An Excellent Thriller with a Thought-Provoking Message and Ending

Rating: 10/10 (15 June 2013)

First off this movie was outstanding in terms of acting and suspense. Gerard Butler's performance was fantastic, you could really feel how anger and a desire to take justice into his own hands had overwhelmed him. The torture of Darvey scene was chilling and very well done, and the extensiveness of Shelton's plan to "bring the whole system down" was impressive. I've seen almost every review here criticize the ending of this movie, and honestly when I first read them I hadn't seen the ending yet, and based on the reviews I thought it would be some depressing ending where Clyde succeeds in his plan and kills Nick's family or something. But, when I saw the ending I honestly didn't think it was nearly as bad as people say. I can see where some people would be angry that Shelton was killed, since he was the man who had lost everything and wanted to overcome a corrupt justice system. But, I felt that the message of this movie and the dynamic character of Nick is meant to provoke thought and inquiry about who was really in the wrong. While the legal system isn't perfect, Nick was able to get some justice, and I honestly feel that Clyde could've stopped once he had killed Darvey and gotten his revenge. But, his desire to share his pain with those who had wronged him is when a person can choose to like or dislike him. For me, I felt that taking innocent lives of the justice department warranted the ending. The last lines of the movie, the last confrontation between Clyde and Nick was excellent, the dialogue between the two was one of the best parts of the movie. So, I really like the ending, but I can see where some wouldn't. Either way, the message of the movie is unique, and the acting, dialogue, and suspense make this movie a must see! I'd definitely recommend it if you're into suspense and can stomach a few gory scenes.