Tense thriller has Butler seeking vengeance in a brutal way...

Rating: 6/10 (23 October 2009)

Although there are plenty of opportunities to find loopholes in the script for LAW ABIDING CITIZEN, it's basically a thriller about vengeance sought by a man wronged by the justice system who feels he has a right to kill anyone connected with the case involving the brutal murder of his wife and daughter. JAMIE FOXX is the DA who orchestrates the plea bargain that gives one of the guilty men a good deal.
And it's directed in such a skillful way by F. Gary Gray and played with such intensity by GERARD BUTLER and JAMIE FOXX, that it keeps you riveted to the screen for the duration of the plot. The supporting performances are all expert, especially VIOLA DAVIS as the frustrated mayor of Philadelphia and ANNIE CORLEY as a judge who rules by the book.
When you stop to think about it, much of the plot is less than credible with Butler able to outwit and keep one step ahead of the authorities all the way until the contrived ending. But it's an interesting plot, keeping the viewer in suspense as to what will happen next. It succeeds on the high tension level right up to the fiery climax.
Butler scowls a lot and gives the impression that he can hold a grudge better than any man on earth, especially since what he does goes to such extremes.
Although none of the characters have much depth, they move through their roles with enough skill to make even the credibility angle be something you're likely to overlook for the sake of a good thriller. The tension is set at the grim opening scene and there's never a let-up, even though there are occasional bits of humor thrown in for good measure.