Law Abiding Irony

Rating: 5/10 (24 February 2010)

Man, I love incredibly smart, prepared and omnipotent characters, such as Hannibal Lecter (The Silence of the Lambs) and Catherine Tramell (Basic Instinct) to name a couple. Also, I like both Gerard Butler, despite his string of too many bad to mediocre films and Jamie Foxx (ditto.) So, why was Law Abiding Citizen justokay? Let's skip to the end and state, it's the ending that did it in. But, we'll get to that later.
Basically, this cat'n'mouse movie is like an "adult" Saw flick. At least, it starts off that way. And speaking on how it starts off, what's with all these recent movies concerning vengeful fathers out for justice when their daughters get kidnapped or killed? (SEE: Taken, Edge of Darkness and now this, Law Abiding Citizen.) Again, I'm getting ahead of myselfSo here's the basic synopsis: Engineer Clyde (Butler) is having a nice evening at his home with wife and daughter. In (and out of the blue) arrive two men who stab, rape and kill both mother & daughter. Despite the bad guy's efforts, they're arrested and after one makes a deal, the other gets the death penalty.
Fast forward 10 years, and as the deal maker, State Attorney Nick (Foxx) watches, the accused dies an unusual and cruel death. Immediately, the previously freed man on his plea bargain is suspected and before he could be apprehended by the police, he's caught and (literally) cut up by said-vengeful father, Clyde.
But, Clyde's a clever one though. It's established fairly quickly that Clyde's in control. He's out to out-smart Nick, the police, city and most importantly, the system. One by one, Clyde makes Nick strike deals while Clyde controls things on the outside and people die. Make that, they die outside and inside of prison, all so that Clyde can make a point. Will he outsmart everyone, namely Nick? Let me state, I liked the movie, namely because, again, I like omnipotent characters, even when they're considered unrealistic. On the flipside, I think it's more fun when you don't know too much (i.e. Michael Myers in the original Halloween or Tramell in Instinct.) And that leads me to the closing. I can't spoil the finale, but I will say I didn't care for it and I doubt anyone else, who made it that far, will, either.
On the technical side: though not 100% original, the plot's really not that bad, the acting's okay and the dialogue's average. Let's make that, thanks to the closing and revelations, the entire movie becomes average. Still, I will recommend if you believe in vigilante justice/revenge.