" Playing Chess with the criminal mind is nothing short of lunacy "

Rating: 9/10 (2 April 2010)

The last we heard from Gerald Butler, the extra-ordinary actor was holding the pass of Thermopylae in ancient Greece against the Persians. Now, he has fast forwarded to playing Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) an innovative inventive genius and a " Law Abiding Citzen " in typical American fashion. One day at home he, his wife and child are savagely attacked in their home by two brutal killers. Unlike his wife and child, he survives and attends the murderers' day in court. Expecting both assailants to be convicted and executed, he learns, the ambitious District Attorney Nick Rice, (Jamie Foxx) has made a deal with one of the killers. Vowing revenge, Shelton, a bitter but brilliant and resourceful individual sets a clever trap for the killer who was release and punishes him. Everyone in the District Attorney's office is reflective of their original failure, except Rice. Realizing who the culprit is, Rice now challenges Shelton to a supreme cat and mouse game to see which one will prove the superior strategist. Throughout the entire film, Shelton proves it's he and stays well ahead of the D.A. Failing to beat his adversary within the law, Rice becomes as aggressively despairing in order to win, a notion, Shelton concedes. The movie is an exciting and violent film and one wonders if the adage is indeed true. In order to beat an enemy, one must become as vicious and destructive as he is. A remarkable and undeniable truism if ever there was one. This is a milestone film for Butler and predictably will become a Classic for him. ****