Amazing movie...until the end

Rating: 7/10 (3 March 2011)

When I first saw the trailer to this movie I automatically was anxious to watch it, thankfully it was in the instant watch on Netflix. So I sat down and I watched the movie.
The concept is really really great, and original. The characters are really believable, and overall just those parts are already great. Then when you watch it, it gets even better.
In the beginning you feel really bad for Butler (having to watch his wife get killed and raped, and his daughter get taken away and killed, that made me cringe). Then when you find out that Foxx had made a deal with the murderer, you don't feel so bad because if you watched the trailer like I did, you know that Butler's going to get his revenge.
Then from then on I was really impressed with how the movie played out. I was just hoping that Butler was going to get back at that son of a bitch who killed his family, and when his whole plan to take him down is happening, I was really impressed at how elaborate and sly it was. Having him take the murderer down feels rewarding not only to the character but to you because you know Butler got his vengeance. But it doesn't end there..
From then on it's even more fantastic. Knowing that he has carefully read through all the laws in the justice system and shows it to Foxx as he makes him think he just gave a confession, but really he doesn't have diddly-squat on Butler, is so awesome. Then I completely didn't expect him to go crazy on the judge when she's about to let him go, but he proved a good point in what he said. And then from there on he pretty much is just taking down people from inside jail using some sort of accomplice. Lots of suspense and action, and it's really great how it plays out.
Then...there's the last 15 minutes. Before I got to this part in the movie I looked on IMDb to see what this movie scored, and it only had a 7.2. And I thought, 7.2? But this is so great, it deserves more than that! And I didn't know if it was only me who thought that the ending was kind of unfulfilling, but looking through the reviews lots of people agreed with me. It's just...the ending didn't at all compare to how well the movie was before it. You would think the director would have something better up his sleeve after making such a great movie. I mean, I feel like the end just defeated the whole purpose of the film. In the end they make it out that Butler was the bad guy and Foxx was the good guy, but that's not what I thought at all! Foxx was the arrogant lawyer who made deals with murderers, and Butler is a man who lost his family and is just trying to show people how twisted the justice system is. I don't think it was appropriate that Butler was the one to die while Foxx got away clean. That just doesn't seem right to me. I'm not sure how else it would have ended, but it should of been in some way Foxx understanding why Butler did all this and becoming a better man for it, while Butler got out and continued on with his life. And not only that, but I think the whole, them finding his secret tunnels and whatnot..was just not right for the movie. I think it just gave away how he did it way too early..and when they do find it, the whole time I'm just expecting Butler to know that this is all happening and he's got a trick up his sleeve to stop them. And then after all that waiting you realize that he didn't even know! That Foxx outsmarted him! Are you telling me that this genius who was taking down the system didn't even know about this??? That's ridiculous!! Which brings me to my next point..there were lots of plot holes! Like, what I just said, how is it that this genius was outsmarted?? And, why is it that he left is custodial cart right outside the room where the bomb was?? How come he left the bomb right out in plain sight? Couldn't he have hidden it or something? Why didn't Butler have booby traps in his tunnel?? How did they get the bomb from Point A to Point B in record time without detonating it before Butler got back?? Stuff like that that didn't add up.
So overall, it was a great movie, and I'll give it a 7..but the ending was shabby and just not what I expected to wrap up such a great movie. They portrayed Foxx to be the good guy; the hero, and that was just wrong. Butler should have gotten away clean, not Foxx.