Something's very odd when the highlight of a commercial movie is a buck naked Gerard Butler. Don't get me wrong, this is like the scalded skin at the roof of your mouth that you'd keep on tounging 'til you're next chai latte burn. Law Abiding Citizen had the potential to be a good movie, only if star power would suffice. Unfortunately, that's not enough.
(SPOILER ALERT...if you don't care, then read on...)
The movie's storyline is not at all unique, although I liked the fact that they explored how a topnotch hired killer defines "an eye, for an eye;" and that's where all the loopholes and crazy set-ups stem from.
For example, the movie begins with the massacre of Clyde's family and the ensuing legal battle. Towards the middle of the film, we learn that instead of Clyde just doing vigilante work, he is, after all, a soulless, high profile killer/spy. Now, if he's so cunning and sly, how can two crackheads with a knife and baseball bat subdue him? How can he miss checking who's outside the door before he opened it? Were the deaths of his wife and daughter just an excuse to bully the law? Was this crime part of his plan as well? We will never know because the movie thrives on the "viewers' perspective" kinda style.
Clyde had 10 years to carefully plan his revenge. He must've had the power to see the future, but then again, he missed the part where he bites the dust unintentionally, so there goes the fantasy/sci-fi twist. There's a part of me that wanted him to succeed just so he can bitch slap District Attorney Rice, because, for me, Rice actually is the villain in a very subtle way.
In the movie, the American judicial system was portrayed as a well-bred horse with permanent blinders, which, when given a chance to roam free, would forget it's entire purpose and just continue running 'til it can't run anymore. The movie also makes you wonder if collateral deaths can be compared to swatting black flies that hover around your pecan pie or maybe pulling weeds to give way to hyacinth bulbs.
Another warning for the highly critical. The screenwriter/s just had to bluntly force the title of the movie in the dialogue, which almost made me barf. Don't you hate it when they do that?
It's not entirely a bad flick. If you really have nothing to do, I recommend watching it instead of spending your good money on cheesy 2012 (and I'm not even spending time to give you a link for that one).
GTGL8RZ!
