracted by his own thoughts, giving real credibility to the genius of this character.
Law Abiding Citizen is a movie that, no matter how well acted, needs a willing suspension of disbelief. Because two men sitting in an interrogation room and arguing about the justice system is a pretty boring movie, there are elegant murders in place that would make Rune Goldberg green with envy. To give you an idea of the destruction possible without spoiling to cool stuff, there is a sequential destruction of an entire parking lot of government employees via about 15 car bombs. The sequences are well-shot, well-considered and awesome. Totally awesome. They are also often absurd. Any of these murders could conceivably be a point where some jerk stands up in the theater and shouts "C'mon!"
But that guy is totally missing the point. The murders are a means to an end. The real point of the movie is where do our sympathies lie? The bureaucracy of the imperfect system fueled by the hardwork of noble men and women? Or with the radical political protestor willing to break all the rules, commit any sin and sacrifice their own soul if it means they bring about a change?
Recommendation This is an easy "Buy it" decision because it takes all the absurdity of a Hollywood action flick and uses it to disguise a moral quandary, instead of the usual method of using a moral quandary as a thinly veiled premise for tons of explosions and gunfights.
