Unexpectedly good movie - unfortunately awful ending

Rating: 8/10 (22 May 2010)

Last couple of years, there's been an upswing in vengeful vigilante movies, a genre I'm quite fond of. However, one thing that has marred the movies I've seen in this new wave is the casting of the villains, who have been way too over the top with their drama-class-bad-guy-acting. Some examples are Death Sentence and The Brave One, which are otherwise fine films.
This is not the case with Law Abiding Citizen, which is cast nicely (almost) all the way from the starring role to small supporting roles. One exception though. I can't stand Jamie Foxx.
Also, matters are more in shades of gray, unlike the other vigilante movies where things are more dichotomous.
I'm not the biggest fan of F. Gary Gray. I feel that his previous films have been too clunky, but he does a fine job here.
I have only one issue with this movie, and that's the ending. I couldn't help but rooting for Gerard Butler's character, and I feel like it was a cowardly choice on the part of the filmmakers to have him killed in the end. Some might say that it's poetic justice that he dies as a direct result of his own device, but I just feel that it's the formulaic Hollywood cliché that the bad guy has to go down in the end.
Nevertheless, it's a movie well worth watching! It's not a movie which will reveal the meaning of life, but it's fun entertainment.