Review of Law Abiding Citizen (2009) by Yorkman — 19 Jan 2016

Interesting thriller with a severe tinge of violence and an adult theme. Well directed and scored, it's unfortunately let down by a poorly written script and (apart from Gerard Butler) a cast on auto-pilot.

The premise is interesting enough, but it's how it is presented that fails. Too much that is obvious, is overtly obvious, and the little bits which are 'filled in' as the film continues just feel like the tired cliches of 'i know a guy' who then provides the necessary information for the good guys to finally come good.

Jamie Foxx's performance is woeful, he lacks the dynamic emotional range to convey the struggle of a man who is losing everything he holds dear who, despite his claims of intelligence and integrity, has no idea how these acts are being accomplished.

His almost deadpan delivery only makes the audience want the bad guy to succeed, and when he is ultimately foiled, it's not a win for the good guys... It's just feels like an absolute cop out, especially as there's no epilogue to show if anything about the 'system' has changed.

However, it's not a bad movie. The central performance of Butler redeems it a great deal and, if you like action and violence mixed in with a fairly intelligent plot, you won't be disappointed.

But, if you're looking for someone that possesses the dialogue and performances to match, then one to avoid.