This man versus law story starts off with a promise, but eventually dives into the preposterous territory

Rating: 5/10 (31 July 2017)

Our society is very complex when it comes to dealing with the law enforcement, and the flaws in the justice system set a clear example of that. This concept marks the core of this crime-thriller which places Irish actor Gerard Butler in the role of a man seeking vengeance against the court system who failed to meet into his emotional demands. And how does everything go down from there? Well, the film, directed by F. Gary Gray, starts off on a promising note introducing us intellectual themes of corruption and negligence within the justice system, both things that have been reported on the news for the past several decades. But once it comes time to kicking the action into gear, that is when things go south. Slipping into the territory of absurdity, the film proceeds with a plot that feels more heavy- handed than genuine. There are a few elements that Gray gets right, and that is providing us a few good thrills and action set pieces. His major problem is showcasing the shock and fury of Gerard Butler's antagonistic character. This film follows Clyde Shelton (played by Gerard Butler), a husband and father who's night of peaceful family time is disrupted by ruthless gangsters who invade his house and murder his wife and daughter right in front of him. While one of the gangsters is caught and receives the death penalty, the other, Clarence Darby (played by Christian Stolte), is offered a plea bargain by lawyer Nick Rice (played by Jamie Foxx) who will allow him to testify against his accomplice for the crime. Shelton is not too pleased about this and feels no justice has been served. Ten years later, the law enforcement finds Darby gruesomely murdered and Clyde reveals to be the one responsible. Upon sending him behind bars, Nick Rice learns that he is waging war against the him and the district attorneys to deliver them the message about their corruption.
F. Gary Gray's legal thriller is not your average turn-off-your- brain popcorn flick, at least not in concept. There is some smart commentary offered by the corruption behind the justice system, particularly the flaws in judges' failure to serve justice and letting the morally corrupt run free with little to no legal repercussions. We have heard of this many times in the past, particularly when we turn on the news and hear court cases gone awry to the judges' mistakes of recognizing the grim nature of citizens who wrong against society. This intellectually-engaging theme sets the stone for the film's strongest point. Everything else feels a little blemished. In response to the court's decision against his favors, Gerard Butler's Clyde Shelton becomes the driving force of the plot as he ensues a brainy plan to seek vengeance against the justice system. He is smart and way of the game, but his evil doings more often than feel a bit too ham-fisted than believable -- this is best demonstrated in the scene in which tortures his victim in the style of a 'Saw' movie. While it is easy to understand his sadness and frustration, our sympathy for him quickly dissolves when the story dives into his absurdly sadistic nature. It might have been more easy if the film is portrayed him in a more humanly manner than a exploitative psychopath with a thirst for blood. Although this dubious methodology opens doors for some pulse- pounding thrills and bloody action set pieces to feed on, the plot feels a bit too absurd to take seriously and builds up to an ending that simply doesn't land. Gerard Butler is not bad in the role, his only problem is the writing of his character which. Jamie Foxx on the other hand does fine in his role, reeling in charisma and humanity, while trudging through the preposterous nature of the script.
Law Abiding Citizen is a flawed man versus law thriller that may sparkle with an absorbing message on the flaws in the justice system, but falls short to a superfluous approach of its story. This movie is nothing truly memorable. But the say I can say about it is that it is not a lumbering disaster. After all, there is a good side to be admired about F. Gary Gray's direction, that is if you can get past the stilted fashion of the plot.