Law Abiding Citizen is a thrill ride

Rating: 8/10 (15 October 2009)

This film is gory, but the gore is mostly suggested rather than shown. You can make up your own mind as to how gory you want it to be. Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) and Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) are excellent as "frenemies." They still sympathize with each other, in a way, as each teaches the other a lesson. Butler is excellent as the crushed father and husband who believes he must use his unique skills and talent to make an example of a justice system that has forgotten the victims. You sympathize with him even as he enacts his vicious lesson plan upon Foxx's coworkers. Foxx is an arrogant self-serving assistant district attorney who is only concerned with his conviction rate as he claws his way up the ladder in the justice system. He has forgotten the victims. But when he has a family of his own, he begins to see Clyde's point, yet he cannot give in to all of Clyde's demands to stop the carnage. Beautifully films in a noir tone with excellent timing on the stunts and effects. Law Abiding Citizen is an adrenaline-pumping experience. Bring your heart meds.