Very Good Movie

Rating: 9/10 (23 November 2009)

I absolutely LOVED this movie; the ending was a little terrible and upsetting, but the rest of the movie (up to that point) was virtually flawless! Aside from the moral tales woven around the killings, the justice system, blind ambition, etc, I always just love a darn good revenge flick. "Taken" and "Law Abiding Citizen" hearken back to good versions and interpretations of "The Count of Monte Cristo", outlining detailed accounts of wronged individuals plotting, for years, the demise of those who have done them wrong. I'd also add "Man on Fire" in this mix because it really speaks to the heart of the American public in a way that makes it OK to condone and, even, encourage gratuitous violence without the self-righteous and indignant judgment of others. As soon as Darby walked into the house, I knew this was going to be a good flick! I was totally absorbed in Butler's character, Clyde, and never even considered Foxx as the protagonist; he just seemed much too ancillary in this film for that to be accurate. For me, this epic battle of good and evil had Butler on the Good Side and Foxx on the Bad Side with a corrupt system winning out in the end. The cinematography in the final jail scenes was beautiful, I think, but I left the theater sad that the little guy fell, yet again, to the machine of the overbearing justice system.
Loved the movie. Would see it again.